What to look for in local electricians
Finding good local electricians in Congleton, Cheshire and the local area isn’t easy, so people often resort to asking friends, family and colleagues for recommendations. Whilst this can be fine for getting someone to do the little jobs around the house, such as rewiring a few lights or adding some new sockets etc, often you need a more professional team of qualified electricians for the large jobs or when you need a security system fitted or when looking for an electrician for your business.
There are some excellent local electricians out there but there are some key things to check before hiring an electrician:
Experience
Make sure you choose a local electrician that has the necessary experience to carry out the job. For example, if you are looking for an electrician to carry out your home automation, security installation or rewire your whole home internal lighting then ask them for references, testimonials or to show examples of similar work previously carried out. Technology is constantly changing and utilising an electrician with the appropriate experience and knowhow will help make sure you get your job done safely, efficiently and on budget.
Electrical qualifications and certification
With some trades, the tradesman can have years of experience, but no qualifications. However, with electricians there are industry standards that you should look out for. This is to ensure that work is carried out safely. Electrical work must be completed within specific standards and in some cases, needs to be approved by the building control department within your local authority. Qualified electricians who are registered to a competent person’s scheme can self-certify their work and issue a certificate of compliance on completion. They should also be able to deal with the building control department on your behalf.
Some of the industry schemes that your local electrician maybe registered with include: BSI, ELECSA and TRUSTMARK and for security systems there are also NSI and installing in line with British Standards.
Value for money
Make sure you brief your electrician thoroughly and that they visit the property to see exactly what is needed where possible so they can quote appropriately. If you are getting multiple quotes, make sure the different electricians are quoting for the same work. Get your quote in writing and where possible with a breakdown of works included. As they say, “you pay for what you get” so if your local electrician is quoting for a job and it seems too cheap to be true, then it’s likely to be the case and in turn if the price is way beyond your budget then compare quotes from other electricians or speak to the company and see if there is any movement in the cost or alternative options.
Insurance
The work of an electrician can be dangerous and so any electrician or company worth their salt will have public liability insurance as a given but it is always worth checking for peace of mind.
Timescales & efficiency
Depending on the type of work you need carrying out and how urgent it is, the speed in which the job can be carried out will vary. Talk to your electrician and ask them how long they think the job will take and get an indication of when they can carry out the work. For larger jobs you will probably find that it’s more efficient to work with a company that has multiple electricians on hand to carry out the work. You may also need to get your electricians to work closely with other tradesmen and work to build schedule. The more information you can provide the better informed both you and your electrician will be.
Communication and attitude
First impressions can count and it is important that you feel comfortable with your local electrician. Are they polite and professional on the phone, do they get back to you when they say they will, do they turn up on time. These things may seem straightforward but look out for the signs early on as it is a good indication to their professionalism and work ethos.
The Synergy AV team are based in Congleton and work across Cheshire and the North West. We have a team of experienced and qualified electricians carrying out electrical projects for our clients that include full home rewiring, CCTV installation, automated lighting and fully automated home installations.
Some of the areas Synergy AV can help include:
