operative verification

basic checks to not get ripped off should be carried out before anyone picks up a tool

the very first thing you should do is ask to see proof of every operatives qualification's and experience including who your ordering the work through, after all what use is it having someone whos never installed your new smart system before then advise you on options!

as a minimum i would expect every electrician to have (or to have had) an ECS card, examples of which can be found here. on the front of the card will show their JIB grade with their qualifications listed on the rear.

i have no issue with out of date cards as this is solely for access to construction sites and mirrors obligatory health and safety tests that need renewing every three years, unless further qualification's are gained then the grade and qualifications will not change

there are also a high amount of fake cards in circulation too to add to the confusion so in any circumstances, a basic online check can be found here, if your having doubts about someone's abilities get a second opinion

first task

a simple request to ask an operative to prove his experiance and qualifications should be the first thing you do

company background

accreditation

just as important as above should be the company formation itself, just because a company says its capable and trustworthy doesnt mean it is.

Mybuilder for instance asks for only proof of a single qualification and insurance to become a member, yet it allows operatives to bid on works that otherwise would require enrolment to the part p schemes, who subseqently undercut prices whilst not being held to account for their failures, and that mostly leads to dangerous installs.

expected enrolments on the other hand would be NAPIT like myself, NICEIC, ECA or SELECT, these all carry direct recourse for the client (you) plus they are the ones who let us self certify (part p),

these registrations are normally forefront and highly visible with every registered company so should be easy to spot. again, each governing body will have a 'check' facility to weed out the fraudsters,