Stroma Certification Scheme Time to join Stroma?

Discuss Time to join Stroma? in the Business Related area at ElectriciansForums.net

O

Octopus

So I went to Elex @ Sandown Park this morning. Apart from replacing some tools, and sitting through Tony Cables "waffle" on the changes in the regs (fire proof CU's ARE going to make life interesting), I made the point of speaking to Napit and Stroma (I'm with Elecsa so there's no point in talking to them or the NICEIC.

Joining Stroma will cost £288 inc VAT which is about £200 savings PLUS they don't charge any more for "warranty" on notified jobs.

Me thinks I'll be cancelling my direct debit for Elecsa after Xmas.
 
stroma might just make the big 3 sit up and take notice of the fact that they've been ripping sparks off for years. it's about time they had a kick up the arse. from a couple of comments from HHD on this forum, the stroma assessment is quite thorough and may stop some of the chancers gaining accreditation. some niceic and elecsa reg. installers work is diabolical.
 
telectrix said:
stroma might just make the big 3 sit up and take notice of the fact that they've been ripping sparks off for years. it's about time they had a kick up the arse. from a couple of comments from HHD on this forum, the stroma assessment is quite thorough and may stop some of the chancers gaining accreditation. some niceic and elecsa reg. installers work is diabolical.
Click to expand...

The "entry" requirements, apart from the qualifications are installation of a minimum of 2 new circuits-- none of this minor works or CU changes but they can be in your own home. I endeavour to use a WIP extension or rewire each year so the assessor can see the cable runs etc, so I don't anticipate any issues.

I asked them how many sparks they have on their books and they claim about 2000
 
Murdoch said:
Joining Stroma will cost £288 inc VAT which is about £200 savings PLUS they don't charge any more for "warranty" on notified jobs.
Click to expand...


to be fair I can't see how they can do membership for that price, half a day for a sparks to inspect your work plus there admin costs.

Assuming the inspection is included.
 
I`m now thinking of starting my own scam ....Tazz Approval ltd...This is becoming a money making market..we need one standard to get this industry back to a trusted level
 
I spoke to Stroma at Elex and asked why they were the best, their answer was, "we are the cheapest".
Apparently they are UKAS accredited which was a key point Certsure were unhappy about, about other schemes.
For that price they were initially losing money but as the economies of scale mount up they are now in profit on this side of the business (CPS).
They also promised that the costs would not keep edging up each year as with the other schemes.
From my point of view the purpose of the schemes is to pass a piece of paper to my customers and building control to say I have complied with the building regulations and this paid for by the notification cost for each job.
They have no other purpose in my eyes and I feel that even £288 is very expensive for providing a service that I pay for on each job.
I could not charge £288 for a half days non manual, non technical work.

Let us see how they turn out in reality.
 
Paul P said:
to be fair I can't see how they can do membership for that price, half a day for a sparks to inspect your work plus there admin costs.

Assuming the inspection is included.
Click to expand...

Who cares?

NICEIC (and a lot of their members) have been proven to be a joke by the countless tales told on this here forum.
Even if Stroma turn out to be as equally as bad, you're getting your notifiable work for half the price.
Anything that helps to cripple the NICEIC should only be encouraged!
 
Archy Styrigg said:
Who cares?

NICEIC (and a lot of their members) have been proven to be a joke by the countless tales told on this here forum.
Even if Stroma turn out to be as equally as bad, you're getting your notifiable work for half the price.
Anything that helps to cripple the NICEIC should only be encouraged!
Click to expand...


The trouble is, it has a pretty firm stranglehold on the industry, brainwashing those in other industries and professions, that know no very little different, that the NICEIC is holy word in any and all forms of electrical recognition/registration. Almost to the point where they are actually believing it themselves!! lol!!
 
Murdoch said:
the way I look at is that with Elecsa I can notify for about £480

with Stroma I can notify for £288

Elecsa do nothing for me (or you)

simples
Click to expand...
I totally agree Clive, honestly 100%, that said a lot of local authorities insist on NICEIC, if you want to move into the public sector and grow your business then you either join them or watch other companies with the logo on their vans do the work, if like yourself you have other work and are happy doing non public sector works and getting onto arcitech's lists etc then I agree go with the cheapest, you do get what you pay for though, 288 notes isn't much at all for what your supposed to get from them, hense the word Scam.
 
Joined storma 5 weeks ago, the best inspection I've ever had. Actually wanted to see my design calcs and circuit diagram before the site inspection and some real in-depth questioning on my knowledge not like the other three that I've been with.
 
ImpeededLoop said:
True, but if you ever want to move from Stroma to NICEIC approved, I'm sure they will welcome you with open arms (so long as you've signed the cheque!).
Click to expand...
Of course, no one would argue that, but you need to be in the NICEIC for Glos city council who maintain domestic properties, that would be to someones advantage should they wish to work with public sector moneys.
 
a1colly said:
Joined storma 5 weeks ago, the best inspection I've ever had. Actually wanted to see my design calcs and circuit diagram before the site inspection and some real in-depth questioning on my knowledge not like the other three that I've been with.
Click to expand...

Interesting input.

Elecsa "inspections" are relatively easy and you are not the first person to say the Stroma "inspection" is more detailed!!
 
If it's just NICEIC domestic scope that they ask for, I'd imagine that that could be questioned as they would need to be able to prove that the other Part P schemes do not provide the same level of service.

Edit...(sorry responding to MDJ's post - should have quoted it).
 
ImpeededLoop said:
If it's just NICEIC domestic scope that they ask for, I'd imagine that that could be questioned as they would need to be able to prove that the other Part P schemes do not provide the same level of service.

Edit...(sorry responding to MDJ's post - should have quoted it).
Click to expand...

And what service would that be??
 
Well, we all know very little. But a local authority has to be able to justify choosing one service provider over another. Therefore for Part P scope schemes, I can't see that they can specify any one over the others.
 
ImpeededLoop said:
Well, we all know very little. But a local authority has to be able to justify choosing one service provider over another. Therefore for Part P scope schemes, I can't see that they can specify any one over the others.
Click to expand...

Working for local councils is not something I want to contemplate so the badge is irrelevant.
 
ImpeededLoop said:
If it's just NICEIC domestic scope that they ask for, I'd imagine that that could be questioned as they would need to be able to prove that the other Part P schemes do not provide the same level of service.

Edit...(sorry responding to MDJ's post - should have quoted it).
Click to expand...
Again I agree with you, but I am telling you how it is in the world of public spending and in the world of most of industry, the NICEIC are reconised as the standard lmao, why I have no idea but it is how it is, I ran a firm for 13 years which worked on projects which was funded by the public purse over 3 different counties, all wanted the NICEIC and wouldn't consider anyone else, this in domestic and commercial/industrial, it is just how things are, and it is wrong, but it is happening.
 
Richard Burns said:
Now that you are on the council lists, then is the time to be able to change.
I am on the list mate!
"Oh you want to know about my current registration!":juggle2:
Click to expand...
If I changed richard they would send an e-mail around all the schools etc telling them I would not be allowed to work on the premises, thats Glos council for you.
 
MDJ said:
If I changed richard they would send an e-mail around all the schools etc telling them I would not be allowed to work on the premises, thats Glos council for you.
Click to expand...

If that is really what would happen, then you could make a bloody fortune in court actions against the council. I doubt if the other Scam providers would be happy to let that situation continue either....
 
At the end of the day, all my customers know the NICEIC.
Yes I do agree there domestic installer scheme is a scam, as with all domestic installer schemes. I have been with elecsa, Napit and now NIC as approved contractor and domestic installer.
Elecsa/NAPIT assessments were a joke! Do three tests and he's on his way. At least with the NIC they look at 5 of my jobs a year and assess properly! Customer piece of mind I guess.
You have to go with what will benefit your business. Personally Approved contractor status is about all you can do on the approvals side.....
As long as you do a good compliant job you will never have a problem.
 
Or.....be judged on the quality of your work and reputation.

i've never understood why it's so important to have any badge. I get MDJ's point re councils. But having a sticker on a van is not proof of competence. Its proof of a few hours meeting in a year (or less) and a financial transaction.

as Murdoch has said in a "Stroma" thread, being in a scheme allows me to self notify.

Thats it!

In the last ten years i have probably been asked if Im "registered" twice. And never "which scheme". But as mentioned I can see that may vary depending on ones customer base (councils, insurance).

The point Im making is that the quality of work you do day in day out and the reputation therefore gained is only down to you, your conscientiousness, and not cutting corners / bodging / skipping tests / making stuff up, etc that cannot be down to anyone else. Or proved by wearing a badge that was bought.

i suppose Im trying to say I think it is a false veil.

But if it helps win business do it. As said above your customer base / what you do may be benefitted by the badge, like MDJ has described.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
One other point that the Stroma discussion confirmed:

Notification Fees:

Stoma £1.80 + VAT

NICEIC/Elecsa £3.00 + VAT


Another saving there too - all be it a small one!
 
rich.250 said:
At the end of the day, all my customers know the NICEIC.
Yes I do agree there domestic installer scheme is a scam, as with all domestic installer schemes. I have been with elecsa, Napit and now NIC as approved contractor and domestic installer.
Elecsa/NAPIT assessments were a joke! Do three tests and he's on his way. At least with the NIC they look at 5 of my jobs a yearand assess properly! Customer piece of mind I guess.
You have to go with what will benefit your business. Personally Approved contractor status is about all you can do on the approvals side.....
As long as you do a good compliant job you will never have a problem.
Click to expand...

And the NIC's assessments for DI and AP isn't a joke??

20 - 30+ years ago the ''Approved Contractor'' accreditation could be said to have meant something, Contractors had to jump through all the loops and conform to far far more than is needed today. What's more the assessors were in a totally different class to those of today, that like to make up their own rules and regs...lol!!

Today it's all about the quantity and the money. You're just another run of the mill contractor or even one man band, that's being mugged. Being classed as a AP only gives the customer a perceived piece of mind, the reality is a far different matter!!
 
Yes I do agree, my company is small, and I see its a money making scheme. But what do you do??
As for the assessments, as far as I have experienced the NICEIC approved was a lot more in depth. But then so it should be.
I can only go off what I'm told of the old NIC but from what everyone says we need to go back!!
 
I've only just seen this thread..

I have no idea what the other schemes are like when they visit, what they ask to see, what there technical departments are like, how easy they are to communicate with etc etc so its difficult to rate Stroma without a comparison. Also, I would think that 'to a degree' the assessment varies depending on who the actual assessor is, regardless of the scheme. Although I would like to think that the scheme has some bearing on the visit as they must have some 'values or rules' that are instilled into the assessor at least a little.

I have been with Stroma for just over 2 years now and have had 2 visits. I should have had a third by now but they are not the best at communication and have not contacted me or asked for this years £288, so I am just letting it run and I will see if I am still able to notify when I have a notifiable job to do!

The assessor I have is called 'Nigel', they have other assessors but not too many I think. He is very thorough (which I like) and has spent 3/4 of a day each time (approx).

Just before the second visit they tried to charge me £576 for the visit, saying it would be a day. I declined and spoke to the boss who apologised and was charged £288. The point being, I think they may have been having some teething problems and the price is now set at £288.

I wonder how long they will keep the price at £288, but from what Richard says it may stay at that price, who knows?

I'd be interested to know what you think of them Spartykus, and if you think they differ (for better or worse) from the other schemes?

Good luck Murdoch, and let us know how you get on with them. On the whole I cant complain, especially at £200 cheaper than the rivals.
 

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