Electricians using NAPIT?

[Business Friend UK]

Hey guys (and gals)


A lot of people have been asking me about the NAPIT membership.

What are the benefits here. Is this a requirement? Is is recommendatory? Of value?

[fattony]

Taken from their website, Im a Napit member by the way

Why use a NAPIT member?

You know exactly who is working for you...
Every NAPIT professional carries an identity card which shows who they are and what work they are qualified to carry out.

Guarantees you can trust...
NAPIT Members carrying out domestic work in the UK can also be part of the Government Trustmark scheme. This gives you the assurance that the work will be carried to a professional standard. TrustMark signifies that a business has insurance, good health and safety practices – and proper dealings with customers. NAPIT carries out regular checks on the quality of work, trading practices and customer satisfaction. This is not mandatory to every NAPIT member, however, it is encouraged as an added benefit to both members and the public to re-enforce good working practices.

Work Quality Guarantee for your peace of mind…
All work that is completed under a written contract and is notified to NAPIT is covered by a Work Quality Guarantee. In the event that your tradesperson is no longer in business, NAPIT provides a warranty to ensure that your installation will comply with the appropriate industry standards for six-years from the date of completion.

[Shiner]

what about the other ones such as niceic or elecsa

[kandigraphics]

We signwrite LOTS of vans for electricians and NIC-EIC stickers come up a lot but napits not so often.

Not really very helpful I know... but I'd say only about 15% of our customers have the napit logo.

[fiftyintheclip]

Like it or lump it a great deal more customers recognize the NICEIC than NAPIT. For many of my clients the only word they know when it comes to electrical contractors is 'NICEIC'.
From a contractors point the only difference is NIC costs about £500 more a year than NAPIT. I left the NIC and joined NAPIT and lost one job in the whole year, a PIR worth £175, so leaving the NIC still saved me money. What customers don't realize is that you cannot join NAPIT, ELECSA, or the ECA without PL insurance, and once you have joining Trustmark is just a matter of paying an extra £40 or so.

The NIC and NAPIT, first and foremost are businesses. They make their money by having contractors join their organization. No one enforces part P. I have never heard of a contractor be thrown out of the NIC or NAPIT; in fact, when NAPIT first formed they didn't even assess their contractors, they just took copies of their certificates and the payment and et them loose.

Unfortunately the NICEIC have the monopoly, so you do need to join them if you want to give your electrical contracting business the maximum amount of credibility.

[socomtactical]

I'm Napit no issues only effected me once so far and didn't realy want the job any way!

[fiftyintheclip]

I lost only one job in 12 months from not being NIC, and it was a £175 PIR/ECR so I actually saved money as NIC was about £800 or so. However, I am now down to half day assessments with the NIC as an approved contractor so it now costs me the same to be an NIC approved contractor as it does to be a NAPIT approved contractor so I've gone back to the NIC.

[David Freeman]

As mentioned NAPIT is less recognised than NICEIC. So from a marketing point of view this isn't ideal.

We had issues when going for certain large contracts as NAPIT approved contractors, that going with NICEIC solved for us. This is an insurance policy issue that AXA policies do or did stipulate NIC EIC in wording as the approved contractors of choice so companies in tune with their insurance small print know this and refuse site access to anyone else.

I would spend the extra and just go NIC EIC approved contractor straight away.

This is by no means a post to put NAPIT down as from a customer service point of view and ease of dealings, they are excellent. However the above 2 facts are a let down. NAPIT themselves have a desk open for arguing the case about my above point with insurers, but no one is above the insurance companies as helpful as this service is as an offering from NAPIT.

[fiftyintheclip]

Originally Posted by David Freeman

As mentioned NAPIT is less recognised than NICEIC. So from a marketing point of view this isn't ideal.

We had issues when going for certain large contracts as NAPIT approved contractors, that going with NICEIC solved for us. This is an insurance policy issue that AXA policies do or did stipulate NIC EIC in wording as the approved contractors of choice so companies in tune with their insurance small print know this and refuse site access to anyone else.

I would spend the extra and just go NIC EIC approved contractor straight away.

This is by no means a post to put NAPIT down as from a customer service point of view and ease of dealings, they are excellent. However the above 2 facts are a let down. NAPIT themselves have a desk open for arguing the case about my above point with insurers, but no one is above the insurance companies as helpful as this service is as an offering from NAPIT.

Good post.

[largada]

We looked into all the bodies a couple of years ago, and niceic was the most to join as it wasnt just all the fees involved it was other things such as copies of all the relevent regulations and BS numbers associated with the scope of work undertaken, etc etc.

The upshot of doing all this is now i have most things already in place to tackle iso registration (when and if I get time!) So as the other peeps have mentioned with the recognition that niceic has already built up from being around so long then its a bit of a no brainer as once registered annual fees are very similar.

Having said that if your core market is domestic then there is nothing wrong with saving a few pounds and joining one of the other regulatory bodies.