Part P - tell the truth

[al]

Hi Does part P apply in Scotland? Not done any recently but have got a consumer unit that needs changing in med term. Regards Al

[The Natural Philosopher]

So declare yourself competent and sign it off.

[Andy Wade]

Because Part P[*] only applies to dwellings, not to offices or any other commercial premises for that matter - unless the supply is shared with a dwelling, but mention of 1000s of sockets suggests that's probably not the case here.

"Part what? Never 'erd of it gov."

[Andy Wade]

No, England and Wales only.

[The Medway Handyman]

Who, dear? Me, dear? Part P, dear? No, dear. How very dare you.

[Phil L]

Dozens of times, on dozens of properties.

[Bolted]

They won't accept that.

[Bolted]

Lucky you!

Mine asked out of the blue what was being done about Part P with the electrics, tried to make the test and inspection fees my problem, and wouldn't even back off when I said I would provide my own design and test documents - instead, he'sd insisting on sending round a council electrician to inspect. If this doesn't happen, he's not issuing the building regs certificate for the extension. That's checkmate (against me), in my view - and it isn't something unlawful like 'you must pay for it' so there's sod all I can do apart from underestimate the value of the work.

[al]

Thanks.

[robgraham]

You just have to declare yourself 'competent'; I'm not sure who to, how or what is the definition of competent.

I changed my CU recently and very kindly Scottish Power had to do some maintenance locally and shut off the power for a day - you don't often get such serendipitous timing. My concern of course was that they would get the work done quickly (unlikely I agree) and put the power back on early - they didn't !

Rob Edinburgh

[al]

Hi I think I would pull the main fuse, you must have been sh..ing yourself :-) My concern is will there be enough slack in the cables to cope with a slightly different CU? If not it turns into a much bigger job. Al

[Andrew Gabriel]

That's up to them. Some certainly have. I don't think I've heard of any who have refused.

[Skipweasel]

yes.

[Bolted]

That's the problem, it is entirely up to them, and it is such a grey area, there isn't a great deal you can do if they are willing to do their bit in terms of paying for the inspections etc.

Some certainly have. I don't

Well, you have now. I guess I got a pedantic one - he was busy moaning at me at the stupidity of it all, and I spent quite a while sympathising greatly with him, thinking we might end up in some mutually beneficial hash-up, but oh no.

[Tim..]

I work from home, thus the office is within my principle dwelling.

Tim.

[Appin]

The message

from al contains these words:

I've done the same. With due precautions for hot working.

If you pull the main fuse you break the lead seal on it and then you wil be in the soup if the meter reader reports it :-( It's a quick, easy job to get the tails into the new box -- you'd need to be really duff to take more than five minutes. No questions from the meter reader, either :-)

No questions either from the qualified sparky who was doing some further wiring on the same premises later, because I simply hadn't time.

However, in our holiday cottage there's a longish run of cable inside the house before it reaches the meter board with the regular (sealed) company fuse. When they renewed the internal cabling they put in another (additional) company fuse near the entry point and the subcontractors thoughtfully forgot to put a seal on it at all. Very convenient when the consumer unit needed replacing.

[John Rumm]

Given its a public forum, I will do as the yanks say and "take the fifth"!

[Frank Erskine]

I read my own meter(s)...

[Roger]

The message from John Rumm contains these words:

I think 'no comment' might be my cautious response. :-)

[David Hansen]

On Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:55:32 -0800 (PST) someone who may be al wrote this:-

No.

However, there is an equivalent and some years ago it was revised and the official procedure now varies depending on, amongst other things, how many stories there are in the dwelling.