NICEIC Certification Scheme filing a complaint with NICEIC - is it worth the bother?

As part of a renovation to my home I'm having some electrical work done. It's been organised through the builder so he contracts with the sparkie and I contract with the builder. The sparkie is NICEIC registered and has just done the testing prior to issuing the certificate. He's made the following mistakes:

A new fuse panel was installed in the utility room. To facilitate installing a new cupboard the fitter subsequently moved the panel to the left by 2cm. In doing so he shorted a new cable that had been nicked (insulation damaged when installed by the sparkie) against the chassis of the fuse panel. Big flash and bang and main breaker tripped. Sparkie fixed the issue (not quite sure how) a few days later. Granted, the fitter should not have moved the panel but that the sparkie nicked the cable and either didn't notice or didn't care?!

The sparkie wired a fused spur on the new kitchen sockets ring such that it went in the load side and out on the supply side. Furthermore one of the cables is white sheathed - i.e. he used a section of old cable on a brand new circuit that never previously existed. He's now properly routed the ring but the white sheathed cable remains. I think he didn't have any cable with him on the day so took the easy way out.

As part of the testing he measured earth resistance on the new kitchen lighting circuit. After the testing finished he left a junction box dangling through a hole in the ceiling with its cover open and live wires exposed and he lost the cover to an LED driver so the live wires are exposed there as well.

He's very hasty; he always seems to be in a hurry. He's made other mistakes (wiring up the old downstairs ring and excluding 4 new sockets he installed), cutting the wrong cables, cutting the oven lead so short that the oven can't be removed without first disconnecting it and taking multiple visits to get the lighting switches right. I've complained mightily to the builder and so am by and large not out of pocket for the remedial work but the numbers of stupid mistakes he's made makes me wonder "what else?". What mistakes has he made that no-one has found? Yet? I feel he needs to have his knuckles wrapped by someone with some clout but is that the NICEIC? Or by the courts when one of his f*ck-ups burns a house down? The builder cares but only so much.

if you complain to niceic, they will tell you to liase with the electrician to put right any faults. if he does. they're satisfied. if not, then you contact them again. could be a long-winded process. my best advice would be to ask the electrician (in a civilised manner) to correct anything that you're not happy with. by involving niceic, that could get his back up without helping your case. use it as a last resort.

Has said spark given you a certificate as yet?

Thanks for the replies.

The sparkie knows I'm unhappy with the quality of his work but he's not really that bothered. As far as getting his back up I'm not really bothered as I'm tired of playing nice. I'm sure he'll fix the exposed wires on the lighting circuit when he finally brings the correct switches (after at least 5 visits where he has either not brought them or brought the wrong ones).

He should be issuing the certificate shortly as the testing is complete.

A complaint to the Niceic or any other scam will be comparable to flogging a dead Horse

If you have concern regards the safety and standard,source a electrician who can carry out a bona fide inspection and test

Be warned the majority of electricians don't or can't do bona fide

If you are not happy, you should complain to the NICEIC and local trading standards ... They may not act on your complaint, but if others complain later things may change.

Where are you based?

I'm based in Hampshire as is the sparkie.

liquidity said:

I'm based in Hampshire as is the sparkie.

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That's a big county ... Any better clues?

White cable doesn't signify age, I install miles of white twin, it's called low smoke and fume cable and is a superior cable to grey twin and earth.

How do you know the kitchen fitter didn't damage the insulation moving the fuse board? He shouldn't have been in there in the first place and risked his life meddling with something he doesn't know about, for all we know cables could now be routed outside of the permitted safe zone, causing non compliance through no fault of the electrician.

Being nasty, in a hurry and unorganised despite being unprofessional isn't cause to report him to the nic.

Some of his work doesn't sound great and he Carrys out poor practice but the nic will not care, as long as he pays their bills their happy.

In short. No.
If you complain he will be the person you are told to contact. If he insists its safe and complies then you would have to pay for anothet electrician to come out and do a eicr to then send to niceic.
They won't act because you are unhappy or unsure of the quality.
For them to send another electrician to alter or put right the work if dodgy would happen only in very serious cases.
It all comes down to £ signs

Murdoch said:

That's a big county ... Any better clues?

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He’s based in Winchester.

loz said:

White cable doesn't signify age, I install miles of white twin, it's called low smoke and fume cable and is a superior cable to grey twin and earth.

How do you know the kitchen fitter didn't damage the insulation moving the fuse board? He shouldn't have been in there in the first place and risked his life meddling with something he doesn't know about, for all we know cables could now be routed outside of the permitted safe zone, causing non compliance through no fault of the electrician.

Being nasty, in a hurry and unorganised despite being unprofessional isn't cause to report him to the nic.

Some of his work doesn't sound great and he Carrys out poor practice but the nic will not care, as long as he pays their bills their happy.

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It’s not special cable; it’s old twin and earth with the old core colours.

I was standing right behind the fitter when he was fiddling with the fuse panel. He simply unscrewed it from the wooden blocks it was screwed to and move it 2cm and things went very bright and then dark. He had no tools in the proximity of where the scorch marks were.

How did the nicked cable touch the chassis of the fusebox? Are there no grommets/glands fitted? Can you post a picture? Cheers.

liquidity said:

He’s based in Winchester.

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I meant you , not him!

Ha ha - I'm near Portsmouth.