It is at the forefront of every property owner’s mind to ensure that their home or office electrical system is future-facing, effective, and most of all safe. Each year there are over 7,000 fires in the UK caused by faults in electrical distribution systems (data.gov.uk). Dated fuse boards or faulty wiring can increase the risk of electrical fires in your home or office.
When getting work done on your home it’s important to remember the things you can’t see, are as important as the things you can. Hidden threats such as faulty, old wiring should be the first consideration when making changes in your home.
When looking for an electrician to work on your property renovation or upgrade there are a few key factors that you must consider before hiring a professional electrician for your next project :
Qualifications
Make sure your preferred electrician is up to date with all the correct qualification certificates from the relevant authorities. All reputable electricians will be able to provide you with the required accreditations and working with a certified electrician will ensure all the work is completed safely and with a peace of mind guarantee.
Keeping this in mind, a reliable Edinburgh electrician, equipped with all the necessary qualifications, equipment and skills is what you need to look for when searching for an electrics specialist to work on your next project.
Experience is key
Alongside checking for qualifications & certificates, it is essential to work with an experienced electrician. A well-trained electrician will be up to speed with the latest tools and technologies.
A recent development in the industry is SMART technology but what does that actually mean? It stands for Self-Monitoring Analysis And Reporting Technology and basically means technology that keeps an eye on things and works automatically.
There are many examples of how the integration of SMART technology installations can help your home run more efficiently along with the added bonus of cost effectiveness. Systems can be designed bespoke for your home or work place and can cover areas such as smart lighting controls, smart heating control, appliance set-up and security system control to name but a few and all are controllable from your phone or tablet
Working with an electrician who is familiar with SMART technology will only help future proof all electrical work undertaken on your home.
Cost
Full rewiring & circuit board replacement often tend to be the first point of call for any project as it tends to shape the plan for each room in terms of home appliance and home entertainment placement.
Electrical work does tend to take up a good chunk of any renovation budget but it is one of the foundations of any project (especially in terms of safety) so it is key that all work is done correctly.
It is always a good idea when dealing with the electrical fundamentals of any project that you build a contingency amount into your final budgeting plans to ensure everything is just as it should be. Cheap & potentially shoddy work, as well as being unsafe may also turn out to be a false economy further down the line.
Most electricians provide complimentary, no obligation quotes so it is always a good idea to go to the trouble of speaking to different contractors to gather at least three quotes to compare on price, time scale & skill set.
Insurance
Working with electricity can be dangerous so the correct insurance is key.
This will validate the fact that you’ll not be held responsible for any injury sustained during the course of the work being undertaken. It will also ensure you against any other damage caused by an electrician should the worst happen (although following the steps outlined in this article should protect from any such situation).
Good communication and other skills
It can be strange having someone come into work on your home, or even office so it’s essential to work with an electrics team that is friendly and professional.
Communication is key so having an electrician who can keep in the loop at all times is a fundamental part of delivering a successful project and building a lasting relationship.
With lines of communication clear, this will help the electrical jobs required to be delivered on time and on budget as well as making the process as undisruptive and pleasant as possible.