THE outgoing president of trade body SELECT has warned against rogue tradespeople pretending to be qualified electricians to benefit from the rise of household renewable technology.
Alistair Grant, who is leaving this position next week after two years, said that there’s a rising industry worry of how dangerous incorrectly installed technology like electric vehicle charge points and solar PV panels can be.
The 68-year-old from Elgin explained that as more people seek renewable technology, SELECT members are seeing far more poorly done workmanship that qualified electricians need to correct.
He stated: “With governments driving the transition to net zero, and homeowners being urged to play their part, we’ve seen an increase in ‘green energy experts’ coming forward to take advantage of demand, yet it’s obvious that a lot of these so-called experts have no wider knowledge of electrical best practice or safety.
“Electrical installations these days are very complex and the fitting of technology like domestic EV charge points, battery storage and solar panels needs to be carried out by professional electricians, not people who’ve merely done a short course.
“The needs of every home are unique and complicated when it comes to electrical installations, yet we are hearing numerous reports of SELECT members being called out to rectify work that is not only shoddy but downright dangerous.”
Reportedly, over 140,000 households already have installed solar PV panels alongside 4,000 public EV charge points, though Transport Scotland estimates that by 2030, the nation will need around 30,000 charge points.
Alistair added: “As demand grows, some fellow members have told me ‘it’s like the Wild West out there’, with rogue companies literally knocking on doors and offering to install renewable electrical equipment for a knockdown price.
“Unfortunately in the current cost of living crisis, consumers are often making decisions purely on cost alone, not realising that they could face a much higher bill later for getting the work put right and made safe.
“Even more worryingly, they might not realise anything is wrong at all, and end up paying the ultimate price further down the line when any hidden faults cause a fire or worse.”
Alistair discussed a survey done by Electrical Safety First alongside Loughborough University that showed that, out of 1,700 homes checked, 80% had electrical faults with 50% of them being critical.
He stated: “One solar installation which I was called out to recently had direct current cabling running from the roof, directly through a pile of children’s toys in the loft and into a cupboard in the home – the potential for a disastrous fire was obvious to see.”
“This is typical of the kind of things we are seeing, and just emphasises why consumers should always use a full-trained and qualified electrician from a SELECT member company for every electrical job.”
Alistair will pass his role at SELECT onto Mike Stark, Vice President, next Thursday after his “hectic, but thoroughly enjoyable” two-year term at Scotland largest construction trade body.
He discussed how he has enjoyed recent meetings, President’s Lunch events and paid tribute to his staff.
Alistair stated: “Despite the proliferation of rogue tradespeople, I am very optimistic about the future of the electrical sector and the industry is doing a great job in a society which depends more and more on electricity.”
“I’m also confident that electrical contractors of all sizes will continue to be expertly supported by the team at SELECT, who work tirelessly behind the scenes on their behalf to create a safer electrotechnical industry and, ultimately, a safer landscape for consumers.”
