Fuse box installed for £150 what!!!

[jamie-spark]

No just your usual domestic house with say ten or 12 circuits on it.

Like i said im not allowed to sign off test certs so usually an approved spark comes at my back to test the boadr any problems and i return to rectify them.

Visual inspection doesn't take too long a quick look around the existing board and a sample of sockets, switches and light fittings to check the general condition of the wiring and bonding of course any visible faults are fixed at an additional cost depending on the time they take although generally houses i have worked in have all been in good condition with nothing like borrowed neutrals etc.

And no needaspaks my work is not like spaghetti, guess im unlike yourself in that i do not hang a job out and prefer to get straight down to business.

Would also like to point out that my cheapness is what has gained me repeat custom from the 4 guys (all landlords with multiple properties) i get most of my private jobs from and what gains me more jobs through word of mouth.

Im talking about private jobs as i do not run my own sparky company nor am i self employed

Why are you notallowed to sign installation certs off? you do not need any qualifications tocertify work ,you just need to be a competant person and this can be done byproving (if need be) relevent nvq level 3 ect ect 2391 ect


- - - Updated - - -

No just your usual domestic house with say ten or 12 circuits on it.

Like i said im not allowed to sign off test certs so usually an approved spark comes at my back to test the boadr any problems and i return to rectify them.

Visual inspection doesn't take too long a quick look around the existing board and a sample of sockets, switches and light fittings to check the general condition of the wiring and bonding of course any visible faults are fixed at an additional cost depending on the time they take although generally houses i have worked in have all been in good condition with nothing like borrowed neutrals etc.

And no needaspaks my work is not like spaghetti, guess im unlike yourself in that i do not hang a job out and prefer to get straight down to business.

Would also like to point out that my cheapness is what has gained me repeat custom from the 4 guys (all landlords with multiple properties) i get most of my private jobs from and what gains me more jobs through word of mouth.

Im talking about private jobs as i do not run my own sparky company nor am i self employed

Why are you notallowed to sign installation certs off? you do not need any qualifications tocertify work ,you just need to be a competant person and this can be done byproving (if need be) relevent nvq level 3 ect ect 2391 ect

 

[Guitarist]

i tell you what, standards must be going downhill fast. i cant beleive it took you ALL day! I bet you had to do a written test and everything!

You will know when the profession is in trouble, as the tests will be multiple-choice....

 

[getgraham]

I work in the south-west. Self employed sole trader. I change a ten way CCU for approx £300, tested and certified. I allow a day but it usually takes 4 - 6 hours. I buy the CCU's from B&Q or Screwfix (same retailer) for £50-60 as wholesalers such as CEF charge me £70+ trade price (eh?). Even with extras such as earth bonding I make £200 per change which is a fair days pay for a fair days technical work.

Compared to a plumber who charges £1,000 in labour for a boiler change it's cheap.

 

[electric will]

Shame we can't set a job up in a house and get one of these £150 cu changes in, all on camera and see what we get

 

[Mark_Burgess]

Shame we can't set a job up in a house and get one of these £150 cu changes in, all on camera and see what we get

If you want a real laugh, go back and read post 21 in this thread, get his 'mate' to install one, then I bet you would like to see that in action!!

 

[electric will]

21 mins I'd still be identifying the circuits

 

[Strima]

21 mins I'd still be identifying the circuits

I'd only be halfway through my cup of tea and morning smoke...

 

[ipf]

I'd only be halfway through my cup of tea and morning smoke...

....and that's not allowing for setting your stopwatch

 

[electric will]

I don't see why there's such a big race when dong cu's I allow all day, if I get done by 3 then that's great, bet most of these that rush/short cut them only go home or pub after anyway

 

[mec]

£150 is just not realistic for the complete job and should not be taken seriously. £150 is probably for labour only, and may be excluding Vat, and is probably only the starting price. Ask the same company for a definite detailed quote for a replacement including all labour, materials, paperwork and vat then see what the real charge is. An estimated £150 for replacing a CU does not tell anyone whats included in the price and whats not!

Most people don't have a clue about electrics so will believe anything that they are told £150 just gets their attention and draws them in like throwing bait to catch fish.

You normally find the end price doubles (at least).

If anyone want's to fit a CU for £150, Crabtree 10 way CU with RCD's etc including labour materials testing vat and all paperwork including in the £150 anything else that may crop up with changing the unit then get in touch. I'll sign you up to a contract and be laughing all the way to the bank.

 

[imago]

It's not just the electrical tradethat is suffering from this type of male bovine effluent quoting. As an example there's an ad on eBay now for plastering in the Birmingham area, offering a 12" by 12" room skimmed, walls and ceiling for £150 all in. That's a full days work for anyone. OK the materials aren't dear, probably £50 in plaster and PVA. So that leaves £100 for the platerer and his labourer plus all the costs (tools, van, insurances, workwear, tax etc etc).

You don't have to be a business finance expert to realise either they aren't insured, paying tax etc. Or, the actual cost is going to be much higher.

Anyone thick or greedy enough to want work doing at those sort of prices for ANY trade deserves everything they get.

 

[Guitarist]

Anyone thick or greedy enough to want work doing at those sort of prices for ANY trade deserves everything they get.

It is hard to feel sorry for people who pay a builder or plumber to change their CU on the cheap, let alone a pretend electrician, then moan when they get no certificates and the RCD's keep tripping....

 

[richy3333]

It is hard to feel sorry for people who pay a builder or plumber to change their CU on the cheap, let alone a pretend electrician, then moan when they get no certificates and the RCD's keep tripping....

yep, buy cheap, buy twice

 

[BigAndyB]

Well for £150, i'd do my neighbours board, but, only if it was to upgrade an old 4 way wirelex board!!
And i would go as next door but one, but for that money, no further.

£75 callout and first hour
£35 p/h after.

Well at these prices, i maintain return customers, and happy ones at that.

Unlike the stella, i don't think I'm reassuringly expensive.

 

[rich.250]

Fuseboard Supplied And Fitted And Tested Hager Wylex Crabtree Mk Niceic Register | eBay

nearly as bad!!

Sounds like thet are going to do a condition report for a install??
might just be me

 

[ipf]

Fuseboard Supplied And Fitted And Tested Hager Wylex Crabtree Mk Niceic Register | eBay

nearly as bad!!

Sounds like thet are going to do a condition report for a install??
might just be me

Desperate for work,IMO.

 

[Octopus]

Fuseboard Supplied And Fitted And Tested Hager Wylex Crabtree Mk Niceic Register | eBay

nearly as bad!!

Sounds like thet are going to do a condition report for a install??
might just be me

Mentions certificates, doesn't mention LABC/Part P

No mention of bonding either.

Madness - having said that who would "buy" this sort of service without meeting the person/company first?

 

[Guitarist]

Mentions certificates, doesn't mention LABC/Part P

No mention of bonding either.

Madness - having said that who would "buy" this sort of service without meeting the person/company first?

I wonder how many CU's get sold every weekend by the DIY chains? I bet it's in the hundreds nationwide, and only a small % sold will be to part P registered electricians. This firm could be just an odd-job-man for all we know.
I come across installs carried out by plumbers and builders too, all the time, but nobody really seems to care.

 

[rich.250]

I wonder how many CU's get sold every weekend by the DIY chains? I bet it's in the hundreds nationwide, and only a small % sold will be to part P registered electricians. This firm could be just an odd-job-man for all we know.
I come across installs carried out by plumbers and builders too, all the time, but nobody really seems to care.

Saving Money comes before safety for the majority of people!! Lol

 

[Guitarist]

Saving Money comes before safety for the majority of people!! Lol

I was referring to the authorities not really caring

 

[rich.250]

Oh missed that sorry.
They don't have a reason to care though. IMO.
It's not there safety on the line is it..?

 

[dpiers1980]

that consumer unit pic gave me wood nice an neat no copper showing top job

 

[gonefishing]

Firstly, Is this a CU change? looks like a first install as the wiring colours are up to date.... that's a bit suspicious. next the cable outer sheafs don't enter the enclosure as you can see the CPC coverings exiting the enclosure... and so many circuits not on RCD or RCCB , so it's not to 17the edition un less the unprotected circuits are all visible or run in conduit etc. the incoming tails really give it away as they are very scruffy and are "strained" and not in a natural position.
Before sending images perhaps it's best to ask a decent electrician for some advice,. And pretending you can do all this for £150 and still not get it correct...someone is pulling something and it smells like "....****"

 

[dpiers1980]

what? I think you have issues mate

 

[MDJ]

I did a db change today actually, a 5 and 5 split dual rcd board, took me 3 hours in total and it had 7 circuits, I also had to whack a rod in the ground as the meb tns earth had deteriated, all in all a simple job, the board was 50 quid from city electrical and I renewed the main earth and tails, 200 quid is enough in reality, but I charged 300, why not?

 

[rich.250]

Firstly, Is this a CU change? looks like a first install as the wiring colours are up to date.... that's a bit suspicious. next the cable outer sheafs don't enter the enclosure as you can see the CPC coverings exiting the enclosure... and so many circuits not on RCD or RCCB , so it's not to 17the edition un less the unprotected circuits are all visible or run in conduit etc. the incoming tails really give it away as they are very scruffy and are "strained" and not in a natural position.
Before sending images perhaps it's best to ask a decent electrician for some advice,. And pretending you can do all this for £150 and still not get it correct...someone is pulling something and it smells like "....****"

Plus the cables aren't In the right terminals!!!

 

[Dan23584]

I did a db change today actually, a 5 and 5 split dual rcd board, took me 3 hours in total and it had 7 circuits, I also had to whack a rod in the ground as the meb tns earth had deteriated, all in all a simple job, the board was 50 quid from city electrical and I renewed the main earth and tails, 200 quid is enough in reality, but I charged 300, why not?

Is that 3 hours including testing the 7 circuits?

 

[MDJ]

yep, it didn't take long, all the existing cables reached very easily and the actual board took an hour and a half, it took a half hour to whack a rod in the ground and clip the earth wire to the board and an hour to test the 7 circuits, the house was vertually empty and I didn't have to unplug hardly anything, I will fill the test sheets in tommorrow when I get home, all results and the DB schedule was written in my pad, I just have to fill the sheets in tommorrow and notify building control, admittedly it was easy this time, they are all different arn't they?

 

[Dan23584]

Not sure I could test 7 circuits in 30 mins, I suppose it depends on the limitations agreed with the client. If you add on cost and time to fill in the test sheets and certify too then £300 fair. Did your fit one of those BG board that CEF now stock?

 

[Octopus]

Not sure I could test 7 circuits in 30 mins, I suppose it depends on the limitations agreed with the client. If you add on cost and time to fill in the test sheets and certify too then £300 fair. Did your fit one of those BG board that CEF now stock?

I don't think its possible to test 7 circuits in 30 minutes - thats 4 mins 30 seconds per circuit!

PLUS I see you've not done your certs or notify either which I include in my timescales as a cu change isn't complete till thats done, and it all adds up the hours!

 

[Dan23584]

I don't think its possible to test 7 circuits in 30 minutes - thats 4 mins 30 seconds per circuit!

PLUS I see you've not done your certs or notify either which I include in my timescales as a cu change isn't complete till thats done, and it all adds up the hours!

It can't take me 4mins or more to get my tester set up!

 

[MDJ]

Yeah it was a BG board, bought from CEF gloucester, dan it took an hour to test the 7 circuits buddy not a half hour, and the board although cheap and cheerful is actually IMO a good board, there is plenty of room above the MCBs to connect the cables in tidily and after all it was only 7 circuits, I always used to use wylex, but after the recall a couple of years back went right off them and the BG has more room IMO, dan this job today was a one off, sometimes it takes all day to change a board and do an earth upgrade and I would charge around 500, all jobs vary IMO.

 

[MDJ]

I never said a half hour fella's please read my post a few threads back again, and I didn't edit it, you just read it wrong, come on whats this a public hanging haha.

 

[Dan23584]

I like the proteus boards due to the solid link bars, I find the wylex/Crabtree/BG boards to be a bit messy inside. Personal preference I suppose. I still feel I would struggle to test 7 circuits in an hour. I do not no the details of the job so I have no criticism only commenting my initial thoughts.

 

[MDJ]

I can't stand the proteus boards Myself, although the garage unit they do is okay, I personally find testing 7 circuits in an hour in an empty house fairly easy, once the lamps are out and everything unplugged you can meggar all 7 circuits at the board very easily without difficulty, the r1s and 2s for the rings can be tested easily with the plug which you can buy, the zs are straight forward as well, the time taken is the testing on the rcds imo, the times half, 1 and 5 and on the 180 and 0 poles, however I have the meggar which holds the results and overall I think 7 circuits in an hour is normal IMO, I don't fill the sheets in on site as I like to do them on the computer, In my opinion they look better than written ones, I not trying to be a dick, just being honest and todays job was easy, some days they are harder and take more time.

 

[Dan23584]

Surely carrying out he ring final tests with taking a reading from every socket takes a good amount of time? Unless there is very few sockets I suppose.

 

[MDJ]

an hour is more than enough dan in an empty house if you have the right equipment, and as mentioned at least 3 times now all jobs vary.

 

[Deservices]

I normally charge 400 for a board replace which includes any fault finding that may occur and a instal cert, condition report, building control cert etc. Max 8 hours any extra is 25 an hour plus parts. I like the square D boards not the cheapest but never had any problems and they a strong spacious board.

 

[slimsim60]

i'm a Electrical Trainee, and even i can't see how you can make money on a £150 cu change. Perhaps i've been trained differently. i'd take longer than that guy just to sort out a cupper and realise i'd left half the tools in the van.

 

[richy3333]

Square D and Proteus boards being mentioned, can it get any worse

 

[Deservices]

Square D and Proteus boards being mentioned, can it get any worse

Why's that richy3333? Used all the boards mentioned had problems with most of them.

 

[richy3333]

Why's that richy3333? Used all the boards mentioned had problems with most of them.

Every Proteus board I have ever looked at has disintegrated before my eyes, faster than a gas fitters promises. Plasticky nasty stuff. Stupid spring loaded lugs that always shoot across the room, mocking you as they fly past your eye, barely missing your retina. And there's never enough room in them to work. Worse than MK, though their quality has long since diminished.

Apologies to Square D I momentarily confused them with Volex. I see Square D are now owned by Snchneider electric

 

[Deservices]

Confused me to lol they good boards

 

[RISElectrical]

I had a chat to a mate last night that asked me for a twin socket and back box. He is short on cash so as a weekend top up quoted a woman £170 for a board change and addition socket for £40....

I said it was stupid cheap but he had the board left over from another job so I gave him the socket etc. He called a min ago and said that I could have the socket back as she is having the work done tomorrow buy a guy charging..... £140 all in and including the addition socket?!

World gone mad!!!

 

[Johnuk]

lol if people like doing jobs on the cheap they will never make money, £150 is way to cheap for what you have to do

cost
board about £90
fuel £10
there for a day if probs when testing say 8hrs you are on 6pound a hr

i say they must be cutting corners

 

[Deservices]

They won't be giving her a cert and if they do it won't been of any real use as they won't test anything. Just stupid but people get what they pay for.

 

[Octopus]

They won't be giving her a cert and if they do it won't been of any real use as they won't test anything. Just stupid but people get what they pay for.

And the next day be back down the DWP signing on as usual.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Well,

Last week I fitted 28 way 3Ph board in 82 seconds with all tests written by hand on site and fixed all faults (152 of them yes I know amazing!).

I waz on site less than 12 minutes & earnt 1200 cash.

On a more serious note I enjoy reading this thread.


I will continue to take as much time as I like after 3 large mugs of tea:coffee:

 

[richy3333]

Well,

Last week I fitted 28 way 3Ph board in 82 seconds with all tests written by hand on site and fixed all faults (152 of them yes I know amazing!).

I waz on site less than 12 minutes & earnt 1200 cash.

On a more serious note I enjoy reading this thread.


I will continue to take as much time as I like after 3 large mugs of tea:coffee:

Grammar Timothy, grammar

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Waz fer effekt