The Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Electrical Safety Council have launched a guide to help consumers when they are having electrical work carried out in their home.
In 2006 the government advice service Consumer Direct received 3,000 complaints about electrical work, many of these complaints were due to communication problems between consumers and contractors. The Guide for Consumers when ordering domestic electrical work is designed to make communication between consumers and contractors better.
The downloadable guide includes a quotation request form, which enables consumers to outline the electrical work they want undertaken and, amongst other things, to detail any constraints on time and money to help provide a firm basis on which electricians can be invited to quote. It also provides a record should any disputes arise later about what work was requested to be done.
The quotation request form will help electrical contractors to provide more detailed quotations as they will have more information about their customers’ expectations and constraints at the outset. It will also cut down on the amount of time spent on paper work and discussions before taking on a particular job.
Through using the quotation request form consumers can specify the exact electrical work they want doing but can also outline their budget, how contractors can access their property, what level of disruption is acceptable to them and how they wish to pay. Knowing all of these practicalities in advance will help the contractor advance the job smoothly and will cut out many of the common causes of dispute.
The Electrical Safety Council and IET also provide advice to consumers on how to avoid rogue electricians and how to check that the electrical contractor they plan to use is approved by a reputable body or registered with a government approved scheme. The guide includes a jargon buster to help consumers decipher some of the technical terms commonly used by electricians in their quotations.
Phil Buckle, Director of the Electrical Safety Council comments, “This guide will obviously benefit consumers in getting electrical work done on their homes by registered contractors. But it will also help contractors to assess the scope and extent of the work they are being asked to quote on and will, we hope, help to reduce disputes.”
Nick Canty of the IET says, “As the publishers of the UK Wiring Regulations the IET plays a key role in the electrical installation industry. We share the Electrical Safety Council’s commitment to safety and good practice and feel sure this guide will benefit both consumers and electricians by providing common ground on which to discuss electrical work.”
To view the guide, please click on the attachment below this article. The guide is also available to download at www.esc.org.uk and www.theiet.org. Electrical contractors and consumers can download multiple copies of the form free of charge.
The Electrical Safety Council produces a range of safety literature for the trade and consumers, all of which is available to download from www.esc.org.uk.
|
Related contacts
|
The Institution of Engineering and Technology
Michael Faraday House
Stevenage
Herts
SG1 2AY
UK
Tel: +44 (0)1438 313 311
Fax: +44 (0)1438 765 526
|
| For latest electrical industry news, register for Voltimum's free newsletter. |
|
|
Source: ESC PR- 06/11/07 |
BookmarkThis
Back