How to choose a good Electrician (and avoid a bad one)

In the digital age, there are lots of tools at our disposal that allow us to make wise decisions when choosing a good electrician. Nowadays, star ratings, comparison websites, and Google reviews all give us a summary of the experiences that other customers have had using a particular tradesperson.

Or do they?

News stories such as this one from Meta (the company behind Facebook and Instagram) show how sophisticated some individuals are becoming at writing fake reviews in order to manipulate companies’ average feedback scores. Chad Cowan ran a business, taking money from companies in return for creating fake profiles and leaving fake positive reviews. The aim was always to artificially alter ratings and scores. Meta has since successfully taken him to court.

The internet is great for allowing consumers access to more choices. But the impersonal nature of the tool means that it is easy for us to be tricked.

So, how can we as consumers ensure that we are choosing a good electrician (or any other tradesperson) when online activity can be so easily manipulated. I think that there are five ways that we can mitigate the risk of choosing a bad electrician.

1.      Don’t always go for the cheapest

It is natural to try and find the cheapest price when we can, but when it comes to electrical work there are things to consider. At best, a cheap price can mean cheap materials, which may not last as long and be as good quality.

At worst, a cheap price could mean that the company owner is not paying his staff properly. Although it can be tempting to think that this is someone else’s problem, a business owner who has no compunction cheating their staff out of their wages will also have no problem providing unskilled staff who may make your electrics unsafe. If that is the case, you may fall foul of their errors.

If it is really cheap, it is probably too good to be true.

2.      Check they are registered

Before you choose an Electrician to carry out work on your home, check they are registered to carry out electrical work. Certain work requires certificates and paperwork to be sent to the local authority. You don’t want “DIY Dave” from down the pub changing your fuse board!

Electrical Competent Person is a good website to check to see if your Electrician is registered. Most Electricians are registered by a government-backed scheme under NAPIT or NICEIC.

3.      Check Google or Facebook reviews

As discussed above, you need to use reviews mindfully, and always in conjunction with other measures, when choosing a tradesperson. But for the most part, it is always good to check the reviews left by previous customers. It is best to look for four or five stars.

It might sound counterintuitive but expect every business to have one or two negative reviews; we are all human, after all! More significant than negative reviews are whether the company has responded publicly to the negative review. Have they expressed regret or apologised? Have they aimed to fix the problem? Sometimes reviews are written in the heat of the moment, and the company is well able to fix the situation to everyone’s satisfaction so long as they know the problem has occurred. A company that is willing to admit mistakes and rectify them is a company worth trusting.

4.      Plan ahead of time

When you have an electrical emergency time is of the essence. Sometimes you just have to get who you can to do the job as soon as possible. But when you have planned electrical work, it is always good to start looking for an electrician as soon as you can.

If you are having a new kitchen fitting in four weeks, do not just leave it until two weeks before to source your tradesperson. Get enquiring now! Good Electricians are busy, and you will need to act quickly to get them booked in. An Electrician that says “I can fit you in, but there will be a little wait” is evidentially in demand, and will probably be a very competent tradesperson.

5.      Avoid cash in hand

It is always good to look for an Electrician who takes BACS or Card. There are a lot of cowboys out there who just take cash, leaving no trace of the work. Insist on an invoice and make sure you get a certificate for the work carried out if required.

Avoid the Cowboys

If you ensure that you find a busy electrician, who is registered with the proper governing bodies, does not take cash in hand, charges a reasonable amount, and has a decent number of good reviews, generally you will get a great tradesperson.