The essential 11 items you need to check.

No.1 - Is the contractor registered with the NICEIC?

Why is this important? The NICEIC is the national body that registers electricians and electrical contractor’s. Any company that is registered with the NICEIC has to comply with strict rules. Each company is reviewed every twelve months to confirm they are working to legislation and regulations. The NICEIC also provides a 6 year guarrantee on the company registered up to the value of £25,000 to put correct any defective workmanship. Under the domestic scheme all registered companies are required to comply with Part P of the Building Regulations and are required to submit confirmation of the work carried out where required to the local council on the clients behalf. Eviva Services are registered under the NICEIC as Approved Contractor; Domestic installer and Part P.

No.2 - Are all materials approved and guaranteed?

Are materials approved by British Standards and does all cabling come under BASEC Why is this important? There have been a lot of reports of sub standard materials being used especially cable’s not incorporating the correct amount of copper adequate for the load on the electrical conductor. Using such items could result in risk of electric shock or potential fire hazard. All materials used by Eviva are sourced from approved wholesalers and reputable companies with a minimum of a 12 month guarantee.

No.3 - Is the work carried to 18th Edition Regulations?

What are the 17th Edition Regulations? These are the latest regulations any electrician or electrical contractor should be working to as they fall inline with the latest edition of BS7671 Regulations. (Electrical Regulations). Eviva Personal are Qualified to the latest 17th Edition Regulations.

No.4 - Are they Insured?

A quality contractor will hold a minium of 5 Million Public Liability and 10 Million Employers Liability. One of the biggest risks when working with electricity is risk of fire by poor installation. Make sure the company your are engaging have the necessary cover.

No.5 - Always ask for a formal written quotation

The quotation needs to be on headed paper and fully legible and easily understood so that you are not taken in by trade jargon and feel uncomfortable about the content and terminology of the information. Eviva Services will provide a formal quotation and will happily discuss any queries you may have regarding the information provided before proceeding with any works.

No.6 - Open Pricing Policy

What happens when there is a job change or variation, how will they charge you if it has not been agreed in the quote. Eviva operate a policy where costs for labour and materials are agreed prior to work being carried out and therefore you have piece of mind that you will be paying a fair price for any additional work you wish to carry out.

No.7 - Waste & Environment

Are they aware of the correct procedures for the disposal of waste? We all have to be aware of our environmental impact these days with electricians as no exception. All electricians have a responsibility to remove certain waste such as lamps under the WEE directive which is law. We have come across many circumstances where waste materials have just been thrown in customers skips and waste bins, which many customers do not realise they are responsible for and can cause them a real headache.

No.8 - Technical Abilities

Have operatives carried out a full apprenticeship? Are they qualified to City & Guilds? What formal training have they received? It would normally take at least four years to qualify as an electrician. There are courses available that claim to get you qualified in 6 months! At Eviva we employ a wide range of skilled operatives, including 1st year apprentices through to our eldest operative still going strong at 69. There’s no substitute for experience!

No.9 - Health & Safety

Do they have a Health & Safety Policy? This is a requirement by law if they employ 5 or more persons. Are they a member of any associations for Health & Safety? Have they had any prosecutions? Electricity is dangerous, Government figures estimate; “10 fatal and 2,000 non-fatal electric shock accidents in the home per year apportioned to electrical incidents and 19 fatal and 880 non-fatal shock accidents in the workplace.” “There are around 12,500 electrical fires in homes across the UK each year. Although many incidents are caused by faulty appliances rather than the electrical installation itself, a properly installed and well-maintained electrical system could save lives.” Eviva hold a full health & safety policy and are also hold Health & Safety Accreditantion as well as employing an external health & safety company who advise and monitor our company procedures and policies.

No.10 - Referrals/Testimonials

Ask about other clients they work for. Can they give examples? are they happy to give names of people for references? Have they done similar work to what you have requested? Eviva are confident that we have the knowledge and technical experience to meet the majority of clients requirements, however should we feel we are unable to provide the service you require, we will always advise you of this and try and point you in the right direction for your requirements. Please see our testimonials for some of the works we have carried out. We can always provide contacts for references should they be required.

No.11 - Have their engineers been vetted?

we endevaor to be as competitive as we can in the market place, however we will not always be the cheapest and nor do we publisze that we will be, We belive we provide the best service against cost. when you are looking through your quotes, please be midful costs may vary due to companies not having the correct insurances, not employing skilled operatives or not being with accredited bodies.