The government confirmed yesterday that Part P will come into force on 1 January 2005 – and granted approval for five self-certification schemes.
BRE Certification, British Standards Institution, ELECSA, NICEIC and Zurich Certification have all been given the green light to operate the schemes.
Contractors wishing to self-certify their work have six months to achieve ‘Competent Person’ status. Those who do not will have to notify Local Authority Building Control before work commences – and work may also be subject to an inspection.
To avoid such bottlenecks and associated costs, industry bodies including the ECA and NICEIC are strongly urging contractors to take immediate action.
According to the NICEIC, applicants who can readily demonstrate they have carried out domestic installations in accordance with BS7671, have public liability insurance, and hold a City and Guilds 2381, will gain registration on its Domestic Installer Scheme in a matter of weeks. NICEIC business development director, Phil Buckle, says that while many contractors are already capable of complying with Part P, “problems relating to inspection, testing and certification have been identified”. He says the body has therefore developed “bespoke training to address these problems”.
The ECA, which in conjunction with the IEE helped to develop BRE Certification’s scheme, says contractors should take careful consideration and look at the small print before choosing a scheme. Application for Competent Person status from BRE Certification, ECA and IEE will cost £540 excluding Vat.
The NICEIC, however, says the cost to become a competent person will be similar to that of joining its Roll of Approved Contractors. Currently, the annual fee is £325 and includes publications worth £150.
None of the schemes are allowed to make a profit.
For further information on the NICEIC’s Part P programme, see: http://www.niceic.org.uk/partp/partpindex.html.
Contractors interested in the BRE Certification scheme should see http://www.partp.co.uk.
Information on ELECSA’s scheme is available at: http://www.elecsa.org.uk.