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How to spot rogue tradesmen or cowboys - Don't get caught out!

Using rogue tradesmen can be very dangerous and botched up jobs can end up costing you more than originally quoted. When it comes to electrics or gas you should be able to trust the person your employing to do the job to current standards and safely.

We have all heard the terms "my mate down the pub can do it", "just YouTube it, you will be fine" or "a family friend knows about electrics" when really they know nothing about electrical installations and how circuits and protective devices work, So we have come up with some warning signs and tips to help you choose the right tradesmen for the job

The dangers of electrical work not carried out correctly

There are hundreds of unregistered Electricians carrying out electrical work in the UK.These Electricians attract a lot of customers through cheaper prices.Unfortunately most of the work is not carried out to a good standard and can be potentially dangerous.

What are the dangers of electrical work that has not been installed to a good standard?

• Risk of electric shock - Circuits incorrectly installed could give you an electric shock
• Electrical fires - An overloaded circuit ,loose connection or even poor cable selection can cause a house fire
• Expensive repairs - Botched electrics will go wrong and will end up costing you more as you will have to contact a registered electrician
• Invalid insurances - Most electrical work is notifiable to your local council building control , and any work like a fuse board change or a rewire a home owner or landlord will have to prove that the work carried out has been done safely and will be signed off by the Electrician who done the install.If you DIY the electrical works or do use a rouge trader,you will have a hard time getting any work signed off by an electrician that has not carried out the installation

Choosing a registered Electrician

Don't be afraid to ask the Electrician to see his or hers accreditations, They may advertise as 'NIC, Stroma or Napit approved' it doesn't mean they actually are!

A registered Electrician will be happy to prove their accreditations, or you can check the following websites for the accreditations the electrician claims to have:

• Electrical Safety Register
• Stroma - Certified Installer
• Trust Mark
• Elecsa
• NICEIC
• Napit

Common warning signs to be aware of:

• Insists on cash only - If they insist of cash only payments then alarm bells should be ringing, in some cases cash cant be avoided so always get an invoice from the Electrician
• No internet presence - Its easy to Google a person or a business these days and you can also check for reviews and accreditations
• Pushy sales tactics - These tactics are used by rogue tradesmen so they can get you to buy before you have researched them
• Seriously cheap quote - Get a couple of quotes, if its really cheap then it sounds to good to be true.
• Not testing their work

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Burridge Electrical are qualified to carry out electrical installations in your property whether its domestic or commercial