What can I do about incomplete first fix electrical works?

[tokyotecubate]

Hello all,

 

Thank you so much for all the collective wisdom here, as a first time renovator I have been stalking many pages here throughout the past months.

 

I currently have a tough situation with my first fix electrical work for my renovation ( which involves a full house rewire alongside a full house renovation and loft / rear extension). I have commissioned a renewable energy company, with whom is doing my heat pump installation, to also conduct my full house rewire and plumbing works. While there had been delays and hiccups in the first fix completion due to their internal change of project management, they had been sending their subcontractors to complete the electrical and plumbing first fix works as per contract. 

 

However, one of the biggest problem we now face is with the electrical subcontractors that they had sent out - after 9 visits, we noticed that not much work has been done (i.e the subcontractor has been dragging the work), with the electrician being extremely difficult to work with (such as not showing up as promised, showing up late and leaving early, substandard work, and not completing a lot of the work that was promised during his visit). We unfortunately had to flag the problems with the project manager of the renewables company (who is not based locally and cannot be on site to manage the sub contractor), and they decided to terminate their electrical subcontractor, and instead send their own in house electricians to complete the work. ( this happened back in early october when we flagged all the issues to the renewables company)

 

This is where our current problem lies - we weren't given any updates on the status of the first fix works from the renewables company, where our builder and ourselves have assumed that the majority of the first fix work has been completed. However, as my builder starts to board the house to prepare for plastering, he notices many confusion with the socket locations, alongside multiple missing socket / switch points. 

 

To prepare for plastering work, I had asked a close electrician friend of mine to do some inspection work on the current status of the wiring, and was shocked to realise that the current wiring for the kitchen was no way near ready for second fix ( there is no wiring in place for the ovens, dishwasher, fridge, sockets, etc). The first fix is completed at around 85% at best. 

 

We re now stuck at the point on how to proceed - this is the current situation:

 

- the renewables company is not based locally, and has been extremely vague about when they can send their electrician out on site to complete the rest of the work ( they initially advised that they can send someone out on the 4th and 5th of November, but then after trying to hound down the project manager to confirm on that visit, he then mentioned they cannot send their guys down on those dates due to a scheduling conflict. )

- Our builders have already scheduled the plasterers to come out to plaster this week based on the previous assumption that the first fix will at least be completed by 5/11. 

- All plastering needs to be completed in time for our kitchen installation on 18/11

- if we were to wait around for the renewables company to send someone out, it is almost certain that we will need to hold off plastering - with the trades being booked up before christmas, there is no way that the project can be finished before Chrstmas, and with the holidays, this mean at least another 2 months of delay (and hence 2 months of extra rent and expenses, which are in the thousands)

- The other option is to find another local electrician to complete the rest of the first fix work, though at this stage we aren't even sure if there are any other electrician that would pick up and certify someone else's work. 

 

With this situation, what would you do? 

[nod]

Terminate any deal you have with them Hopefully you haven’t paid to much and get someone local to do the first fix and get a separate LOCAL company for the HP Same with the plumbing 

[SteamyTea]

Is the ASHP part of the MCS scheme?

If so, then contact the governing body.

 

But as @nod says, terminate with them.

[tokyotecubate]

Thank you both! Yes the ASHP is part of the MCS scheme - I believe that gives them the legal obligation to finish off the job?

 

The company is a big company with strong financials so they would have the means to finish the job.

 

I've talked to different installers and it seems that the best way to this is to get the installer to follow through with the job - however with their current lack of communication, this is likely going to drag on for several months and we don't have the capacity to wait around as we have all other trades booked in to finish the plastering and kitchen installation. 

 

Luckily we have withheld the milestone payment as they have not finished the first fix yet. 

 

Here are some of my follow up questions:

 

- for electrical work, my builder's electrician could potentially finish the job. Would they generally be able to certify the other work that was initially set up by the other electrician? 

 

- how would the warranty work in this case - the renewable company offers warranty on all install, but if we have to bring in someone else to finish the job, then legally who would be responsible if anything goes wrong?

 

- same for the HP - I believe the company is legally liable to finish the job? However, we don't want them to drag this situation in forever. What are our rights to make them finish the job on time within this month? ( On the contract it does states that installation would complete in 30 days, which by now is already way beyond that timeframe)

 

- in general - what would you do if you were me? Let them drag on, or just terminate immediately and find a new company ( which at this point is still an unknown about whether other trades would take this half-finished HP install)

 

Thank you so much for all your advice again! 

[tokyotecubate]

Forgot to mention, we also have a half installed UFH system that their plumbers still need to install - again, my builder can finish the UFH in time for flooring installation next week, but then again what will happen with the warranty if that happens? 

 

We absolutely need to have that UFH completed in time for flooring installation next week, which will govern our kitchen install on the 18th. 

 

What a nightmare 😭 any advice on this would be much appreciated.

[SteamyTea]

I would have thought that any half decent electrician could finish off your wiring. They may have to spend some extra time tracing and testing what is already there, but that is normal work for them.

Same with the UFH pipework, except the design spacing/zoning needs to be know.

The actual connecting up if the heating pump is a fairly simple job, not as if they need lots of room thermostats wiring in.

 

I suggest you ask your builder to ask his electrician/plumber to come up with designs/prices, then contact the ASHP company and start renegotiating the price.

While you are at it and waiting for a reply, get on the internet and price up the parts.

You may find that you are better off just buying the kit and getting 'normal' trades to fit them.

And check the MCS company out in the Companies House website, you can see what the past if the individuals is, often illuminating.

[Mike]

Send them a letter listing the outstanding work as best you can, list your previous communications on the subject, point out their responsibilities under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and say that you will will take further action under the act and / or for breach of contract if they don't provide a satisfactory plan within X days to complete the work by Y date, or if they fail to achieve it.

 

See https://www.thecpa.co.uk/news/consumer-rights-act-2015/ :
 

As a trader, you must perform the service with relevant care and skill, and within a reasonable time frame. Also, information said or written is binding, ‘where the consumer relies on it’. Always make sure that all your promotional materials are truthful and accurate, and relate to the product in hand.

If any of these parts of your service is below standard, the consumer is entitled to ask for you to either redo a part of the service or complete the whole service again for free. If the service cannot be performed within a reasonable amount of time, without causing inconvenience, the consumer is entitled to ask for a price reduction – in some cases up to 100%.