It was a dark and stormy evening… Okay, maybe not.But imagine this…

You’re a landlord and you’ve been asked to provide an electrical certificate. No problem. You think:

“Right, I’ll get an electrician in and get it sorted.”

So you start looking.You find one.The price looks really good. They can come quickly.They sound confident.

Perfect. This will be sorted in no time.

The electrician arrives.They inspect the property.They find the problems.They fix them. Everything seems to be sorted.You pay the bill.

Done. You can finally relax. A few days later, you need to provide the electrical certificate.

No problem. You already have an electrician who did the work.

You get in touch and ask them to send the certificate over.

“Hi, could you send me the electrical certificate for the work?”And then…

BOOOOOOOOO! They’re not a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC)

Suddenly, that “great price” doesn’t feel quite so great anymore.

The work has been done.
The money has been spent.
The time has been wasted.

But the certification you need? You may now have another problem to solve. And that is how a job that looked cheap and simple…

comes back to haunt you 👻

So, What Is Safe Electric and Why Does It Matter?

In Ireland, Safe Electric operates the regulatory scheme for electrical contractors and maintains the register of Registered Electrical Contractors (RECs).

Registered Electrical Contractors have to meet requirements around competence, inspection and audit, test equipment, insurance and certification.

Safe Electric states that, except for Minor Works, a REC must issue a Completion Certificate for electrical works. The certificate is issued to the customer, and only the REC’s named Qualified Certifier can certify electrical works on behalf of that REC.

Safe Electric also advises customers to check the register before hiring a REC and to ask for the appropriate Completion Certificate after the work has been completed.

How to Check if an Electrician Is Registered

Before booking an electrician, you can check the Safe Electric register to confirm whether they are a Registered Electrical Contractor.

It’s also worth asking what certification will be provided once the work is completed, particularly if you need an electrical certificate for a property, landlord, insurance or another requirement.

A couple of minutes checking beforehand could save you from discovering a much bigger problem later.

If you need an electrician in Ireland, don’t just look at the price and availability.

Check that they are properly registered and understand what certification is required for the work you need.Because the last thing you want is to think you’ve solved the problem… only to discover that you’ve created another one.

Hiring an electrician in Ireland? Check their Safe Electric registration before the work begins.

A few minutes checking now could save you a much bigger headache later.

Oh, and one more thing…

We might be slightly biased, but… RDN Electrical & Testing Solutions is a Safe Electric Registered Electrical Contractor.

Just saying