RECI versus ECSSA to the customer

budhabob

Hi All,

Will need to get some significant work done to the house. Just want to check with those in the know, is there any benefit or otherwise to the customer of either RECI or ECSSA certification for a electrian?

Should I seek one or the other, or does it matter as long as they are aligned with one?

thanks in advance.

2011

The simple answer is that it should not make any difference.

The same qualifications are required, the same regulations apply and the same certification should be issued to the customer.

In the event that a customer has an issue with the standard of workmanship the Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) can be reported to the governing body (ECSSA or RECI). An inspector will from the appropriate body should then examine the work in question. Theoretically the inspector will force the REC to resolve any breaches of the wiring regulations (should they exist). In the event that a customer remains unsatisfied they can take the matter up with the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER).

Being able to escalate an issue to CER is important in my opinion as I have had disagreements with RECI inspectors decisions in the past when (in my opinion) they were siding with the electrical contractor when fundamental regulations were breached. Before CER the only other option was to "go legal" (as RECI told me when I insisted that it was not permitted to protect a 1.5 flex with a 32A MCB).

budhabob

Many thanks 2011, that was what I thought, but it is very lightly touched on various websites i visited. I agree that the escalation element is important, provides for an independent appeal of sorts.

Thanks for the quick and detailed response.

2011

budhabob wrote: »

I agree that the escalation element is important, provides for an independent appeal of sorts.

Yes, not just independent but free.

I felt that RECI as a business saw thier member as thier customer that brought in revenue for them. On that basis they felt compelled to side with thier customer. This even happened when electrical tests carried out by a RECI inspector with RECI test equipment failed.

budhabob

2011 wrote: »

Yes, not just independent but free.

I felt that RECI as a business saw thier member as thier customer that brought in revenue for them. On that basis they felt compelled to side with thier customer. This even happened when electrical tests carried out by a RECI inspector with RECI test equipment failed.

Cheers 2011, good to know.

17larsson

I have dealt with both of them and I have found RECI to be far the more particular and safety conscious of the two

2011

17larsson wrote: »

I have dealt with both of them and I have found RECI to be far the more particular and safety conscious of the two

I am not going to disagree with you, but that would be down to how contentious and capable the contractors in question were not who they were affiliated with.

In my opinion it would be misleading to suggest that a higher standard should be expected from an electrical contractor on the basis of who they are registered with.

17larsson

2011 wrote: »

I am not going to disagree with you, but that would be down to how contentious and capable the contractors in question were not who they were affiliated with.

In my opinion it would be misleading to suggest that a higher standard should be expected from an electrical contractor on the basis of who they are registered with.

I commented on the experience I had with the people I had met in both organisations. I never mentioned anything about the contractors

2011

17larsson wrote: »

I commented on the experience I had with the people I had met in both organisations. I never mentioned anything about the contractors

Fair enough, but with all due respect it is the contractors that count as they are the ones that actually carry out the work.

17larsson

2011 wrote: »

Fair enough, but with all due respect it is the contractors that count as they are the ones that actually carry out the work.

The regulatory body that the electrician is registered with doesn't have anything to do with the electricians competence.

I was just giving my experience of RECI/ECSSA the same as you were with that little story that you keep shoe-horning into threads

2011

17larsson wrote: »

The regulatory body that the electrician is registered with doesn't have anything to do with the electricians competence.

My point exactly.

I was just giving my experience of RECI/ECSSA the same as you were with that little story that you keep shoe-horning into threads

Being able to hold a cowboy accountable is very important and is relevant to the OP. Praising individuals that will remain detached from the work is not

Hoagy

Well if the CER implements its decision from 2014, there will only be one SSB going forward and I think we know which one it will be.

2011

Hoagy wrote: »

Well if the CER implements its decision from 2014, there will only be one SSB going forward and I think we know which one it will be.

I'm not a fan of monopolies.

A loss of competition is never good for the customer in the long run IMHO.