What is Part P?

Part P was brought in by Government and is just one part of a number of building regulations, but which from the home owner and electrician’s point of view is a legal requirement, with regards to electrical installations in and outside of domestic dwellings.

 As usual with any government scheme, the regulations are not well explained, have no continuity of reason for why some areas require part P certification and others do not.

The schemes being run by various approved bodies seem to be able to approve trades of what ever electrical experience or not, whether plumbers, kitchen fitters, bathroom fitters, gardeners, builders even so called electricians on the basis of a few hours visit, or a 3 or 4 day course for part P status as a full scope or defined scope electrical installer.

However, it exists and must for the moment be complied with, and if you require building regulations approval to sign off works to your house you must obtain a part P certificate for the electrical works if they came within those requirements, and similarly when you come to sell your house you will be asked for certification for any electrical works carried out which would have been subject to the regulations in force since January 2000.