NAPIT is one of the leading Government authorised and United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accredited membership scheme operators in the building services and fabric sector. There are currently more than 10,000 NAPIT registered installers in the electrical, heating, plumbing, ventilation & air-conditioning, microgeneration and building fabric trades across the UK domestic, commercial and industrial markets.

For consumers this means access to installers who have demonstrated their competence and undertaken to comply with the requirements of particular schemes with regard to quality, safety and compliance. Responsibility for compliant and safe work lies with the installer; NAPIT's role is to monitor each scheme member and audit that they are fulfilling this responsibility. Installers do not carry out work on behalf, or under the control, of NAPIT and the extent to which inspections and audits are carried out is determined by the various scheme owner organisations.

Authorisation, Accreditation, Registration and Certification

A confusing number of terms are used across the various schemes that consumers come across.

Scheme members are usually both registered (i.e. on a register of approved installers such as that provided via the search facility on this website and those on the various scheme websites) and certificated (i.e. in receipt of a certificate approving them within the scope of a particular scheme). The search facility is a means of verifying the status of certification of a Scheme Member.

NAPIT Registration is authorised by the government to operate Competent Person Schemes in support of self certification against the Building Regulations in England and Wales. The current scope of NAPIT's Competent Person Scheme authorisation can be reviewed at the Government website.

NAPIT Certification is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to certificate installers across a wide range of schemes. A current schedule of NAPIT’s accreditation is available at the UKAS website.

Regulations

Not all work carried out by installers is covered by regulatory requirements. This section aims to give a sufficient overview to understand which work is regulated.

The Building Regulations in England and Wales require that certain types of work are notified as compliant either via Building Control or by self-certification by a Competent Person. NAPIT registered scheme members in the areas of electrical, and microgeneration are able to certificate their own work, saving consumers the time and money that would otherwise be involved in using Building Control.

Building work throughout the UK is often subject to Planning Regulations and understanding whether planning permission is required, is the building owner’s responsibility. Some of the work areas that NAPIT are involved in are subject to what is called Permitted Development, which allows specific work to go ahead without planning permission provided certain requirements are satisfied. This is particularly true of microgeneration work and useful guidance is available on the MCS website for this.

Electrical work is covered by the Building Regulations in England and Wales, and throughout the UK it is also covered by what are titled the IET Wiring Regulations (BS 7671). Compliance with the Wiring Regulations is the accepted way to satisfy electrical safety legislation. While Building Regulations Part P (electrical safety) is the most commonly referenced regulation it is important to note that electrical work must comply with all relevant parts of the Building Regulations such that NAPIT is not simply a “Part P Scheme” and NAPIT registered electrical contractors are not merely “Part P Approved” despite this being common terminology in the industry. Approved Document P itself states:

Other parts of the Building Regulations contain requirements that affect electrical installations. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Part A (Structure): depth of chases in walls, and size of holes and notches in floor and roof joists

• Part B (Fire safety): fire safety of certain electrical installations; provision of fire alarm and fire detection systems; fire resistance of service penetrations through floors, walls and ceilings

• Part C (Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture): resistance of service penetrations to rainwater and contaminants such as radon

• Part E (Resistance to the passage of sound): soundproofing of service penetrations

• Part F (Ventilation): dwelling ventilation rates

• Part L (Conservation of fuel and power): energy efficient lighting

• Part M (Access to and use of buildings): height of socket-outlets and switches

Take the hassle out of hiring a reliable tradesperson, with NAPIT

Finding trustworthy tradespeople is a stressful experience. After all, no one wants to be taken for a ride by a rogue trader. If you want to find the right person for the job, we are here to help.

Poor installation work endangers lives

We know the safety of your tenants is your top priority. Sub-standard work not only risks the integrity of your property, it also puts them in danger.

Under the Landlords and Tenants Act 1985, the property you let should be safe when your tenants move in and be maintained in a safe condition throughout the tenancy. In order to demonstrate this in the event that an accident occurs, it is important to be able to produce the correct certificates for notifiable work and show that appropriate, regular safety checks have been carried out to meet this duty of care.

To help you keep to the regulations, a list of Home Safety Guidance Documents has been created, including a Routine Visual & Operational guide.

Your safety is our priority

Just like you, we want to keep tenants safe. We know that the best way to achieve this is by helping you to ensure that you adhere to official guidance and building regulations.

Did you know there's been a change in the regulations concerning consumer units? Click here to read our short leaflet which sets out the facts for you.

Why chose a NAPIT registered installer?

NAPIT registered installers are:

• Able to complete work safely and to legally required standards

• Regularly assessed to ensure their ongoing competence

• Capable of working to the very latest health and safety regulations

• Able to provide you with the necessary certificates to demonstrate the regulatory compliance of the work they do. These certificates may be requested by tenants, insurance providers and solicitors and may be needed if you are looking to let or come to sell your property.

Worried about the cost?

Using a NAPIT registered installer can save you time and money by helping you avoid building control fees. They are able to provide the certificates you may need when you come to sell your home, and notify the relevant authority too.

Helping you access Government incentives

Did you know you that you can gain access to Government financial incentives such as the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), Feed-in Tariff (FiT), Energy Company Obligation (ECO), by using a NAPIT registered installer. Installers registered under our renewables and energy efficiency measures (the Microgeneration and EEM certification schemes) are also able to self-certify their own work, saving you and time and money.

Supporting our members to support you

You must make sure that any work carried out is completed under a written contract and notified to NAPIT. This ensures you have access to support and guidance should anything go wrong, including mediation, a work quality guarantee (where applicable) and advice should you wish to take further action in the event of a dispute.

Take the hassle out of hiring a reliable tradesperson, with NAPIT

Finding trustworthy tradespeople is a stressful experience. After all, no one wants to be taken for a ride by a rogue trader. If you want to find the right person for the job, we're here to help.

Poor installation work endangers lives

The house you rent should be safe when you move in and maintained in a safe condition throughout the tenancy.

Whilst all properties need repairs from time to time, it is important to be aware of your Landlord's responsibilities as well as your own.

As a tenant, you are responsible for the repair or replacement of anything you have broken or damaged.

Your landlord must ensure all electrical systems (e.g. sockets, fittings and consumer units) within the property you rent are safe and that they comply with building regulations. This is required by law.

It is vital that the electrical installations and wiring within your rented property are in good working order and free from damage. Should a problem occur, you should raise any concerns you may have with your landlord and they should deal with them promptly.

Your safety is our priority

If your landlord hires a registered installer, you can have peace of mind that the work being undertaken in your home is safe and meets legal requirements. It's therefore important to make them aware of the benefits of this choice if you have the opportunity to do so.

Did you know there's been a change in the regulations concerning consumer units? Click here to read our short leaflet which sets out the facts for you.

Why choose a NAPIT registered installer?

NAPIT registered installers are:

• Able to complete work safely and to legally required standards

• Regularly assessed to ensure their ongoing competence

• Capable of working to the very latest health and safety regulations

• Able to provide you with the certificates you may need should you come to sell or rent your home

• Supporting our members to support you

• Choosing a NAPIT registered installer gives your landlord access to support and guidance should anything go wrong, including mediation, a work quality guarantee (where applicable) and advice should further action be required.