Your experiences of competent body schemes, and which you personally recommend ?

smiley1609 · Oct 24, 2011

Hi Guys,

So over the next year I am planning to have a 'complete career change' from my current job in Electronics / Mobile phone development, to retraining as an electrician. I plan initially to do domestic work.

I have just finished my Part P Domestic Installer course, and already have scheduled the 17th Edition course at end of November... and also the (new) CG2395 course which replaces 2391 next year during first quarter 2012.

I am very interested to hear anyones views on their competent body schemes, and which is preferable with most... traders ? ... customers ? (for re-assurance)

I am aware of NICEIC and Napit are possibly the biggest of the schemes...are there any others worth thinking about ? Which in your opinion is the best ?

Kind Regards
Smiley

Dan23584 · Oct 24, 2011

I joined NAPIT Approved Contractor scheme, this was based on knowing others who have had excellent service from them, their prices are reasonable and from what I have heard from others who are with different providers NAPIT have the highest requirements for acceptance (Which I think says more about their credibility as not just anyone can get in). I would assume joining their domestic installers scheme would be similar.

Elecsa are supposed to be quite good too.

I would stay away from the NIC as they are the most expensive and all I have ever heard is bad things about them. Apparently there technical helpline is very poor.

white armour · Oct 24, 2011

Hi smiley, I'm with NAPIT too. Been with them 5 years now, assessment process is straightforward and thorough. My assessor has always been very knowledgeable & approachable, after all it is a 2 way process.

They have a decent forum and have been good with any technical issues that I have had to call for, have always had my call returned within 10 minutes.

Regards wa

SirKit Breaker · Oct 24, 2011

I did 6 years with Elecsa then packed it in when i changed direction. Not a bad word to say about them.

You pays your money and take your chance, as far as i can tell they are all much the same, so pick the one that suits you.

Cheers.............Howard

Octopus · Oct 24, 2011

I'm with Elecsa and have to say not had any issues with them at all.

I'd suggest you call Elecsa and Napit and talk to them, and make your judgement on what they say and how quickly they do it.

Are you one of the many poor soles at Southwood??

bodders22 · Oct 24, 2011

Hi I am also with ELECSA. No problems so far.The technical helpline is very good and with a very quick response. I wont be changing.

aaelectric · Oct 24, 2011

I am with th e nic domestic installers and there technical helpline is good and assesor is always willing to answer questions, they are a little more pricey but more recognised ny public than others... dont no why

smiley1609 · Oct 25, 2011

Murdoch said:
Are you one of the many poor soles at Southwood??

Hi Murdoch,

Yes, I am one of the Southwood R&D engineers, soon to be redundant...so I am now moving down the path of alternate career away from Mobile phones and telecomm's in general

To be honest, most of us that have been there longer term are looking at this as a great opportunity for retraining...and with a lump sum redundancy to help in getting going in a new venture...also with the company (mostly) funding the retraining courses, I have managed to organise more than £2k of training in electrical... for a personal cost of ~ £500...a very good deal !

Thanks to everyone for your input...I will do some investigation with Napit and Elecsa, and see which I think is the best option for me.

Kind Regards
Smiley

nick182 · Oct 25, 2011

Dan23584 said:
I would stay away from the NIC as they are the most expensive and all I have ever heard is bad things about them. Apparently there technical helpline is very poor.

Stay away from NIC? really? hmmm iv heard that they are expensive but i didnt know that they wernt any good? What things have you heard about them? I have my sights on them in the next few months.

im keen to hear

High Tower · Oct 25, 2011

The NICEIC are ok, a little expensive and dont bend over backwards as much as others, but they are the best known and for anyone that wants to do commercial work then any other choice would turn out to be a hindrance.

cpugwash · Oct 25, 2011

I am in a similar situation myself. although a qualified spark i have not worked in the nidustry for some years and I am currently jumping through all the hoops to be part p complient.

I have found elecsa very helpful, some one always answers the phone, I get a propmt reply to emails. I have had good advice regarding training providers. no hard sell.

They have been very helpful guiding toward the assement and providng me with some of the required documentation.all in all very proffessional and friendly.

The assesment does not seem so intimidating after speaking to them.

I hope this helps

good luck with your new career

Octopus · Oct 25, 2011

smiley1609 said:
Hi Murdoch,

Yes, I am one of the Southwood R&D engineers, soon to be redundant...so I am now moving down the path of alternate career away from Mobile phones and telecomm's in general

To be honest, most of us that have been there longer term are looking at this as a great opportunity for retraining...and with a lump sum redundancy to help in getting going in a new venture...also with the company (mostly) funding the retraining courses, I have managed to organise more than £2k of training in electrical... for a personal cost of ~ £500...a very good deal !

Thanks to everyone for your input...I will do some investigation with Napit and Elecsa, and see which I think is the best option for me.

Kind Regards
Smiley

2 of my friends are also in the same boat as you at Southwood and neither, as yet, appear to have decided what to do next!

Dan23584 · Oct 25, 2011

nick182 said:
Stay away from NIC? really? hmmm iv heard that they are expensive but i didnt know that they wernt any good? What things have you heard about them? I have my sights on them in the next few months.

im keen to hear

Quite a number of people I know have left them to join NAPIT and Elecsa, there main reasons I remember where that the technical helpline was not up to much, they were slow to return phone calls and could often not help with problems. I also know of a few 'sparks' that are with NIC domestic installers scheme and I have seen the work they do................ it seems like they will let anyone in!

It seems like over the years the NIC'c reputation is dwindling and the others (NAPIT and Elecsa) are coming up trumps. I have never been refused work for not being registered with the NIC and I have done work for big and small companies, even the council now don't specify NIC!

This is obviously just my opinion from my experiences.

JL_Electrical · Oct 26, 2011

I would just like to state my opinion with regards to some of the myths about NICEIC. For a start part P is utterly ridiculous as is the concept of allowing anyone other than time served tradesmen near electrics (no wonder there's no money in it), we should take a leaf from Australias book and register all electricians with the council and make it illegal for anyone else to touch it. As a necessary evil I am an NICEIC approved contractor. I was in NAPIT for my first two years trading, NAPIT where ok but I the assessor was clueless. He made up regs that didn't exist and then couldn't find them in the big (brown) book as it was then. NICEIC is not more expensive (only for first year) then £460+VAT thereafter. I do authority and Housing Association work and they want NICEIC most of the time.
It is all a scam, pure and simple. 0845 phone numbers, pay for this, pay for that. Come and attend this BS tech talk for £20 etc. NICEIC direct will charge you a fortune for tools and test gear. At the end of the day your workmanship talks for itself

msec · Oct 26, 2011

I would just like to state my opinion with regards to some of the myths about NICEIC. For a start part P is utterly ridiculous as is the concept of allowing anyone other than time served tradesmen near electrics (no wonder there's no money in it), we should take a leaf from Australias book and register all electricians with the council and make it illegal for anyone else to touch it. As a necessary evil I am an NICEIC approved contractor. I was in NAPIT for my first two years trading, NAPIT where ok but I the assessor was clueless. He made up regs that didn't exist and then couldn't find them in the big (brown) book as it was then. NICEIC is not more expensive (only for first year) then £460+VAT thereafter. I do authority and Housing Association work and they want NICEIC most of the time.
It is all a scam, pure and simple. 0845 phone numbers, pay for this, pay for that. Come and attend this BS tech talk for £20 etc. NICEIC direct will charge you a fortune for tools and test gear. At the end of the day your workmanship talks for itself

I was about to stick my twopenneth in when JL_Electrical took the words out of my mouth! I have also been with both the NICEIC and NAPIT and I thoroughly agree with everything he has said, we may have had the same assessor!

The NAPIT assessment was a LOT easier (stupidly easy in fact) than the NICEIC, anyone could have done it and I don't think the assessor was really interested. Also if doing mainly domestic work, most customers havn't heard of part p at all, however those that have tend to think you have to be NICEIC and havn't heard of anything else.