Exposed: Cash for logos and drive by inspections

By recommending the Government issues guidance on the requirements for RCDs in PRS homes the Working Group acknowledged that the actual requirements are not clearly defined in the Wiring Regulations, because there’s no compulsion to upgrade in line with the requirements in the current edition.

Only the Government can issue guidance that should be followed across the whole of England, individual Local Authorities issuing guidance that varies across the country would not improve the situation. 

The Government issuing guidance on the provision on RCDs in PRS homes does not require a change in legislation, it just needs to be done to clarify what outcome the Government is expecting from the introduction of this legislation:

• homes which are safe because the electrical installation complied with the 15th Edition of the Wiring Regulations or even an earlier edition,
• an installation that complied with the 16th Edition or 17th Edition,
• or maybe even an installation that complied with the 18th Edition at the time the legislation was introduced.

Currently no one can say with any authority that an electrician is trying to make a landlord carry out unnecessary work by coding a lack of RCD protection for sockets used for supplying equipment used outdoors as a C2 and stating an installation is unsatisfactory, when there has been industry guidance to do so for over twenty years and the RCD protection has been required by the Wiring Regulations for forty one years.

RCD protection for sockets supplying outdoor equipment is only one issue in amongst many, but saying exactly what RCD protection the Government require in PRS homes would certainly resolve this and several other related issues, such as RCD protection for electric showers.

Government intervention is required.

Sparkingchip said:

Only the Government can issue guidance that should be followed across the whole of England, individual Local Authorities issuing guidance that varies across the country would no improve the situation. 

But that is already accepted as the "norm" across our Devolved Nations ... we have accepted that already.

What is good for the SE of England is NOT good for the rest of the country. In fact, going forward even with only Solar PV as an example, what works in the South Coast of England does NOT work in much of the rest of the country in exactly the same way.

Having said that, if such a small nation as the UK can't have the same rules across the Nation, why would it ever work for the EU ???

(hang on, Pandoras Box opens ... )

It doesn't, but you know that! Harder point, I and not at all sure that the IEC or CENELEC etc do either, but it would take far too long to discuss here!

It doesn't, but you know that! Harder point, I and not at all sure that the IEC or CENELEC etc do either, but it would take far too long to discuss here!