centralLondonJOHN Posted May 3, 2022 Share Posted May 3, 2022 I am now getting round to having our house EICR tested. I've spent hours looking for a competent electrical firm and not one of those under 100£ jobbing companies. Work is required to get it up to BS7671 standards. The estimate is for quite some work on a 4 bed house last touched 20 years ago from memory. The term 'determinate' confuses me a bit, is it for a wholley band new fitting or something else. Anyway it seems quite steep when their hourly rate is quoted at £85.00 + VAT. I have no idea if it is a 1/man or a 2/man job from the director of the company at the moment, I have asked. They electrician who undertook the test did discover under the plastic CU a brass block that showed obvious signs of a lose connection, a good find. Oh, and I won't be having the 5 Aico smoke detectors, maybe 1. Your comments would help a lot. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centralLondonJOHN Posted May 3, 2022 Author Share Posted May 3, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Punter Posted May 3, 2022 Share Posted May 3, 2022 Why does it need all this? If it is to let the place out, just get the bare minimum done. Get another couple of quotes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted May 3, 2022 Share Posted May 3, 2022 Where I take issue with such a precise quote as that, is it is IMPOSSIBLE to actually quantify the time required to do each aspect of the job in advance. If it were me I would be quoting for the materials cost for each bit of the job and an estimate of labour for each bit of the job. NOT all items quoted are required for a satisfactory EICR. Like the smoke alarms or the sockets in the loft to avoid extension leads. That should be your choice which items you get. Just one working socket in the loft would satisfy the EICR and it's up to you if you get more fitted or use extension leads. Oh and find someone charging less than £85 per hour. Hager are good but not the cheapest, you can get a perfectly good CU for less money. Some things you can do yourself like pop the downlights out and cut the insulation away and pop them back in, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centralLondonJOHN Posted May 3, 2022 Author Share Posted May 3, 2022 The first thing to say it is our home and we have no intention of selling. Dave these are normal London rates now and have been for some time. It's my opinion that they are charging some 3x / 4x the hourly rate and that is shocking. Is it possible to 'see' only the C1 issues for me that is only needed by the certificate and possibly flag for categories C2 etc. ie chunk it into staged blocks of work. I need a little more 'teeth' to get my confidence up to negotiate this estimate down. Many thanks for your help so far guys. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted May 3, 2022 Share Posted May 3, 2022 If you just want a satisfactory EICR then just get them to quote individually to correct all the C1 and C2 items. Perhaps you might want to list the C1 and C2 items stated on the EICR and a picture of your existing consumer unit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centralLondonJOHN Posted May 4, 2022 Author Share Posted May 4, 2022 This is a image of the two CU's that are required to be amalgamated. Just inside the main door to the house. I also think my argument with the company is that the list should be categorised into C1 and C2 blocks of work. This exercise has at least given me the chance to think things thru' overnight. Many thanks. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 There's a lot that does not make immediate sense there. Two supplies? Two meters? 2 consumer units? So one labelled "house" and one labelled "flat" Is this quote to upgrade both or just one? If both you want separate consumer units. If they are two linked properties under one ownership you really want both upgraded not just one, but I would much prefer to see the flat CU actually moved into the flat. Seeing that the job has got more complicated, but the same principle applies, you only NEED to upgrade the C1 and C2 items. Care to post the actual EICR suitably redacted to anonymise it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centralLondonJOHN Posted May 4, 2022 Author Share Posted May 4, 2022 This house was bought by me nearly 40 Years ago now, eventually I took half of the basement and create a studio flat the other half was our kitchen/ diner. The house electrics however were originally from memory in the studio area. So at some time a CU was put in for the house one floor up/ on the ground flr. Some 20 yrs. ago I created the studio and then had to put in a separate CU. I now need to amalgamate the wiring etc to a new metal CU in place of the 2 old CU's. I hope that is clear now, the history is more or less correct. Yes the costs are high because the wiring for the studio is reached from a set of stairs from the outside pavement, so the electrician has to go out side to the door of the studio flat to undertake his EICR work. But it is also possible that I will have broken thru' the plasterboard wall and made the studio flat 'one' with the house. So all in all it will be much simpler to make good the wiring that is hidden in this wall and all the rest of it. Then the basement will under go a floor rebuild with UFH. A good point to comeback with the a new quote if it gets that far and the eventual certificate. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 So you have 2 separate supplies so 2 standing charges. You would do well to get one of those disconnected and run the whole house from one meter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centralLondonJOHN Posted May 4, 2022 Author Share Posted May 4, 2022 Absolutely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centralLondonJOHN Posted May 18, 2022 Author Share Posted May 18, 2022 Dave what did you have in mind, I have received both 5 page DCN and a 7 page DPN. The certificate its self is one page with little info. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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