Salary of us poor sparks

[NorthOxfordElec]

I’m curious to find out how us electricians earn, compared to others? Having read the editorial in professional electrician about how our counterparts in Australia, Japan, USA, Germany earn anything from £11k to £19k more than we do here, added to a train driver now being able to get pay of £50k+ for a 37.5hr week, I’m wondering if it’s actually worth continuing in the trade with all the hassle it brings? My hourly rate when broken down is paltry in comparison to the train driver

 

[Midwest]

I came across one earlier this week, finishing off the electrics for a kitchen install. I couldn't help but notice an old-style junction box about to be plastered over. Bits of insulating tape rather than proper sleeving. Best of all, he was changing socket faceplates with the power on, including adding spurs ("I ain't touching nothing", when I asked).

Think this one could of been kitchen fitters, but then again.......

 

[Toneyz]

One of the reasons Qualified Sparkies are paid more in those countries. Here you can do a couple of courses and Bingo off you go.

Do a couple of courses may pass exams but when faced with the real world. In response to your previous post once electricians were treated as a technical trade.

 

[Toneyz]

Screwfix and toolstation have shafted it for us to.any Tom,dick or Harry can buy electrical stuff and also see what we are paying for it

Yes but I can buy a gas boiler, but I'm not allowed to fit it.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Yes but I can buy a gas boiler, but I'm not allowed to fit it.

Since when?

 

[Toneyz]

Since when?

I thought it was illegal unless you are gas safe approved.

 

[UNG]

@UNG you disagree? with what exactly, figures or an even minded approach?

I see you are obviously offended that someone dare disagree with you but hey that's the way life is

Nobody has been able to quantify what Part P did for electrical safety because hot on it's heels came the 17th with it's RCD everything mentality
One statistic you will never find is how many people lived to reset the RCD who would have otherwise been dead had the installation not been fitted with one
No doubt there are people out there who will trawl up stats to suit their own argument but as I found out many years ago from a statistician they make their living from distorting the same facts either positively or negatively to suit whatever report is being written

Lets face it one fire brigade (LFB) produced the statistics from it's own area which it used to force through the national requirement for AMD3 CU's when the statistics taken across the whole country did not really support the LFB argument. Following on from that the statistical analysis changed making it difficult to quantify the impact of AMD3 CU's in the following years I wonder why they did that!!!!. Again the LFB stats were flawed because of the coarse cause analysis that appeared to be used to report the facts

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I thought it was illegal unless you are gas safe approved.

No, it is illegal for someone who is not GasSafe registered to work on gas for payment.
If someone installs their own boiler, they do not have to be registered, just competent.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I see you are obviously offended that someone dare disagree with you but hey that's the way life is

Nobody has been able to quantify what Part P did for electrical safety because hot on it's heels came the 17th with it's RCD everything mentality
One statistic you will never find is how many people lived to reset the RCD who would have otherwise been dead had the installation not been fitted with one
No doubt there are people out there who will trawl up stats to suit their own argument but as I found out many years ago from a statistician they make their living from distorting the same facts either positively or negatively to suit whatever report is being written

Lets face it one fire brigade (LFB) produced the statistics from it's own area which it used to force through the national requirement for AMD3 CU's when the statistics taken across the whole country did not really support the LFB argument. Following on from that the statistical analysis changed making it difficult to quantify the impact of AMD3 CU's in the following years I wonder why they did that!!!!. Again the LFB stats were flawed because of the coarse cause analysis that appeared to be used to report the facts

It wasn’t really hot on it’s heels, it was about 3 years later.
What did happen when Part P was introduced, is Electricians purchased MFTs and started testing their work.
The LFB did not force anything through.
The JPEL/64 committee decided to introduce Am3.

 

[Octopus]

The LFB did not force anything through.
The JPEL/64 committee decided to introduce Am3.

The LFB definitely pushed for AMD 3 boxes, who then got BEAMA on the case because it would increase their revenues and profits

The BEAMA worked on JPEL/64

IMHO covering carp in metal is NOT solving the problem

 

[NellyManjaro]

All I know is no I don't earn alot but I enjoy my job and if it wasn't for these cowboys / part p "electricians" going around messing things up then I'd have nothing to fix!! These Muppets along with DIY know it alls keep me extremely busy

 

[Deleted member 26818]

From what I recall, there was one BEAMA representative on the committee.
Not sure how changing from plastic to metal increases manufacturer’s profits?

 

[Toneyz]

The LFB definitely pushed for AMD 3 boxes, who then got BEAMA on the case because it would increase their revenues and profits

The BEAMA worked on JPEL/64

IMHO covering carp in metal is NOT solving the problem

It only contains it.

 

[Midwest]

No, it is illegal for someone who is not GasSafe registered to work on gas for payment.
If someone installs their own boiler, they do not have to be registered, just competent.

Last time I read up on that, the DIY'er had to the same or similar level of competency as GasSafe registered engineer.

I know of people installing the boiler, pipes, but the final gas connection, installing the flue, work on the boiler itself should or must (dependant on interpretation of the gas regs) be done by GasSafe bloke.

DIY gas work? - http://www.miketheboilerman.com/diy.htm

https://www.---------------.co.uk/media/1449/who-can-legally-work-on-a-gas-appliance-factsheet.pdf

DIY Gas Boiler Installation I used to be CORGI registered - https://www.ukplumbersforums.co.uk/threads/diy-gas-boiler-installation-i-used-to-be-corgi-registered.37205/

 

[The Ghost]

I see you are obviously offended that someone dare disagree with you but hey that's the way life is

Sorry to disapoint you @UNG I am not offended and welcome debate. You have me all wrong I was curious to know what you disagreed with and accordingly asked you. I do not see anything in what I asked as being contentious, just a polite question. You may disagree with me until you are blue in the face and my life will go on serenely. Don't mistake honest debate and enquiry with someone being upset. I think it is easy to sit behind the parapets firing away but try not to be surprised when someone calls you on it. You should be prepared to justify your statements or contributions without resorting to name calling or infantile statements.

 

[David M]

I’m curious to find out how us electricians earn, compared to others? Having read the editorial in professional electrician about how our counterparts in Australia, Japan, USA, Germany earn anything from £11k to £19k more than we do here, added to a train driver now being able to get pay of £50k+ for a 37.5hr week, I’m wondering if it’s actually worth continuing in the trade with all the hassle it brings? My hourly rate when broken down is paltry in comparison to the train driver

A good mate of mine packed in sparkying a few years back to go train driving. He earns more, less stressed and has more free time. I guess it all depends on your personal circumstances and also which part of the country you live in. In my neck of the woods a cards in sparky earns around £15 per hour & self employed around £25.