NICEIC TV commercial

The NICEIC is a regulatory body for electrical contractors, it has been assessing the technical competence of contractors for over 50 years and its aim is to protect electricity users from potentially dangerous electrical installations in their homes, workplaces and places of leisure.

NICEIC certified contractors undergo a rigorous assessment process, looking at all aspects of their work, including paperwork and work they have undertaken. Contractors registered by NICEIC are assessed on a regular basis to ensure that they are competent and capable of meeting the relevant technical and safety standards, codes of practice and rules of the schemes they are registered to.

Enrolment with NICEIC is voluntary, but electrical contractors that are competent and conscientious about the service they offer clients register on the scheme.

Using contractors certified under building regulations schemes can save clients money because they are able to self certify their work and notify building control directly.

It is believed that around 90% of local authorities in the UK restrict work to NICEIC approved contractors on safety grounds. Homeowners/occupiers can be assured that all work undertaken by an NICEIC registered contractor will be safe and conform to current regulations.

The main benefits of using an NICEIC registered contractor include:

Safety and competence

Contractors registered by NICEIC are assessed on a regular basis to ensure that they are competent and capable of meeting the relevant technical and safety standards, codes of practice and rules of the schemes they are registered to. Each scheme has a defined set of competence criteria that contractors must meet to achieve and maintain registration.

Compliance with building regulations

Contractors registered to NICEIC building regulations schemes are authorised to self-certify their work without intervention from local authority building control. This saves clients both time and money when undertaking work that requires notification under the building regulations.

Insurance Backed Warranty

The NICEIC insurance backed warranty covers work undertaken by contractors registered to the NICEIC domestic installer scheme that is notifiable to building control. The purpose of the warranty is to protect clients should any work be found not to comply with the building regulations under circumstances where the contractor is no longer in business to undertake the necessary remedial work.

The financial limit placed on the remedial work is £25,000 in respect of any one installation per period of insurance and the warranty is valid for a period of six years from the date of completion of the original work.

Independent Complaints Procedure

NICEIC operates an independent complaints procedure governing the technical standards of electrical installation of its approved contractor and domestic installer schemes. If the electrical work of a registered contractor is found to be below the accepted technical standard, NICEIC requires the contractor to correct the work, at no additional cost to the client. NICEIC is concerned solely with the safety and technical standard of the electrical work carried out by approved contractors, and the standard of certification and periodic inspection reports which approved contractors are responsible for producing.

Guarantee of Standards Scheme

NICEIC expects its registered contractors to provide a quality service to their clients and therefore, endeavour to resolve all complaints about the technical standard of their electrical work. If a client and an approved contractor are unable to resolve an alleged deficiency in the technical standard of electrical work, the client can make a formal complaint to NICEIC.

As described above, the NICEIC complaints procedure requires the NICEIC registered contractor to resolve the technical deficiency without additional cost to the client. However, if the contractor does not undertake the required remedial work, NICEIC’s guarantee of standards scheme ensures it will be done by another NICEIC registered contractor, at no cost to the client.

For more information about NICEIC and the services they provide for both consumers and contractors, view NICEIC website.