TERMS
- ‘Me/My/I’ is "Call Me Electrician" Electrical Service - Proprietor: John Howard.
- ‘You’ is/are the person ordering the work(s)/agreeing to pay my invoice(s)/the equipment owner.
- ‘Goods/materials’ are any electrical items, accessories, appliances and associated items, supplied by me to you for the agreed work(s).
- EICR = Electrical Installation Condition Report.
- In-Service Inspection & Testing - formerly known as PAT testing (Portable Appliance Testing).
CONDITIONS
General
- Quotations are open for acceptance within one month from the quotation date, and as part of your ‘Right to Cancel’ must be accepted in writing only (such as by post, text, or email).
- Please quote the ‘Our Ref No’ in any communication.
- VAT charged at the standard rate.
- Goods/materials are guaranteed for one year from the invoice date.
- Goods/materials supplied to you by me remain my property until paid for in full by you.
- The following payment terms apply unless specifically modified/stated otherwise in a quotation/invoice:
1. An invoice requiring part or full payment from you may be sent at any time after any work has
been carried out for you by me or on my behalf - the work may be work that has been quoted for
or carried out at an hourly rate. The financial amount invoiced will equate to approximately the
amount of work completed / carried out – for example, if approximately 50% of the work has
been completed / carried out, the invoice will be for 50% of the financial amount due – the
assessment of the amount of work completed / carried out, to be determined by me.
2. Any invoice(s) to be paid within 7 days from the invoice date. Payment(s) can be made by:
- Cash
- Bank Transfer - Please quote the ‘Our Ref No’ in any bank payment(s)
- Card
- By accepting my quotation(s), you:
1. Accept my 'terms & conditions' and 'cookie & Privacy policy', and,
2. Acknowledge that you have read and understand about your 'Right to cancel',
3. Agree that interest can/will be charged on overdue invoices at the rate of 5% of the invoice
total per calendar month,
4. Agree that if an invoice remains unpaid for two calendar months after the month in which
the invoice is/was issued, goods/materials pursuant to that invoice can be removed from any
location and returned to me, at further cost to you,
5. Agree that the Laws of Scotland apply in the event of any legal dispute between Us.
Cheaper quotes from other businesses may not provide the same quality of goods/materials and/or service(s).
For New Circuits
In addition to the general conditions above:
A new circuit could be, for example, to install new cable and switch-gear / protective equipment at the meter position for a new shower / lighting / sockets.
- An Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) (written confirmation that the circuit has been installed according to BS 7671 requirements) will be issued as part of installing the circuit; the certificate will be issued in digital format and sent by email to an email address of your choice.
- The EIC will be issued to the person ordering the work only AFTER full and final payment has been received by me. Payment can be:
- Cash
- Bank Transfer* - Please quote the ‘Our Ref No’ in any bank payment(s)
- Card
* the EIC will be sent after the Bank Transfer has been received in full in my Bank account.
For Any Additions / Alterations To Existing Circuits
In addition to the general conditions above:
- An addition to a circuit could be, for example, adding extra sockets to an existing socket circuit or adding extra lights to a lighting circuit.
- An alteration to a circuit could be, for example, re-routing an existing cable to accommodate a change of wall/door position.
- The electrical earthing and main bonding in an installation must be adequate before any electrical additions/alterations are carried out (BS 7671: Regulation 132.16); therefore, any main bonding to any water and gas supply pipes will be checked for adequacy. If they are inadequate, the addition/alteration work will not be carried out until they are made adequate.
- The circuit to be worked on will be tested to ensure it is safe to connect to or alter. Any defects will need to be rectified, at cost extra to the quotation for the work(s), before any works for the additions / alterations will take place.
- Any repairs can be carried out by me or any other contractor of your choice. However, if it is by another contractor, the repair(s) must be at least to the standard of the current wiring regulations and industry guidance before the additions / alterations works will commence.
- If you decide to cancel the work(s) quoted for due to any fault(s) on the circuit to be worked on, rather than have the fault(s) rectified (by me or another contractor), a fee of £35 will still be owed – this is a minimum charge to cover the cost of my travelling to and from the property and testing the circuit.
An Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) or a Minor Works Certificate (MWC) (written confirmation that the circuit has been installed according to BS 7671 requirements) will be issued as part of installing the addition or altering the circuit; the EIC or MWC will be issued in digital format and sent by email to an email address of your choice.
- The EIC / MWC will be issued to the person ordering the work only AFTER full and final payment has been received by me. Payment can be:
- Cash
- Bank Transfer* - Please quote the ‘Our Ref No’ in any bank payment(s)
- Card
* the EIC / MWC will be sent after the Bank Transfer has been received in full in my Bank account.
For a Consumer Unit Change
In addition to the general conditions above:
- I follow the procedure outlined/recommended in Best Practice Guide 1, published by Electrical Safety First, found here: https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/professional-resources/best-practice-guides/ Basically, it recommends carrying out investigative work prior to replacing the Consumer Unit (CU) (such as by carrying out an EICR) to rectify any faults within the electrical installation, especially ones that may cause Residual Current Devices to keep tripping.
- In some cases, Surge Protecive Devices (SPD's) will be recommended to be installed to help protect sensitive/electronic equipment. SPD's are required in certain installations but in other installations, they can be omitted if the installation owner considers the risk of damage to electronic/sensitive equipment as 'tolerable'. If SPD's are declined, there are two things for you to consider:
1. You will be asked to sign a form stating that you have been advised about the benefit(s)
of SPD's but have opted to decline them.
2. You will be advised to contact your building insurer to determine whether they will disclaim at
all if they discover that you declined the SPD's.
- An Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) (written confirmation that the consumer unit has been changed according to BS 7671 requirements) will be issued as part of changing the consumer unit; the certificate will be issued in digital format and sent by email to an email address of your choice.
- The EIC will be issued to the person ordering the work only AFTER full and final payment has been received by me. Payment can be:
- Cash
- Bank Transfer* - Please quote the ‘Our Ref No’ in any bank payment(s)
- Card
* the EIC will be sent after the Bank Transfer has been received in full in my Bank account.
For an EICR
In addition to the general conditions above:
- In itself, an EICR is intended to be a factual report on the condition of the electrical installation being inspected and tested, with the purpose of assessing and reporting on the condition of an electrical installation within the agreed extent and limitations of the inspection. Therefore, it is not to carry out a fault-finding exercise, and it does not involve carrying out any repairs/remedial work(s) to rectify any fault(s) found - * see the exception to this, below, re: LIVE PARTS.
- Any defects found during an EICR will be recorded and given a code. Any code(s) will culminate in an overall assessment of the installation as being either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Code 1 (dangerous condition), Code 2 (Potentially Dangerous condition), and FI (Further Investigation) will result in unsatisfactory, in which case immediate remedial action should be carried out; Code 3 (Improvement Recommended) will result in satisfactory but would ideally be rectified asap.
- * LIVE PARTS * If anything is found that is immediately electrically dangerous (such as live pipework or access to live parts), an attempt will be made to make it safe, as far as is practicable - THIS IS CHARGEABLE WORK, EXTRA TO THE COST of carrying out the EICR. Where this is not possible (for example, due to the nature of the fault or the installation owner does not give permission for the work), the installation owner and/or user, will be issued with a ‘Notification of Dangerous Electrical Condition’ – a notice in writing detailing the dangerous condition. It is then up to whomever is responsible for the electrical installation to have the necessary repairs carried out to rectify the dangerous condition.
- The inspection element of carrying out an EICR can mean that I remove/unscrew items (such as sockets/switches/light fittings) from the wall(s)/ceiling(s)/etc to inspect them internally (to look, for example, for signs of heat damage, to check that terminations are tight, or that correct terminations have been used), and it should be noted that doing so can disturb décor such as paint around sockets and light switches. Such internal inspection can be omitted, to minimise disturbance, but will have to be recorded on paperwork as a ‘limitation’ - while acceptable in small measure, note that too many or too much limitation(s) can weaken an assessment of an installation and miss items that could pose a risk (such as loose connections being a possible fire hazard), rendering it meaningless (the aim is to be provided with an accurate assessment, not just be furnished with a report). Also, given the removal of such items, note that the power will be off from early morning to late afternoon, so arrangements for any frozen food, for example, will need to be made.
- It is your responsibility to ensure that access to ALL electrical accessories (such as sockets and lighting points) in rooms/areas covered by/in the report (which are not limitations), and the consumer unit(s) / fuse box(es), are accessible. Therefore, items such as furniture, bedding, clothing, household appliances, etc, should be moved to places such that they do not impede the progress of carrying out the report. If the aforementioned is not done, the EICR will not be carried out and a fee of £40 (includes VAT) will be charged for attending the property, extra to the quoted price. Please also ensure that all sockets are unplugged. Please expect the power to be off for a good 4-5 hours.
- If you are a landlord: please inform the tenant(s) to have ALL sockets accessible and unplugged, and all light switches, light fittings and the consumer unit(s) / fuse box(es) accessible for inspection/testing. Please also let the tenant(s) know to expect the power to be off for a good 4-5 hours. If the aforementioned is not done, the EICR will not be carried out and a fee of £40 (includes VAT) will be charged for attending the property, extra to the quoted price.
- As part of carrying out the report, functional tests will be carried out on switches, etc, which is basically operating them to determine that they turn on/off appropriately. Switches that have been in the ‘on’/’off’ position for long periods of time can be operated but then not return to their original position (circuit breakers, for example, can be in the ‘on’ position for years, but when turning them off, they then will not return to the 'on' position, thereby leaving the circuit they control dead). This shows that they are faulty, which is the purpose of checking them, and need replacing at your own cost as part of the remedial work(s) process.
- Faults in the wiring may be found when carrying out the report, which is in inaccessible locations, such as in walls / floor voids. Carrying out the report may not tell you exactly where such faults are, merely that such faults exist. Determining exactly where such faults are will need to be determined as part of remedial work(s), which is outside the scope of carrying out the report.
- The electrical installation will be inspected and tested as per the current BS 7671 Wiring Regulations, industry guidance and my own engineering judgement - see "Extent & Limitations of the Inspection & Testing" info, below. Note that codes given for any perceived installation defects can vary between inspectors/testers, based on the individual inspectors judgement at the time of testing. Therefore, if the inspector and the repairer are different people, the two may differ in their assessment of code(s) given - codes can even vary between publications / technical guidance, for a specific defect, so it's quite normal to have differences of opinion about coding. However, BY ACCEPTING MY QUOTATION, YOU AGREE THAT MY JUDGEMENT IS FINAL REGARDING THE CODE(S) GIVEN FOR THE REPORT, GIVEN THAT IT IS ME SIGNING THE REPORT AND BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS ACCURACY. FURTHERMORE, CODES GIVEN WILL NOT BE ALTERED SIMPLY TO MINIMISE THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF ANY DEFECTS FOUND.
- Any defect(s) to the electrical installation found by doing the inspection/test can be quoted for and repaired by any other electrical contractor. I do not carry out the repair work for any defects found, assuring you that codes given are genuine and not a way of making extra work/money.
- An EICR written document (the 'Report') will be produced as part of carrying out an EICR; the report will be issued in digital format and sent by email to an email address of your choice.
Scope, Extent & Limitations of the Inspection & Testing:
No removal of fitted appliances (such as built-in hobs, ovens and fridges) or washing machines under worktops between cupboards, unless specifically agreed between the client and inspector prior to the inspection (reflected in a higher/dearer quotation price).
Tables 3.3 and 3.4 of Guidance Note 3 (2022) indicate that 'sampling' can be applied during inspection and testing (generalising from specific items to the whole installation). The extent of inspection and testing of an electrical installation tested will be as follows:
‘Inspection’ samples:
- Suppliers equipment / Distribution boards (Db) / consumer units (CU): 100%
- For sockets/switches/fused connection units/isolators/accessories: 100% external visual
inspection / 20% internal sample for each final circuit
- 100% earthing & bonding
- Permanently connected equipment: verify suitability for external influences, security of fixings,
no signs of thermal damage: 20%
‘Testing’ samples:
- 100% of earthing & main bonding
- 100% of earth continuity at exposed conductive parts
- Polarity: 100% of sockets / 20% of single pole switching devices
- 100% of end-to-end continuity testing for all socket circuits
- Earth fault loop impedance testing at all accessible socket outlets & the extremity of each radial
circuit
- A global Insulation Resistance test for all circuits at Db’s/CU’s between live conductors
connected together & earth
Also, as per section D of the Report, it should be noted that cables concealed within trunking
and conduits, under floors, in roof spaces, and generally within the fabric of the building or
underground, will not be inspected unless specifically agreed between the client and
inspector prior to the inspection (reflected in a higher/dearer quotation price). An inspection
will be made within an accessible roof space housing other electrical equipment.
- The report will only be issued to the person ordering the report AFTER full and final payment has been received by me. Payment can be:
- Cash
- Bank Transfer* - Please quote the ‘Our Ref No’ in any bank payment(s)
- Card
* the EICR will be sent after the Bank Transfer has been received in full in my Bank account.
For 'In-Service Inspection & Testing' (formerly known as PAT testing)
In addition to the general conditions above:
- For the agreed price, items to be tested are all to be tested during the same visit. It is your responsibility to ensure that all items to be tested are available to be tested during the same visit. Even if any item(s) cannot be tested during the visit, the whole quote/fee price will still be owed by you for the visit. Each and any return visit(s) to test any item(s) not tested previously, will be charged for at the same price as the original visit - so will be in addition to the original fee/quote.
- Items with water connections (such as washing machines) that are within housings (such as between cupboards under worktiops) will be /inspected/tested only if they can be pulled out from their housing without having to disconnect them from their water/waste supplies. If they will not come out far enough to see behind them and/or get to the socket supplying them, they will not be inspected/tested. If you want me to test/inspet them in such circumstances, I can disconnect them from their water/waste pipes, but it will be your responsibility to have them reconnected (such as by a plumber).
- An 'Equipment Formal Visual and Combined Inspection and Test Record' written document will be produced as part of carrying out the inspection & testing; the document will be issued in digital format and sent by email to an email address of your choice.
- The record document will only be issued to the person ordering the report AFTER full and final payment has been received by me. Payment can be:
- Cash
- Bank Transfer* - Please quote the ‘Our Ref No’ in any bank payment(s)
- Card
* the record document will be sent after the Bank Transfer has been received in full in my Bank account.
For Alarms
In addition to the general conditions above:
- A Smoke/Heat alarm (combined) certificate and/or a CO alarm certificate will be produced, where required, as part of installing the alarms; the certificate will be issued in digital format and sent by email to an email address of your choice.
- The relevant certificate(s) will only be issued to the person ordering the work AFTER full and final payment has been received by me. Payment can be:
- Cash
- Bank Transfer* - Please quote the ‘Our Ref No’ in any bank payment(s)
- Card
* the relevant ceritificate(s) will be sent after the Bank Transfer has been received in full in my Bank account.