Electrical FAQs

For most notifiable electrical work in England, the work must either be carried out by a registered competent person (such as an NICEIC-registered electrician who self-certifies) or be notified to and inspected by the local authority Building Control. Using a registered electrician is the most straightforward route and avoids the need for a separate Building Control application. It also gives you confidence that the work meets the required standard and that the appropriate certification is issued.

Part P of the Building Regulations covers electrical safety in dwellings in England. It requires that certain types of electrical work are either carried out by a registered competent person, or notified to and inspected by the local authority Building Control. As NICEIC registered contractors, we self-certify our work under Part P.

The most reliable way to assess the safety of your electrical installation is to have an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) carried out by a qualified electrician. An EICR involves a thorough inspection and testing of your wiring, consumer unit, and accessories, and will identify any defects or areas that do not meet the current standard.

For owner-occupied homes, an EICR is recommended every ten years. For rented properties in England, landlords are legally required to have an EICR carried out at least every five years. A new inspection is not automatically required at the start of each tenancy if a valid report exists, is less than five years old, and does not require further investigative or remedial work — however, a copy must be provided to any new tenant. For HMOs, testing is required every five years. Commercial premises typically require testing every five years.

You should consider replacing your consumer unit if it is more than 25 years old, if it contains rewirable fuses rather than modern circuit breakers, if it does not have RCD protection on all circuits, or if it has been identified as defective on an EICR. Older consumer units may not provide adequate protection against electric shock or fire.

A Residual Current Device (RCD) is a safety device that monitors the flow of electricity through a circuit and disconnects the supply within milliseconds if it detects a fault. RCDs provide protection against electric shock and reduce the risk of electrical fires. The current edition of BS 7671 requires RCD protection on all circuits in a domestic installation.

An RCBO (Residual Current Breaker with Overcurrent protection) combines the functions of an MCB and an RCD in a single device. Each circuit has its own individual RCD protection, which means a fault on one circuit does not affect the others. We fit RCBOs as standard in all new consumer unit installations.

Technically yes, but it is not recommended. A standard 13A socket provides a slow charge rate and is not designed for continuous high-current loads over many hours. A dedicated EV charging point is safer, faster, and more energy-efficient. We recommend installing a 7kW home charger for overnight charging.

Charging time depends on the size of your vehicle's battery and the output of your charger. A 7kW home charger will typically fully charge a 60kWh battery in around eight to nine hours, making overnight charging practical for most drivers.

You can request a free, no-obligation quote by calling us on 07736516191, emailing jdelectric2013@gmail.com, or filling in the contact form on our website. We aim to respond to all enquiries within one business day.

We do not charge for initial quotes or surveys. For emergency call-outs, we will always advise you of any charges before carrying out any work.