Choosing an electrician either for a job in your home or for your business can be difficult – there are likely to be many electricians in your local area, and choosing the right one for you can prove challenging.

Here are a few tips which our clients have told us helped when choosing a contractor. Pick a few electricians from Google and use this checklist to help you decide:

1) What needs doing?

It might sound obvious, but having a clear scope of the job will help you and your contractor. If you can write it down even better – it will help you with comparing estimates and ensure all contractors are quoting for the same work.

2) Ask for an estimate of the works first

No-one wants to be surprised at the cost of the work once it has been completed, so ask a couple of electricians to give you an estimate for the work, based on your scope. This should be free of charge and gives you the first opportunity to meet a representative of the company.

3) Have they got relevant qualifications and certification

Almost one-third of Brits admitted to not using a registered electrician to save money (Electrical Safety first). Using an electrician which is registered with NICEIC will ensure that their work is regularly assessed, they are qualified to complete the work and they have insurance in place. The NIEIC have a checker you can use: https://www.niceic.com/householder/find-a-contractor

4) Health and Safety

Even domestic clients will be expected to ask their contractor about their awareness of health and safety risks and their track record in managing these risks. Commercial clients have further health and safety responsibilities for ensuring the safety of employees, the public and contractors. Look for a recognised Health and Safety accreditation such as CHAS to give you the peace of mind your contractor will keep you safe.

5) Reviews and Testimonials

Do you know anyone that has used the company and can provide a testimonial? Take a look at review sites such as Trust Pilot or Google Reviews to see what other customers have said about working with the company. A recent survey found that 30% of UK adults said they had to fix poor quality electrical work with an average repair bill of £750 (Electrical Safety First) – accepting a cheaper quote may not be cheaper in the long run.

If you are looking for an electrician, plumber or heating specialist give Epic Global Group a call today.