Exposed: Cash for logos and drive by inspections

Look at the number of registered players, quoting low rates for EICR's; I suspect that these use office bound, qualified supervisors and apprentices or non registered employees in the field. If it was made necessary for all copies of EICR's, to be sent for vetting by an independent, impartial body; this should monitor the problem with a view to correction. 

The government has seen fit to change the rental industry; mandatory electrical reports only by qualified electricians, are now required on rental properties: see the link https://e-certsure.com/WCP-6U565-KMQFNB-42R6CO-1/c.aspx All electricians listed and permitted to display the mark are registered with an electrical Competent Person Scheme Operator, and have been authorised by the Government to self-certify that their work is compliant with Building Regulations. This means they meet strict entry requirements, their work is regularly assessed, demonstrating their ability and ongoing competence, and that it meets the correct standards. In particular, landlords are no longer allowed to engage anyone not on the register, to carry out electrical inspection reports; in addition, a copy of an electrical inspection report is now required to be submitted to the tenant. 

I think we can all suspect what goes on and how the standards can be raised; but the blame lies to an extent on the door of the scheme providers; who among them will stand up, be counted and jeopardise their "non profit" making stance?. asif!

Jaymack 

This will never happen whilst the scams are permitted to continue to publish scary but out of date statistics whilst hiding the real data trends.

If we ever moved to a 'licenced electrician' model in the UK I would only join it if it were administered by a neutral Public Body.

The fee would be minimal, say £50/p/a and the requirement would be to hold a 2391 and whatever the current C&G Wiring regs course number is. Public Liability insurance would be made compulsory and you would be required to lodge a valid copy with your LA along with copies of your qualifications. It could really be made a simple and as cheap as this if there was a real will to sort the job out with minimal fuss and interference. No need for bogus continuous assessment by the scams and no £1000/p/a outlay.

I would also relax the requirements for test kit, especially for that other elephant in the room - annual calibration. I have never had a digital instrument go out of cal. I've had a few faults with them but they have always been accurate. This annual cal thing seems to be a pass or fail, rather than a fail, fix, then pass for an all-in-one fee. It is ripe for reform, and given that the values we are asked to measure - which are not really mission-critical - then perhaps it is time to question their future usefulness.

I take everything I read from Certsure, The Electrical Safety Council (now Electrical Safety First) with a very large dose of salt. They should confine their activities to a kind of 'Which?' magazine mode whereby they check and report on cheap and nasty chinese imports on ebay.

This will never happen whilst the scams are permitted to continue to publish scary but out of date statistics whilst hiding the real data trends.

If we ever moved to a 'licenced electrician' model in the UK I would only join it if it were administered by a neutral Public Body.

The fee would be minimal, say £50/p/a and the requirement would be to hold a 2391 and whatever the current C&G Wiring regs course number is. Public Liability insurance would be made compulsory and you would be required to lodge a valid copy with your LA along with copies of your qualifications. It could really be made a simple and as cheap as this if there was a real will to sort the job out with minimal fuss and interference. No need for bogus continuous assessment by the scams and no £1000/p/a outlay.

I would also relax the requirements for test kit, especially for that other elephant in the room - annual calibration. I have never had a digital instrument go out of cal. I've had a few faults with them but they have always been accurate. This annual cal thing seems to be a pass or fail, rather than a fail, fix, then pass for an all-in-one fee. It is ripe for reform, and given that the values we are asked to measure - which are not really mission-critical - then perhaps it is time to question their future usefulness.

I take everything I read from Certsure, The Electrical Safety Council (now Electrical Safety First) with a very large dose of salt. They should confine their activities to a kind of 'Which?' magazine mode whereby they check and report on cheap and nasty chinese imports on ebay.