Electrical installations in homes

Certain aspects of electrical work carried out in homes (dwellings) must be notified to the Isle of Man's Planning and Building Control Directorate. This must then be certified as being compliant with Schedule 1, Part P (Electrical Safety) of the Building Regulations 2014.

This assessment can be achieved in one of 2 ways:

1. by a competent person carrying out the work who then contacts the relevant Island Building Control Authority
   
   OR
   
   
2. the work can be carried out by an electrical contracting business registered with a recognised certification scheme

The benefit of the second option is that the business can self-certify its own electrical work as being compliant with Part P of the Building Regulations.

Building Regulations are designed to ensure new building work meets health, safety, welfare, convenience and sustainability standards. They relate to the specifics of how a building should be constructed, unlike planning permission which is about the principle of whether development should go ahead or not.

The overall objective of 'Part P' is to improve industry standards and prevent injuries and risks caused by substandard domestic electrical installation work. Homeowners and businesses need to be aware of the Part P requirements because those who do not comply with the Building Regulations are committing a criminal offence.

To support compliance, the Isle of Man Government recognises two certification schemes. These schemes assess and confirm the competence of electrical contractors as being able to self- certify their work, and that it complies with the Building Regulations.

The two schemes are:

• NICEIC Domestic Installer
  
  
• NAPIT Part P CPS

Electrical contracting businesses operating on the Island may also be members of the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA).

A business registered with a recognised certification body is regularly assessed by that body, and will have demonstrated ongoing compliance with their qualification, industry and installation competence.

Businesses registered via a recognised certification scheme, can provide assurance to homeowners that they are able meet Building Regulations requirements. In addition, they can self-certify their work to the Building Control Authorities and issue homeowners with a certificate of compliance within 30 days via their recognised certification scheme.

With exception to minor works, such as those indicated in Table 1 below, homeowners using electrical businesses not certified with one of the above schemes must make an application for Building Regulations approval to the appropriate Island Building Control Authority. This must be done prior to any electrical work starting on site. They must also pay any relevant plan and site inspection fee as required.

Email buildingcontrol@gov.im or call +44 1624 685902 for further information.

Table 1 - Works which are exempt from notification

Works which do not need a Building Control application (notice to the appropriate Building Control authority), but still need to comply with minimum requirements for electrical installations, are:

• Replacing any fixed electrical equipment (for example, socket-outlets, control switches and ceiling roses) which does not include the provision of any new fixed cabling
  
  
• Replacing the cable for a single circuit only, where damaged, for example, by fire, rodent or impact
  
  
• Re-fixing or replacing the enclosures of existing installation components
  
  
• Providing mechanical protection to existing fixed installations
  
  
• Installing or upgrading main or supplementary equipotential bonding
  
  

Work which is not in a kitchen or special location and does not involve a special installation (e) and consists of: Adding lighting points (light fittings and switches) to an existing circuit (f) Adding socket-outlets and fused spurs to an existing ring or radial circuit (f) Work not in a special location, on: Telephone or extra-low voltage wiring and equipment for the purposes of communications, information technology, signalling, control and similar purposes Prefabricated equipment sets and associated flexible leads with integral plug and socket connections.

Table 2 - Notifiable work

All works which require a Building Control Application and (where certified) notice to your local Building Control Authority include:

• A complete new installation or rewire
  
  
• Changing a consumer unit
  
  
• Installing a new final circuit (e.g. for lighting, heating, socket-outlets, a shower or a cooker)
  
  
• Installing extra-low voltage lighting (other than pre-assembled CE marked sets)
  
  
• Installing a solar photovoltaic power supply
  
  
• Installing electric ceiling or floor heating
  
  
• Installing a small scale electricity generator
  
  
• Installing power or control wiring for a new central heating system
  
  
• Within a special location:
  • modifying a final circuit (e.g. adding a lighting point, fused connection unit or socket- outlet)
    
    
  • installing extra-low voltage wiring and equipment for the purposes of communications, information technology, signalling, control or similar purposes
    
    
  • installing a prefabricated equipment set (e.g. for lighting) and associated flexible leads with integral plug and socket connections

Outdoors

• installing garden lighting or power (for example a supply to a garden shed, detached garage, other outbuilding, electric gate or pond pump)
  
  
• installing a socket-outlet
  
  
• installing a lighting point or other fixed current-using equipment (for example an air conditioning unit or a radon fan)

The Department strongly recommends that unless you are experienced in the types of works mentioned in Tables 1 and 2, you should employ a competent electrical business to carry out the works for you.