Tips to spot a rogue electrician

Posted on February 21, 2020 in Electrical

In a previous post we explained how to find a great property maintenance company, but how can you tell if you’re about to hire a rogue electrician?

In a recent survey carried out by BT on tradespeople it was revealed that electricians come tops for trustworthiness mainly due to good manners, time keeping and appearance.

However there are a few untrustworthy electricians roaming the streets that will do anything to take advantage of your trusting nature. Scams and fraud are the order of the day with these electricians, so in this article, we discuss signs of a rogue electrician, because you deserve to know.

Top Tips on Spotting Rogue Electricians

You may not be able to check the background or the company of the electrician that approaches you, but there are some signs that can tell you whether he’s trustworthy and reliable.

These are some of the top tips on spotting and also avoiding rogue electricians:

• Watch out for electricians who give you an extremely cheap quote or estimate, or who insists that they start the job right away. No matter how urgent the job may be, first you need to make sure the electrician is trustworthy, he gives you a proper quote, and is even willing to estimate the job in writing.
• Beware of electricians that are not keen on giving you more details about their business (like the address, the landline number, other references from other jobs, etc). You may even go so far to check them out via the NICEIC website whether they are registered and approved. If you’re suspicious, you can visit “the wall of shame” and see if you find that electrician there.
• We would suggest you be suspicious of an electrician asking for money – whether the whole amount or a small advance – up front. They may say they need the money to buy the materials, etc but if they are a professional and reliable contractor, they should have enough funds to cover the initial costs. Also, make sure they do things exactly as they quote you, and if you need a VAT receipt, they should be able to give it to you.
• If an electrician claims he works for a company that has a good reputation, it doesn’t hurt if you double check that. Of course, if he arrives to you in an unmarked car / van, or if he doesn’t look and behave professionally, those should also be strong warning signs.

For information on our professional electrical services please visit Protech Electrical Solutions or call one of our friendly team on 0845 604 1288.