Every person will inevitably find themselves in need of an electrician at some point in their life. Finding a trustworthy electrician can be difficult if you are a new homeowner, or recently moved into a new area.
Having a go-to local electrician is not only essential for your safety, but if an electrical issue wasn’t fixed properly, it could be more costly getting another one to rectify it. To help you with this, we outline the expectations your electrician should deliver when working for you.
Provide a certificate of accreditation and licences
All electricians in Queensland are required to hold an electrical licence and an electrical contracting licence. You must ask to see both of these accreditations before an electrician completes any work on your property. If they are unlicensed, any of the work they’ve completed will likely be deemed not up to standard, and you will fail your electrical inspection. You can manually check your electrician's licence on WorkSafe Queensland's website.
Be investigative of your electrical issues
Your electrician should ask you an array of questions upon arriving at your property so they can fully understand what the issue is and where it is coming from. You may be unaware of factors that could lead to a bigger or smaller problem. If your electrician takes your word over offering to do their thorough investigation, this is an indication they may not be as experienced as they have suggested.
Be up to speed with the industry rules and regulations
Electrical industry undergoes frequent updates to ensure best practice is maintained across the board. Your electrician's responsibility is to keep on top of these and make relevant upgrades or changes to your electrical plan. To gauge if your electrician is doing this, you can inquire about their staff training procedures.
Complete the testing schedule
After completing electrical work, your electrician should create a testing schedule for you to ensure the work was done correctly after a certain period has passed. Some electricians might opt out of these testing schedules and regard them as unnecessary. Skipping this crucial step is risky and unprofessional and should be reported to their business manager.
Offer genuine advice and upgrades
It is not uncommon for an electrician to attend your property and realise that there are more potential issues than initially thought. You should feel confident enough in your electrician to know when their advice is genuine, and the upgrades relating to safety and energy efficiencies they are offering are in your best interest. If you have hesitations about particular projects or upgrades, your electrician should encourage you to ask questions and offer to explain them in a simple, easy to understand way. By building a trusting relationship with your electrician, you have more power in your decision making.
The Ehlerth Electrical team have heard their fair share of customer horror stories about unprofessional electricians. If you are searching for an electrician you can trust, please reach out to our team today!
