It’s worth spending five minutes checking before you hire. Electrical work done by someone unqualified can be dangerous, and a lot of it legally needs to be carried out by a registered professional under Part P of the Building Regulations.
Check the scheme register
The quickest check is to look up the electrician on one of the government-approved Competent Person Scheme registers. In the UK, the main ones are NICEIC, NAPIT, and the ECA. All three have free online lookup tools where you can search by company name or postcode and confirm whether the firm is currently registered.
Ask for the electrician’s registration number and check it yourself. A legitimate company will have no problem with this — most will mention it upfront or display it on their website.
Ask about qualifications
Scheme registration is a good sign, but it’s also reasonable to ask about the electrician’s specific qualifications. The standard UK route is City & Guilds 2365 (Levels 2 and 3) for the core installation work, and City & Guilds 2391 for inspection and testing. NVQ Level 3 in Electrotechnical Services is another common qualification. Asking to see copies of certificates is perfectly normal — a qualified electrician will be happy to share them.
Reviews and references
Check Google reviews, Checkatrade, or Trustpilot. Look at the overall pattern rather than fixating on any single comment — a firm with 50 four and five-star reviews across different platforms is a much better signal than a handful of unverifiable testimonials. You can also ask the electrician directly for references from previous customers.
Insurance and guarantees
Any reputable electrician will carry public liability insurance. Ask to see evidence of it. It’s also worth asking what guarantee they offer on their work — most established firms will warrant their workmanship for at least a year.
Spending a few minutes on these checks isn’t about distrust. It’s just sensible. Electrical work isn’t something you want to undo later.
