The short answer: No, in the UK, you cannot sign off electrical work in your own home unless it is considered “non-notifiable” work.

For any significant electrical work, you must hire a qualified electrician who is part of a government-approved Competent Person Scheme and registered under Part P of the Building Regulations. They will be able to self-certify their work and sign it off with an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) which ensures all work meets safety standards.  

What Is “Non-Notifiable” Work?

Non-notifiable work refers to minor electrical alterations, for example:

• Changing a light switch
• Moving a socket outlet
• Moving cables
• Replacing damaged cables
• Replacing light fittings or control switches
• Adding a fused spur to an existing circuit

However, it is important to note that if the work being carried out is in a ‘special location’, like a bathroom, sauna or outdoors, you must notify your local building control.

What is “Notifiable” Work?

Notifiable work includes:

• Adding new circuits/ installations
• Work in special locations i.e. bathrooms or outdoor
• Changing a fuse board on a consumer unit
• Rewiring all/part of a house

All notifiable work must be signed off by a registered electrician, who is then responsible for notifying the local authority. Attempting to self-certify any complex electrical work is not only extremely dangerous but will leave you liable if issues arise later on.

Plus, if your electrical work isn’t properly certified, it can invalidate your home insurance in the case of an electrical incident!

Wanting to save the hassle and get qualified as an electrician? Here at Access Training, we offer a range of electrician courses, suited to everyone, no matter your experience level. Get in contact with us today to find out more!

Contact Access Training   Contact Access Training

First thing’s first: anybody can be an electrician, with previous experience or not. In reality, there are only a few important things you need. Here's how to become a registered electrician:

1. Theory and practical training preparing you for exams and career
2. Industry recognised qualifications from an accredited awarding body (such as EAL or City & Guilds)
3. A good work ethic, and a commitment to working in the trade industry

How to get an electrician certification

There are a couple of ways you can gain the training and qualifications to start your career as an electrician. You will need to choose the option that both suits your lifestyle and provides you the best outcome. The two most common are:

Apprenticeship

This typically takes 2-4 years to complete, typically involving large classes and infrequent training. Here are the key pros and cons to consider:

• Good experience gained working with professionals for a long period of time

• Poor starting wage

Private training academy 

Private academies involve professional tuition in small, focused groups. Here are the key pros and cons to consider:

• Amount of time training is the same as apprenticeship, but is condensed to full time or flexible courses so people can work at the same time as training.
  
  
• Courses last from 2 weeks to several months depending on the qualifications being obtained.
  
  
• Experience needs to be gained quickly and confidently.
  
  
• Great starting wages as qualifications have already been earnt. 

Access Training is a private training company which offers the training courses necessary to become a qualified electrician. It gives you the necessary qualifications, and a leg-up into the electrical industry, providing you with essential experience, skill, and qualifications. Speak to our career support team today to explore all the options available.

READ MORE: How to Become an Electrician

Here’s a breakdown of what Access Training can offer anybody starting out on an electrical career, or already experienced in the field, wanting to add a string to your bow. Our courses range between the following:

• Essential - Offering the essential skills and qualifications necessary to becoming a domestic electrician; this course is the base layer requirement for getting you out and working in domestic environments.

• Professional - For those serious about going far in an electrical career, this course builds on the qualifications on offer; for wider career options, greater skill-set, and more work opportunities, choose this course.

• Premier - This course will give you everything you could possibly need out of an electrical career; not only will you be a fully qualified and desirable employee, but you will also have the means to work for yourself, and be your own boss.

How training works:

With the right mindset, all you need to do is pick the right course for you, sign up, and our tutors will take care of the rest.

Learn your trade. Get qualified. Make it happen.

Electrician FAQs

What is a certified electrician?

Electricians often work with potentially dangerous materials so it’s very important that they are fully capable of doing the job.

A certified electrician is simply a person who has obtained the relevant certification(s) recognised by a professional body to show that they are qualified to work as an electrician.

Here at Access Training, we constantly stress the importance of safe electrical practice in the workplace, but this unfortunate incident really brings it home!

On the 12th of April 2017, two demolition workers were tasked with removing electrical distribution equipment from a switchgear room at the Molecular Products site in Essex. The principal contractor had told the men that the electrical equipment they were dealing with had been fully isolated.

Foolishly, one man attempted to 'reassure his colleague' that the electricals had in fact been isolated by throwing a metal crowbar at the 400v ac equipment.

Unfortunately, when the crowbar came into contact with the live electricals it created a flashover (explosion) at temperatures of several thousand degrees which led immediately to quite a devastating fire. The man who through the crowbar, Mr Banks, suffered serious burns and was taken into hospital.

HSE investigated this incident and found that the task had not been properly planned at that suitable control measures hadn't been put in place. The principal contractor had failed to follow the procedures stating that all electrical equipment should be treated as live until properly checked and confirmed to be isolated. 

The Consequences:

• Mr Banks sustained horrific burns & injuries
• Russel Haigh and Stuart Haigh pled guilty to breaching Regulation 3 of the Electricity at Work Regulations  Act 1989 and we both fined £80,000
• AJ Wadhams & Co Ltd pled guilty to breaching section of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 197 and was fined £80,000

HSE inspector Adam Hills said:

“This incident has had a significant impact on Mr Banks life and the injuries could so very easily have been fatal. Had the companies followed the control measures outlined in their respective risk assessments, then this incident would not have occurred. Never assume that an electrical supply is disconnected. Always check with the distribution network operator or a qualified electrician to obtain written proof of isolation before commencing work.”

Read more about this incident here >

 Electrical Training

If there's one thing to take away from this, it's that working with electricals can be incredibly dangerous (and costly) if something goes wrong. That's why we can't stress enough how important it is that you receive the proper electrical training before carrying out this kind of work!

Here at Access Training Academies, we offer electrical training for students of all ages and abilities. If you're interested in pursuing a career in electrical work, come and learn the necessary skills and practices at one of our training centres. 

View Our Electrical Courses >

If you have any questions about our electrical courses, or to arrange a visit to one of our test centres, please don't hesitate to get in touch. You can call us on 0800 345 7492 or email us at info@accesstraininguk.co.uk.