What to Look for When Hiring an Electrician
This is, for some people a task that requires no thought as generally speaking, everyone always thinks that the ‘rogue traders’ will never come to their home or business to carry out a job and they’ll never be the ones to be stung.
Well, there’s thousands of people that are stung by these rogue traders every year and here at IPH Electrical, we hate to see people hit with a big bill after having someone do a poor job for them.
We pride ourselves on our customer service, punctuation and the quality of our work. A recent survey has found that when hiring an electrician, just 87% of customers look for an ID badge that would link that tradesperson to a Government approved scheme.
So, based on this we’ve put together a little guide to help you know what to look for when hiring an electrician.
References
A reference is a great way of finding someone to come and do a job for you and that shows as 67% of people rely on word of mouth when it comes to hiring an electrician.
However, you shouldn’t settle just for a good recommendation from your neighbour or friend. Don’t be afraid to ask for a letter of satisfaction from a previous customer or even ask them for some pictures to demonstrate the quality of their previous work and jobs.
Quotations
If you’re on a bit of a budget when for the work that you need doing then it’s advised that you look for a number of different quotes before proceeding with one company or another.
A general rule of thumb is that you should get at least three different quotes from different companies so that you have more of an idea as to who is trying to get a quick payday from you for a job that may take half the time they’re estimating.
Qualifications
All electricians in England and Wales must comply with certain rules and regulations such as the Part P building regulations.
This is good to know as you can ask to see proof of qualifications before you hire someone and if they can’t provide you with the correct certificates then it should make your decision a little easier when it comes to deciding on who to use for the work you need completing.
Accreditation
Qualifications not quite enough to satisfy your hunger for legitimacy? Well, if that’s the case, you can use the competent person schemes provided by NICEIC, Trust A Trader and CHAS to find proficient electricians.
Insurance
Public liability insurance is a type of insurance that covers a business if a customer or member of the public was to suffer a loss of injury as a result of its business activities and if a claim for compensation is made.
It’s highly important to check that any company, firm or tradesperson you may be using to carry out the work you need is covered with public liability insurance just in case anything goes wrong with the job.
Certification
Finally, when your job has been completed, the electrician that you’ve decided to go ahead and use should provide you with a certificate confirming that the work meets the British Safety Standards which means that you can rest assured that the job has been completed to a high standard.