The Electrical Safety Roundtable aims to improve electrical safety in the home. Since its formation in 2013, the roundtable has achieved a number of notable successes.

Code of Practice for the ‘Management of Electrotechnical Care in Social Housing’

Published an industry-first Code of Practice for the ‘Management of Electrotechnical Care in Social Housing’ Launched at the Houses of Parliament in January 2019. This document recommends that electrical installations in domestic tenanted properties are inspected and tested at least every five years. It provides guidance on gaining access to properties and the competence levels required of electrical inspectors and installers. For full details see here:

Mandatory Electrical Safety Checks in the Private Rented Sector in England

After many years of campaigning to improve electrical safety standards in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) in England, we were delighted on the 13th January 2020 when the draft Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 were laid before Parliament to ensure all privately rented properties meet minimum Electrical Safety Standards. The Regulations will come into force on the 1st June 2020, and apply to new tenancies from the 1st July 2020 and for any existing tenancies from 1st April 2021. The new Regulations require private landlords to ensure their properties are subject to electrical inspection and testing, resulting in a satisfactory report, by a qualified, competent person at intervals not exceeding 5 years. Local Authorities will be responsible for enforcing the new Regulations and can impose a financial penalty of up to £30,000, if they find a landlord is in breach of their duty. Local Authorities also have the power to arrange remedial work to be carried out, with consent from the tenant, if the landlord fails to comply with the remedial notice and then recover the costs from the landlord. We supported the Government's work in drafting the Landlord Guidance for these Regulations, and created our own Guidance which can be seen here:

Consumer awareness and consistent messaging

Following a piece of research we undertook to evaluate the messaging regarding compliance with the building regulations across a wide range of stakeholder websites, including local authorities, competent person scheme, contractors and wholesalers which shown a clear lack of consistent messaging, we wrote standardised electrical safety messages, which were approved by wider industry, for use by local authorities and consumer facing websites. This electrical safety guidance includes approved wording explaining: What electrical work is notifiable? How do I comply with the Building Regulations? Why use a competent registered electrician? What certificates do I need to demonstrate compliance? This wording can be viewed here:

Analysis of Part P enforcement

We listened to the concerns of ESR participants regarding enforcement of Part P of the Building Regulations and undertook a substantial piece of research to investigate this important issue. We gathered hard data on current practice where only small studies and anecdotal evidence had previously been available. The research was conducted via an extensive Freedom of Information request where we surveyed all local authorities in England. Achieving an 87% response rate, the investigation was one of the largest of its kind.

It resulted in the publication of a report entitled Electrical Safety in the home: Enforcement of Part P of the Building Regulations in England. We found that accommodative enforcement of Part P of the Building Regulations, which relies on persuasion over penalties, is common among local authorities. It highlighted the financial strains they face and the lack of enforcement powers available to them, and it also provided key recommendations to improve Part P enforcement.

Download the Report Summary or request the full report by emailing info@electricalsafetyroundtable.co.uk

One online search facility for registered electrical installers

We called for one consumer facing register for all competent electrical installers. Our goal was realised in July 2014 with the launch of Registered Competent Person Electrical. This easily identifiable mark, underpinned by a searchable online register and informative website, lists all Full Scope electrical installers in England and Wales. It was created to provide a single point of reference for consumers seeking a registered electrical contractor.

Home Safety Certificate

We helped to find a solution to poor home safety standards in the private rented sector. It started with a seminar hosted by The All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Carbon Monoxide and Home Safety on the 12 May 2014 at Portcullis House. This initially explored the concept of a Home MOT as a potential approach to improve carbon monoxide awareness and wider safety in the home, which resulted in a consensus around some of the core principles: how it might work, what should be included and how to bring about its use.

A task group, hosted by the Electrical Safety Roundtable, was set up to continue this discussion, with the overall aim of reaching industry wide consensus. This has resulted in the creation of a home safety certificate along with checklists and guidance documents that give both landlords and tenants the ability to validate the internal safety of their properties.

These documents are available in the downloads page in the Home Safety Guidance section. Useful information and links to help you find registered tradespeople is also available on the Find a registered tradesperson page.