"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
.. .
In article ,
"Dave Sharp" writes:
Thanks to all who replied and I will certainly let the group know what
goes
on on Friday.

With respect to the cost, there is significant upheaval going on in the
building control offices at the moment and I may have got the
application in
just in time, because it looks like charges will be rocketing very soon.
Apparently, the council charges the public £59.99 but is then in turn
charged £200 by the firm of local electricians!!!

The council is now looking towards perhaps using their own workforce of
electricians, whether an inspection at first fix is really necessary or
if
just a "final" inspection before the house is powered up will suffice
etc.,
etc. I'm just grateful I put in the application when I did and got it
for
£59.99 )

The ODPM caps the Part P price (although I thought it was nearer
£100), and expects the BCO's to do the inspections, just as
they do for other building work. When I spoke to my BCO before
Part P came in, they were expecting to have to get trained in doing
it themselves (no idea if they were). There's no requirement
that the councils use Part P certified electricians to do the
inspections. As has been noted here in the past, at least some
BCO's are happy to accept the DIY'ers certification of the
installation (but presumably only after deciding that particular
DIY'er knows what they're talking about).

I was talking to a selfbuilder who had the BCO himself pass his self
installed electrical system just after Part P was introduced. He also
passed the unvented cylinder. The BCO knew the man after a year of visits
and knew he would do everything by the book and cut no corners. If he
didn't know something he would make sure he did by getting the books and
manuals, questioning many of the BCOs directions. I lot of what a BCO pass
is related to their confidence in the builder.