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I have refused to join the Part P ranks, condemning it as a complete waste of time and an unnecessary expense for those of us trying to compete and offer a good, cost-efficient service.

鈥淵eah yeah yeah,鈥� you will all say, 鈥渉e just likes to moan鈥� 鈥� but let me back it all up with a simple example.

I visited the vicar鈥檚 house recently (don鈥檛 ask why, as divine guidance has never helped me understand the IEE Regulations anyway).

鈥淟et me show you my new kitchen,鈥� says the Reverend, bristling with pride and a glass or two of port.

Nice kitchen, shame about the electrics. 鈥淭hey were done by the kitchen fitter,鈥� says His Holiness, 鈥渂ecause he was certified to do them at the same time.

鈥淭he trouble is, the upstairs lights trip out every time we turn them on, and we can鈥檛 use the new shower because he connected it to the upstairs sockets.鈥�

鈥淩ighto,鈥� says I, 鈥渓et鈥檚 have a look.鈥�

So I turn on the upstairs lights and, yes, the main residual-current device goes off.

I should mention here that the house is fed by an overhead supply, and I wasn鈥檛 unduly surprised that the RCD tripped off.

鈥淚鈥檒l get a torch,鈥� I say.

鈥淣o need,鈥� says the Vic, 鈥淚鈥檒l just open the oven door鈥︹��

On closer inspection, the main RCD was off in the consumer unit, but all the downstairs sockets, and the cooker, still worked!

Now the Holy Man of God faces a not inconsiderable bill to undo all the work done by the Part P man, and have it put right. Trouble is, I can鈥檛 do it. Despite 40 years鈥� experience, I鈥檓 not Part P-registered, so I鈥檓 not allowed to do the work.

Now who says that Part P was a good idea? Do tell me how it safeguards the consumer and makes us all sleep safely in our beds?

Without the back-up of the ECA or NICEIC to complain to, how does the customer get recompense for shoddy and dangerous work?

A happy (and safe) new year to you all.

Andrew Ferguson, Solent Power Systems, Wiltshire