Electrical Safety at Able Skills
Earlier this year the government announced new electrical safety regulations that will affect rented property throughout the country. The new laws are set to be officially introduced next year however, giving Landlords plenty of time to make sure they are up to scratch with the latest changes.
Stats show that rented property makes up 20% of all households in England, which when put into perspective, it's crazy to think that 1 in 5 homes are not owned by it's occupants. This has massively changed when to compare it to years ago when owning your house was just a common thing. It goes to show that buying a property is harder than ever and existing Landlords seem to have an easier time buying further properties!
Naturally, this means more room for error when it comes to ensuring properties are up to scratch and deemed safe enough for the public to live in. It's exactly here where these new electrical safety rules will come into play.
What Do The New Regulations Say?
For those who may not know, it will become a legal requirement for properties in the private rental sector to undergo an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) every 5 years. However, should a household have recently been rewired, an Electrical Installation Certificate will be accepted in place of an EICR.
It is up to Landlords to make sure they are complying with the law at all times and must place tenant safety above everything else. It's said that the new laws will not come into play all of a sudden however, as the industry will hopefully be given atleast 6 months before any new regulations officially become the law.
There Will Be Penalties!
Given the risk of potential incidents, the government is warning that any Landlord who is found guilty of not complying with the new regulations will be subject to tough penalties. As far as we know, they haven't been officially announced yet and all we can do is wait in due course for any updates.
Able Skills Electrical Courses and Electrician Training Are Both City & Guilds Accredited
It goes to show just how important electrical safety is and it's no surprise that it plays a huge factor amongst all Electrical Courses and Electrician Training that is provided here at Able Skills.
From 2391 The Inspection & Testing Course, to The 18th Edition, to the Level 2, all the way up to NVQ Level 3 and beyond, electrical safety will never fade out. With tomorrow's future looking to be increasingly dominated by electricity, it's safe to say that the world better get used to it...especially if the private rental sector increases as well!
Perhaps you're an Electrician/ Electrical Installer, you may be thinking just how huge this market is. Many Electricians earn a considerable amount testing properties for electrical safety and if it's a career you're considering exploring, please see all of our Electrical Courses and Electrician Training here!