Two NICEIC installers failed to spot the lack of earth

[JosephandAmber]

Agent contacts me with an urgent request for a CU upgrade in Camden. They send over an EICR done the previous month and I have a quick skim. All seems pretty simple, CU needs an upgrade and some basic tidying of fixtures etc. Only 3 circuits so I'm not overly bothered about doing another EICR prior to doing the CU replacement.

Turn up to the property and within 10 mins I note there is no visible MET, nor is there any visible earth supply coming from the head. So I head inside and run some tests, again no earth. So I knock on the basement property and ask to test their installation, again no earth. Ok, so by this point I'm baffled by the lack of a main earth. So I called UKPN who send an engineer and he confirmed my fears, the property has never had an earth supply nor will they add one. As a result, he then issues all 4 flats with a Sec 26 ESQCR notice and turns off power to the entire building.

As you can imagine with 4 privately rented flats each with their own agents and landlords it kicks off. Turns out 2 of the 4 flats had EICRs completed within the past 3 months. One had a new CU installed. The property HAS NO EARTH!

Both EICRs were issued by NICEIC approved installers. Readings were recorded that could not have physically been taken. What is going on!?

 

[pc1966]

I agree with @Mike Johnson as it seems the scheme is closing ranks and not doing anything about the issue. Trading standards don't have any membership fees confidentiality issues to hamper them in getting some redress for the original payers of the work.

 

[Markyd]

Had dealings with the NICEIC twice in the last six months about two installs done by two different tos$pots....They just dont want to know which makes them tos$pots also

 

[DefyG]

Why not you know... just have an online complaints form?

Laughable really as one of the items they check during an annual assessment is that you have procedures set up for dealing with complaints!

 

[Simon47]

Btw NICEIC don't make it easy to complain, do they?

Of course not - they don't want any complaints. What has become perfectly clear from this and many other threads is that they are interested in one thing only - collecting their membership fees.

 

[Dartlec]

Btw NICEIC don't make it easy to complain, do they? Download and fill out a PDF that then has to be emailed to a specific address. Why not you know... just have an online complaints form?

To be fair not sure that's just about avoiding complaints - their entire online system for their members is a mess of various things stuck together with packing tape from what I can tell whenever I try to find something.

They push us having complaints procedures and check that each year, but don't seem set up to deal with issues from third parties directly to them.

I have heard of them getting members back out to correct issues, but would be interested to know how many they actually cancel each year.

It's always a problem when you have private schemes that charge money for membership, as the incentive is not to lose their cash cow - and any bad press seems not to make enough impact on their bottom line to get them to do anything.

What should have happened was that electricians went towards some sort of CORGI like scheme, nationally registered with a single body, with proper independent oversight.

Then the entire industry could work together to improve standards across the board.... What a novel and completely idealistic idea!

 

[Mike Johnson]

A Government run scheme would have to be overseen by the HSE who are not set up to administer electrical installations, jobs for the boys come to mind, to set up such an organisation would take months of planning and special committees to prepare a report on how to set it up, then recruitment would start from within the Civil Service, first class honours degree a minimum standard overseen by a minister, but then the most essential part is setting up a committee to name the department, that would take at least a couple of years, any suggestions? I would go for Committee Responsible for Administration of Power Supplies or C.R.A.P.S.

 

[Lister1987]

Think it's a bit unprofessional; ending an email with kisses

 

[UNG]

Upon asking for an update with regards to my complaint this is what I received. What do we think my next steps should be?

Had dealings with the NICEIC twice in the last six months about two installs done by two different tos$pots....They just dont want to know which makes them tos$pots also

As the NICEIC are a UKAS accredited organisation I would elevate the complaint to UKAS , at the bottom of the contact us page "I have a complaint or wish to give feedback about UKAS or one of UKAS’ accredited organisations" which gives phone and email contact details

Maybe it needs the UKAS assessment people to ask questions of the NICEIC I don't see how you can have a complaints procedure and not inform the person making the complaint whether the complaint is upheld or not. To sight confidentiality as a reason for not informing the outcome of a complaint is a bit of a poor and weak excuse when any complaint involves not only the reputation or lack of that the contractor has shown but also that of the NICEIC as they are the ones who have assessed the contractors competence
I just wonder how many more nails are needed before the NICEIC is dead and buried as a once respected organisation you can't live on your past reputation when the industry is now going to the dogs on the back of making a quick buck and no doubt a pay bonus for those running it

 

[Petej999]

They don't, thry merely "authorise' to do them, all that is required is to cross a palm with silver and you're good.

Bad news for the NICEIC if it's true

 

[Mike Johnson]

Perhaps the NICEIC has had its day, time to move to a different scam provider perhaps?

 

[Petej999]

Perhaps the NICEIC has had its day, time to move to a different scam provider perhaps?

Oh no

 

[Mike Johnson]

News story:

Mass resignation forces NICEIC to bankruptcy and close its membership scheme/scam.

 

[Lister1987]

News story:

Mass resignation forces NICEIC to bankruptcy and close its membership scheme/scam.

It's not April 1st for a few more days Mike

 

[UNG]

News story:

Mass resignation forces NICEIC to bankruptcy and close its membership scheme/scam.

If only it was true

 

[Mike Johnson]

Only the members can make it happen.