"Part - P" - Part II

Summary of Electrical Work Exempt from 'Part-P' Regulations

Following on from our article on the new Part-P electrical regulations that have been introduced into the Building Regulation code in 2005 by the government, this article looks at the types of electrical work that are exempted from complying with the new regulation. As you may remember from the previous article, Part-P necessitates that electrical work in homes and rental properties must either be carried out by a qualified person who is able to self-certify the work performed, or, if this is not the case, that arrangements are made to have the work inspected and approved by the local authority's building control department.

Failure to comply with Part-P is a criminal offence, and could result in a fine or even imprisonment for the perpetrator. Certain types of electrical work though - and by 'certain types' we mean those that are deemed as low-risk and would simply just make for an administrative headache if compliance was required - are indeed exempt. For anyone wanting to work on electrical installations at their property, or in someone else's property - DIY-ers and tradespeople included - it is imperative that differentiation is made between works requiring compliance and those that do not. Otherwise, it might be all too easy to get into trouble with the law!

So let's take a look at and get familiar with the types of electrical work that are exempt from the Part-P regulation. Any of the following electrical work can be performed on a DIY basis without the need to defer to an on-site inspection.

 - Installation of electrical sockets -- If the new socket(s) are to be located in rooms other than the bathroom, shower room or kitchen then the work is exempt from Part-P. If the sockets ARE to be located in a bathroom, shower room or kitchen then Part-P applies.

 - Installation of a new light -- Installing a new light on an existing electrical circuit does not need approval via Part-P, so long as the installation is NOT in a bathroom, shower room or kitchen.

 - Connection of Cooker -- Connecting up an electric cooker to your electricity supply does not need approval.

 - Replacing damaged cables for a single circuit -- This type of work does not need to observe Part-P.

 - Replacing a damaged socket / light fitting -- If your electric socket is pulling away from the wall or is otherwise damaged / inoperable, you do not have to comply with Part-P in order to replace the socket, regardless of its location. The same is true of light fittings.

 - Storage heater installation -- Part-P does not control the fitting and connection of storage heaters in a property.

 - Addition of Fused Connection Unit to ring a circuit -- If the work is carried out in a room other than the bathroom, shower room and kitchen then Part-P does not apply.

IMPORTANT: For all other electrical work, no matter how minor that work might be, or appears to be, YOU ARE REQUIRED BY LAW to comply with Part-P of the building regulation code. For further information, or if you are unsure as to whether or not the work you intend to do is controlled by Part-P, you should contact you local authority's building control department for advice.

If you now feel drowsy - after all the heavyweight legalese - it's time to put the kettle on, you do NOT need a Part-P for this...