NICEIC promoting more closed shop, jobs for the boys, self interest bollocks...

[John Rumm]

Page 36:

"Limiting the availability of certain electrical equipment to DIY enthusiasts is also something NICEIC supports. A similar model to that of trade distributor Electricfix, with which NICEIC entered a partnership in 2009, may be a solution to DIYers creating a safety issue by installing faulty electrics.

Electricfix claims to only sell to those people registered with a competent person's scheme. So, taking this model to the DIY market, only card-carrying members of the Approved Contractor or equivalent competent person's scheme would be able to buy certain pieces of equipment. In reality this means that only a competent person could install them."

[ARWadsworth]

Didn't I send you that info last August?

[ARWadsworth]

Actually, I meant to send that to your email not to the newsgroup:-)

Never mind.

[Alan]

In message , John Rumm wrote

By not supplying equipment to the open market and/or not providing fitting instructions with spare parts will only mean that the world becomes a less safe place. People will still DIY fit appliances/spares/rewire etc. but may not be able to easily check the work, so they will not bother.

[John Rumm]

I recall reading about it before - so I expect you probably did.

Just sad to note they are still banging on about it...

[John Rumm]

Precisely, if you want folks to do a safer job, educate them, don't try and stop them.

The part P fisasco nicely demonstrates that discouraging replacement of poor fixed wiring results in more accidents than allowing it and accepting the job may not be done perfectly!

[dom]

Why would any company willingly reduce its number of customers?

Turkeys and Christmas.

[Huge]

Delusional at best, a lie at worst.

[Owain]

... We've got some half price Wylex and miles and miles of cooker flex, T.V.s, deep freeze and lighting circuit MCBs Rocker switches, firteen amps, shaver sockets, cable clamps, Earthing bars and fuseboxes from a mush in Shepherds Bush ... C'est magnifique, Hooky Street, Magnifique, Hooky Street, Hooky Street (to fade)

Owain

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Owain saying something like:

[Tony Bryer]

Doesn't one of the large boiler spares suppliers have a similar policy?

Why do it? Because it sends a message to your high spending customers that you're on their side.

[Robin]

And possibly also boosts profits. There's potential benefit for manufacturers and distributors in shutting out the end customer. They can then increase prices with less risk of loss of business.

For example, electricians won't care if a bog standard 13a socket costs (say) £5 because they'll just pass the cost on to the end customer.

End customer's won't be able to complain "but I could have bought that for £1 at Toolstation" 'cos they won't be able to in the Safe New World.

Government will be happy 'cos they'll have someone else to blame if there is a death or injury.

Everyone wins - apart from the end customer and they're mostly too stupid to know or care anyway.

But let's hope eBay sellers continue to ship cheaply from Hong Kong :)

[NoSpam]

I've just written to Vince Cable and Ed Davey to point-out that there is no truly independent evidence of a problem to be solved and to encourage them to see through the lobbying efforts as nothing short of a trade association trying to misuse legislation to enhance their member's business interests.

- can I suggest that others do the same (a quick google will turn-up their email addresses).

[ARWadsworth]

Class

[js.b1]

NICEIC want to copy the Australian model.

Those writing to Vince Cable ask him to do a FOI request to Australia for the Dead Baby, Plug & Sticking Plaster. Beware that Australia will do everything possible to refuse the FOI or their "FOAD" policy as it is known.

Under SI2006 you can do *everything*, just SOME work is notifiable and SOME work is non-notifiable. NICEIC want to go back to SI2004 by the back door, ex marketing of american golf care more about charitable trust status allowing them to get away with anything and building a "fee empire". Perhaps he should uck off back to america and fix their atrocious "installed base" of electrical wiring accessories, there are good ones, but few to be found in use.

[Mike Harrison]

Great - thanks for letting me know it's not worth going there - I'll go to CEF, TLC, Screwfix, B&Q, RS, Ebay, wherever...!

The Sheds aren't going to do anything to reduce sales without a very big stick

[Mike Harrison]

Looking further, Electricfix seems just about them deterring timewasters and offering a discount - chances are anyone can buy the exact same stuff in the same branches, just with "Screwfix" on the invoice instead of "Electricfix" NICIEC are just spinning it, and Screw/Electricfix are getting some free publicity. Nothing to see here.

[Mike Harrison]

And completely unrealistic in practice. Just like how you supposedly can't buy

60W bulbs anymore.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "js.b1" saying something like:

Eh? I gather you might be referring to a person there, but who?

[YAPH]

Side-stepping the debate on whether unqualified punters should be allowed to buy electrical and gas parts[1], I must point out that Electricfix and Plumbfix are *trade* outlets of Screwfix. By default if you're on the Gas Safe Register or a member of NICEIC I think they automatically let you use the trade outlets, but if you can show reasonable evidence that you're trade they're happy to include you. (And on the sparky side there are more circuses in town than NICEIC: the local Efix counter has a couple of other bodies' logos on their doors, though not NAPIT which my sparks mate is registered with[2].) So it's generally because you're not trade rather than you're not NICEIC/GSR that you're not welcome at Electricfix/Plumbfix.

[1] if you really want my two penn'orth I can see a case for an evidence-based review of whether the sale of things like consumer units and gas valves should be regulated in the way that certain dangerous chemicals are, in order to discourage cowboy work. [2] (and which I was until I decided that paying about £400 to notify a handful of electrical jobs a year compared to ballpark £200 for my gas registration wasn't worth the candle)