How to Choose a Registered Electrician in Blackpool and the Fylde

Choosing an electrician is a safety decision as much as a practical one. Wiring that is badly installed can sit behind a wall for years before it causes a fire or a shock. This guide explains what registration means in England, how to check someone, what to ask before you agree to work and how to spot warning signs. It applies to work in homes in England, including Blackpool, Lytham St Annes, Poulton, Kirkham and Preston.

Is registration compulsory?

In England, there is no law that says an electrician must be registered with a scheme to work in a home. What the law does require is that electrical installation work in dwellings meets the Building Regulations, and that notifiable work, such as a new circuit or a consumer unit replacement, is either notified to building control or certified by a registered installer. You can read about that in our Part P guide.

Because of that, using an electrician registered with a competent person scheme is the simplest way to be sure that the work is certified and notified properly. The installer assesses and notifies the work through their scheme, and you receive the certificates. If you use someone who is not registered, the responsibility for notifying building control falls to you.

What registration tells you, and what it does not

Registration with a scheme means that an organisation has assessed the electrician's work and that they are required to work to the wiring regulations, BS 7671. Schemes carry out periodic checks and most operate a complaints process. Registration does not guarantee that every job will be perfect, and it is not a substitute for asking questions. It is one useful check among several.

There are a number of competent person scheme operators. NICEIC is one well known example, and it provides a search tool for finding registered contractors. The government also publishes information about the competent person schemes through the Registered Competent Person Electrical website, where you can check that a firm is registered.

How to check

1. Ask for the registration number and the scheme. A registered electrician will be happy to give you it.
2. Check it with the scheme. Use the scheme's online search, or the competent person register, and confirm the name and address match.
3. Ask to see photo identification when someone turns up at your door.
4. Ask about insurance. Public liability insurance protects you if something goes wrong. Ask to see the certificate and check the dates.
5. Look at their company details. A genuine company will have a trading address and a landline or a stable contact number. Be cautious if you can only reach them by a messaging app.
6. Read reviews with care. Look for detailed reviews on more than one site, and ask whether they can show you similar work they have done.

Questions to ask before you agree

• Are you registered, and with which scheme?
• Will you notify the work and give me the certificates?
• Who will be doing the work, and will it be you or a subcontractor?
• What qualifications do the people doing the work hold? Ask whether they have experience of the type of job, such as EV chargers, inspection and testing, or rewires.
• Will you test everything before you leave, and give me the results?
• What happens if you find another problem once you start?
• How will you protect my property while you work?
• Is there a guarantee on the work, and what does it cover?
• How long will it take, and when can you start?

Take notes, and keep the answers with the quote.

What a good quote looks like

A written quote should describe what will be done, in enough detail that you could compare it with another one. It should say what is included and what is not, what materials will be used, how long the work will take and what the payment terms are. It should also state whether the work is notifiable and who will notify it, and what certificates you will get.

Be careful with quotes that are only a single line, that are far lower than the others, or that leave out things you discussed. Where the scope is uncertain, for example until walls are opened, a good electrician will explain which parts of the price could change and why. Get at least two quotes for bigger jobs, and compare like with like.

Warning signs

• Pressure to decide on the spot, or an offer that is only available today.
• Cold calling or uninvited visits claiming to have noticed a problem with your wiring.
• Reluctance to give a registration number, an address or a written quote.
• Requests for a large payment in cash before any work has started.
• No mention of certificates for work that you would expect to be notifiable.
• A report or inspection result that finds nothing in a clearly old property, or the reverse, a list of expensive urgent problems that appears without explanation or evidence.
• Work being done without testing.

If you feel unsure, you are entitled to say no, to ask for the information in writing and to get a second opinion.

Matching the electrician to the job

Different jobs need different experience. An electrician who is excellent at rewires may not have done many EV charger installations, and an inspector who does a lot of landlord reports will be strong at inspection and testing but may not do installation work. Ask about similar jobs they have done. For some work, such as EV charger installations under a grant scheme, the installer has to be authorised under that scheme. See our EV charger guide.

After the job

When the work is done, check that you have received:

• an Electrical Installation Certificate or a Minor Works certificate, with test results;
• confirmation or a certificate that the work has been notified, if it is notifiable;
• instructions for anything new that you need to operate, such as a consumer unit or EV charger;
• information about what is covered by any guarantee.

Keep the certificates safe. If something does not look right, contact the electrician in writing and, if you cannot reach agreement, contact the scheme they are registered with, which usually offers a complaints route.

Safe checks you can do yourself

You can look for obvious signs, such as scorching or damaged fittings, but you should not open consumer units or sockets or touch exposed cabling. Do not attempt DIY electrical work beyond simple tasks such as changing a light bulb. NICEIC advises that you should never attempt DIY electrics in any area of your home. See our guide on tripping circuits for simple safe checks.

Talk to us

You can read about the work we carry out for homes on our domestic electrical page, or about our emergency service. Call 01253 364101 or send an enquiry, and ask us any of the questions above.