EICR – Rogue electrician scam?

EICR – Rogue electrician scam?

9:59 AM, 4th December 2020, About 4 years ago 77

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I hired an electrician for an EICR, which he failed and said it needed a new consumer unit to pass EICR, which I agreed, and he completed the job and issued a “satisfactory” EICR.

It only raised my suspicions after I subsequently gave him EICR for two more properties (almost new build), which he failed and said needed new consumer units for both again.

After looking into his three EICR reports with other registered electricians, I found the same reason he used to fail EICR for lack of RCD is not valid (which should be C3 as a recommendation, not C2 as dangerous) and he’s not even a registered electrician to install consumer units.

So now I ended up with a new consumer unit that I never needed in the first place to pass EICR, and two other failed EICR for invalid reasons.

What’s my best action here?
Should I pay him?

Thanks

Mike


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Carol

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11:46 AM, 4th December 2020, About 4 years ago

Report to Trading Standards or the body he issued the valid EICR through after the new consumer unit install.

Puzzler

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11:50 AM, 4th December 2020, About 4 years ago

Some might say you should have checked his credentials. But he is foul of trading standards and a load of other regulations. Not sure who you would report him to, other than a review site as if he is not registered they won't be able to do anything. Challenge him first. The work is not valid if he is not qualified to do it. I think.

Porky

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11:50 AM, 4th December 2020, About 4 years ago

How come a relatively new build property has not been fitted with RCDs. If there was one thing I would improve electrically in my properties it would be to add RCD protection even if it were only a Cat C3 recommendation.

Beaver

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11:57 AM, 4th December 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Porky at 04/12/2020 - 11:50
A lot of people will be vulnerable to this kind of thing in the run up to the regs. changing in April. Possibly trading standards...to get it on their radar.

But out of interest...what did he charge you for each job? For the inspection and for fitting the consumer unit? Was he cheap? And was he cheaper than the other electricians who said he didn't need to do it?

And does anybody else on here know: Do the regulations say that you must be qualified to fit a new consumer unit? Or having just been fitted, must it just be inspected and pass?

Martin Thomas

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12:51 PM, 4th December 2020, About 4 years ago

Sue him in the small claims court if he won't refund the cost of doing the work.

Blodwyn

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13:29 PM, 4th December 2020, About 4 years ago

Is the loss worth the aggro and delay as well as the cost of Small Claims procedure? Is he worth powder and shot?

You could alert the local CheckaTrade people just in case he's conned them too?

Private Housing Provider

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14:07 PM, 4th December 2020, About 4 years ago

Well we had 16 dual RCD consumer units installed in 16 properties in 2015 by a single Niceic registered electrician and he installed them dangerously bad and left all of those 16 new consumer condemned now when we are having the Eicrs carried out. Thankfully I contacted Niceic to report him now and the 16 units are still under their Platinum Promise (a form of guarantee) but just. They have agreed to indemnify all of the replacement of those 16 consumer units with new installation. Wasting a lot of our time running about back and forth organising access and getting a good electrician to do the replacement now and dealing with the administration side of all this...fellow landlords, educate yourself on the units and all levels of management to avoid this kind of thing...to a degree we have done nothing wrong but just came across a dodgy dishonest electrician.

Mike

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15:01 PM, 4th December 2020, About 4 years ago

Thanks for all your comments to my questions!

I didn’t hire him cheap, EICR is £100 each, and installing a new consumer unit is £500, it’s among the high end of price if anything.

In fact, I haven’t paid him yet, which is why I’m asking and considering whether I should pay him anything.

Thanks

Ray Lancaster

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15:03 PM, 4th December 2020, About 4 years ago

The government has left landlord wide open to be taken for a ride by some electricians.
The electrics need to be safe and rcd protected not brought up to the latest 18th edition electrical regulations and do not need to be retrospective.
Any consumer unit fitted now has to be metal (Fire protected)
Some electricians are saying that the existing consumer units in properties need to be replaced with new metal ones which is completely false. Just a nice false money earner. An £80 consumer unit fitted £500 - £600 for 2-3 hours work. This should only be a c3 recommendation.

Beaver

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15:20 PM, 4th December 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Ray Lancaster at 04/12/2020 - 15:03
Ok...so do the regulations say that the consumer unit must be *fitted* by a qualified electrician, even it that's metal? Or do the regulations say that the consumer unit must be *inspected* by a qualified electrician? I.e. if you knew how to fit the consumer unit yourself, you fitted it, and a qualified electrician tested it according to the regs and found it to be safe, would that be acceptable under the regs?

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