Electricians

You can easily find a registered electrician in their local area by visiting the electrical safety first website.

By choosing a registered electrician you will be protected by their insurance should something go wrong. They will have met strict qualification requirements, are regulated by the UK Government, regularly assessed, and legally required to work to certain safety standards. When the work is finished you will receive an Electrical Installation Certificate to prove the work meets UK standards, and also a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate that confirms the work meets the Building Regulations.

You can’t always  rely on “trusted trade” websites either, as some bad tradesman have slipped through the net, a recent BBC investigation  found some advertising online without any experience.

We recommend that you use an electrician registered with one of the government-approved schemes. You can find a registered electrician in your local area by visiting the electric safety first website.  

Gas engineers

For gas appliances they must be on the Gas Safe Register. For oil appliances the must be registered on the Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC). For solid fuel appliances they must belong to the Heating Equipment Testing and Approval Scheme (HETAS).

The links to their websites are as below:
Gas Safe Register

Oil Firing Technical Association

Heating Equipment Testing and Approval Scheme

Chimney sweeps

Make sure that all chimneys and flues are swept regularly by a qualified sweep who is a member of one of the following:

National Association of Chimney Sweeps

Guild of Master Sweeps

Association of Professional and Independent Chimney Sweeps