The Importance of Only Using Licensed And Insured Electricians
Perhaps there are times where you’ve looked at an electrical job and wondered whether you should use a licensed electrician, or do it yourself. On the surface, the attraction of ‘saving a few dollars’ may seem rather attractive.
With the help of Google and a YouTube video or two, you’ll even find all the instructional videos you need, that appear to give you what you need to know.
However, there are some important factors to consider, when entertaining who should be the one to work on your electrical repairs and installations.
Otherwise, what appeared to be a saving, could well become the opposite.
Safety For Yourself and Others
Electricity provides us with many modern conveniences, but handled poorly, can be extremely dangerous. Part of this danger, is that problems can be ‘invisible’ until they’re an issue. Sadly, some of those ‘issues’ can at a high cost to property or life.
To prevent potential issues, licensed electricians, follow a well-defined set of safety standards, procedures and regulations. Many of these are accompanied by legislation, which imposes penalties for non-compliance. This ensures that all electrical work should be not only safe for the home occupants, and done in a predictable way. This also protects other electricians and tradespeople you may call to work on your home in future.
You do a lot to ensure the safety of your family in so many other areas… electrical works are not an area to compromise on their safety.
The Benefit of Your Electrician’s Expertise
Like many areas, the trouble with attempting DIY electrical work is, “you don’t know, what you don’t know”. What may seem like a good or logical way to do things, could create inefficiencies or problems with overloading circuits, etc.
From selecting the right electrical equipment for your current and future needs, helping you prevent tripping circuits and early identification of potential hazards, your electrician’s expertise can help you save a lot of distress and wasted money in the long run.
Ensuring You’re Protected by Insurance (and not voiding yours)
Using a qualified electrician, provides additional benefits for you when it comes to insurance. As part of their licensing, your electrical contractor must be insured. This is to protect you, your property and anyone who uses the electrical systems or equipment on your property, in the event something goes wrong.
Further to this, your home insurance policy, likely requires that all electrical work be conducted by a licensed and insured electrician. In the event of a fire or accident, if the cause was linked to electrical work which wasn’t completed by a licensed electrician, your policy could potentially be void… leaving you effectively uninsured and out of pocket for the repairs.
In the event of a fire or accident, if the cause was linked to electrical work which wasn’t completed by a licensed electrician, your policy could potentially be void…
How to be Sure Your Electrician is Licensed and Insured?
To help ensure the electrical contractor you’ve got working on your home is suitably licensed, you can use the QLD Government’s Worksafe website.
This site also provides examples of what work requires which types of electrical license.
You can ask your electrician for their insurance certificate of currency. Particularly if your electrician does commercial work, this is something they’ll be asked for reasonably frequently. Consequently, they will likely be happy to provide the details on request.
In terms of GCR, we’re committed to ensuring that you receive quality electrical works and advice. If you’ve got any questions, we’d much rather a phone call, then have you unnecessarily risk the safety of you or your family.
Stay safe, be smart, and enjoy the peace of mind of only using a suitably insured and licensed electrician for your property.
