New to the forum and introducing myself.

[sparksites]

Hello everyone,

Thought I'd introduce myself as I'm new to the forum.

I'm (or have been) a spark of 21 years experience, 8 of which were mainly commercial and industrial site work (including 2 years solely testing and inspecting), and 13 years running my own business, starting with just myself and peaking in 2016 with a band of 6 doing mainly domestic work (also offering plumbing and gas).

I became a bit disillusioned with the industry and started a business in web design, among other things, in 2017 (which I now do full time along with my missus). I downsized to just myself and an apprentice, and eventually petered the business out, doing our last official job 3 days before Christmas last year (2019).

I'm here to offer the benefit of my experience where I can, whether that's a bit of encouragment for new starters (due to a misspent youth, I didn't get started until 19 as a labourer and had to pay for every qual I got) as I can appreciate their struggle, or business advice for the self employed lads (I've tried, (and by tried I don't mean dabbled with, I mean thoroughly applied!) every single marketing & advertising tactic you can think of, and specialise in websites and Google Ads / Adwords).

Current bee in my bonnet is EICR's. As someone who did nothing but testing for a couple of years I know the amount of knowledge and experience that it takes to do them properly. Part P was bad enough, but the way EICR's have been hung out to dry and allowed to be de-valued is criminal in my book.

Anyway that's me. Always here and willing if I can help anyone, or just if you need someone to point and laugh at ?

Looking forward to taking part in the forum.

 

[Sintra]

Nice intro. Welcome to the forum

 

[Marvo]

Welcome Sparksites

 

[Pete999]

Welcome along Mate

 

[ruston]

Welcome from me too. That is an impressive introduction.

 

[loz2754]

Welcome. Always good to have another pair of eyes. And another sharp brain.?

 

[Vortigern]

Hi! Agree about the EICR. A trainee who did a six week course including EICR qualification. In his mind he is ready to do EICR, whereas he can't even set a box in the wall straight and feels he is OK to go forth do commercial, domestic and EICR. I am astonished.

 

[DPG]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[sparksites]

Hi! Agree about the EICR. A trainee who did a six week course including EICR qualification. In his mind he is ready to do EICR, whereas he can't even set a box in the wall straight and feels he is OK to go forth do commercial, domestic and EICR. I am astonished.

When I did my inspection and testing in 2006, the tutor told me that the 2391 was a supervisory qualification and that the pass rate at their centre was 30%. 2 kitchen fitters who had signed up in an effort to become Part P compliant were sent home on the second day because they basically had no hope of passing.

In 2013, when my old apprentice did it, it was 50%. In 2017, when a more recent apprentice did it, it was 80%. Either people are getting smarter, the criteria is lower, or the colleges / training centres are hand holding people through it.

I had a website dedicated solely to EICR's and was inundated with phone calls from agents and middle men firms wanting us to do them at rates as low as 60 quid each. A firm near me, who I know for a fact has at least 2 sparks on their books, was recently advertising for another to do EICR's.. £210 a day and you have to do at least 4-5. It's a disgrace.

The new landlord legislation has just made everything worse.

 

[loz2754]

Can't wait until April! That is when existing tenancies fall under the new rules....

 

[sparksites]

Can't wait until April! That is when existing tenancies fall under the new rules....

Is it worth doing them though? Firms near me (both sparks and middlemen) are advertising them at 100 quid fixed price, irregardless of the property or number of circuits. Openrent, one of the biggest property sites in the country are advertising them at 120 quid for a 2 bed and then a tenner per bedroom. The Government's own website recommends a price of £155 (yet mentions nothing about number of circuits or property size / use). My last EICR, a 3 bed house, was £337.50. How can someone doing them properly even hope to compete?

 

[loz2754]

Is it worth doing them though? Firms near me (both sparks and middlemen) are advertising them at 100 quid fixed price, irregardless of the property or number of circuits. Openrent, one of the biggest property sites in the country are advertising them at 120 quid for a 2 bed and then a tenner per bedroom. The Government's own website recommends a price of £155 (yet mentions nothing about number of circuits or property size / use). My last EICR, a 3 bed house, was £337.50. How can someone doing them properly even hope to compete?

Actual that was my point. My northern sarcasm was in play!
It's going to be a crazy time, fending off the landlords and agents desperate to get their EICRs done at 39 pence each!

 

[Vortigern]

As I have explained elsewhere, they have made the exam a lot easier. When I did it there were six questions based around two different scenarios. You had to write your answers out showing how you got to that answer. I think two hours was allowed for the exam. On the one hand it was definitely not rocket science, on the other it was quite well structured to show you had a grasp of the basic scientific principles involved in electrics and regs as well as statute and H&S. I had a seven hour test rig with faults randomly injected and it was all closed book.
Now it is broken into two parts, open book. To be fair colleges around Britain were failing at delivering the course dismally. Partly due to closed book with C&G, partly due to students not understanding the course material well enough to attempt the exam. They moved over to delivering EAL, open book and a two part course. This changed the pass rate from 30% to 70%, so far so good. The written exam has gone and the questioning has been replaced by on line multiple choice as well. All making the chances of passing (but not necessarily understanding) the beast of a course.
Mediocrity instead of merit. I do remember a time when electricians knew you had passed the 2391, showed some amount of respect as they knew how hard it was to get that pass. That has (sadly) also gone. By the way I use 2391 as code for 2394/5 2391/01/02. In conclusion, electrics with a modicum of intelligence, is a very attainable career and is described as "basic science" which I am in agreement with.
But that is academically, on the coal face it is different and can take several years to become an experienced electrician even in a single area (there are many). I know for a fact there is no way you can do a 2391, straight out of another unrelated career and actually be safe to be let loose pronouncing on the safety of an installation

 

[loz2754]

I know for a fact there is no way you can do a 2391, straight out of another unrelated career and actually be safe to be let loose pronouncing on the safety of an installation

100 percent nail head hit!
But this is obviously what is happening and why we are getting so many threads from concerned clients that the EICRs they're being given are total rubbish.
It's disheartening that our trade has been watered down so much over the years.

 

[sparksites]

Actual that was my point. My northern sarcasm was in play!
It's going to be a crazy time, fending off the landlords and agents desperate to get their EICRs done at 39 pence each!

Sorry, I missed the sarcasm! ? Yep, race to the bottom.