What formal procedure for changing a consumer unit?

[ban-all-sheds]

So if I'm reading you right - my understanding is correct, but the LABC may throw a few spanners in my spokes?

Well you're the one talking to them, so you should know what yours are going to do.

The way it should work is this.

1) Person unable to self-certify gives advance notice to LABC and pays their fee.
2) LABC take whatever steps they feel are required to discharge their responsibility to enforce compliance with the Building Regulations.
3) Provided they are happy that BRs have been complied with, they issue a completion certificate.

The way that (2) is supposed to work is that they should inspect & test themselves, or if they can't then they should subcontract it, paying for it out of their fee. This is what the ODPM say should happen, and this is what most LABCs are not doing. Common behaviour is:

a) Subcontracting the work, and making the applicant pay for it.

b) Demanding that the applicant engage someone that LABC consider competent to inspect & test.

In the case of work done by an electrician who is competent in their eyes, but not registered to self-certify, many LABCs will accept EICs issued by that electrician as evidence of safe work, and for their fee will issue the completion certificate. How they can be sure that the electrician's competence extends to complying with all the other Building Regulations that apply as well as Part P I don't know, but as I said, that is up to them.

So if your LABC will accept your EICs then you're OK. Ask them - it's a simple yes or no question.

 

[Polly1]

Do you own your own test equipment?

I bought a Megger 1502/2 for these jobs & hope to start the work in 2 weeks from now.

But I'm still confused & I guess I'll find out from the council soon enough whether they'll be accomodating, or obstructive.

My first intention was to joing NIC, but when I found out all of their requirements, including 2 or 3 jobs to be able to inspect, I realised with only 6 jobs to do, I might as well just go the council route. But the council seems to like not to have to deal with this. The seem to think the rules are there to prevent me from doing the work without NIC or similar because they themselves aren't electricians.

 

[sparki]

dear polly
may i suggest you take your new meggar back to the shops and get your money back. then use the money to paya qualified competent spark part p registered to do the work for you it will be cheaper and above all safer you clearly have no idea about what you are doing go to college and learn properly you need 2360 ,2381 and 2391 with a few years experiance under supervision before doing this sort of work
no offence intended