The NAPIT Trade Association has been offering tradespeople a voice in their industry for over 25 years. We are passionate about defending and advancing the interests of all NAPIT members and base our objectives on the feedback we receive from you.
If you are a member of any of NAPIT’s membership schemes, you are automatically entitled to participate. The Trade Association has representatives at all of our NAPIT EXPO events, UK wide which provide an ideal forum for you to learn more about your trade through technical presentations, updates on campaigning priorities and the opportunity to raise any concerns, ideas or feedback you may have.
Our regular Technical Webinars also provide a fantastic opportunity for you to keep up to date with the latest technical advice, ask our experts questions and if you miss them live, you can catch up in your own time on the forum or via the members area.
We offer you the chance to influence our campaigning priorities and the key industry issues we cover via simple surveys and you can also raise issues at any time by emailing: [email protected]
The NAPIT Trade Association works for you. We identify our core objectives on the basis of your feedback, received during regional meetings and from regular surveys.
Our completed objectives include:
- The achievement of a single register for all full scope electricians registered with a MHCLG authorised Competent Person Scheme Operator in England and Wales, designed to raise consumer awareness… FIND OUT MORE
- The introduction of Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. NAPIT have spent many years campaigning to improve electrical safety standards in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) so we were delighted when the draft regulations were laid before Parliament on the 13th January 2020, to ensure all PRS properties meet minimum Electrical Safety Standards in England. The new Regulations will come into force for new tenancies from the 1st July 2020 and for any existing tenancies from 1st April 2021.
Our current objectives include:
- Influencing a timely, nationwide agreed solution to allow meter seals to be removed legally by competent, registered electricians
- Campaigning for stronger Enforcement of Part P of the Building Regulations to ensure effective deterrence of substandard electrical work
To make your voice heard, simply attend one of our regional meetings, respond to our pre-meeting surveys (currently distributed three times a year), or get in touch via: [email protected]
The NAPIT Trade Association constantly seeks to represent your views on important industry committees, within key government departments and via targeted publicity.
Your Trade Association is constantly looking for new ways to represent your interests and address your concerns. You speak and we listen, using our influence to campaign for positive change.
Our recent and current work includes:
- Sponsorship and press coverage to support an important report by the Electrical Safety Roundtable. The report assessed and made key recommendations to improve enforcement of Part P of the Building Regulations… FIND OUT MORE
- Targeted publicity, timely consultation responses and cooperation with like-minded industry groups to influence the introduction of mandatory electrical safety checks in the private rented sector
- Using industry committees and individual meetings to highlight trade concerns regarding the need to find an appropriate solution on the issue of safe isolation
The ability to feed back your ideas and concerns to Government and key industry organisations is central to our capacity to improve the industry in which you work.
Consultation can be defined as a discussion about something that is still being decided. In Government and industry, this process is often formalised into document to which interested individuals and organisations can respond in order to help them arrive at a more informed decision.
These documents often pose specific questions that allow interested stakeholders to offer their views on the final form everything from regulations to guidance documents should take.
This provides a great opportunity for the NAPIT Trade Association to contribute written responses that represent the interests of its members.
Recent consultations responded to by NAPIT and the NAPIT Trade Association include:
- Welsh Government Consultation on draft regulations and guidance to implement the Fitness for Human Habitation requirements for rented properties introduced by the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.: Fitness for Human Habitation Consultation (January 2018) - View here
- Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Consultation seeking views on the future design of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme: Energy Company Obligation 3 (March 2018) - View here
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Consultation: Electrical Safety in the Private Rented Sector (Feb 2018) - View here
The Electrical Safety Roundtable is a collaborative industry forum, dedicated to enhancing the standards of electrical safety across the United Kingdom through the provision of innovative research and policy solutions to government and industry as well as expert, independent electrical safety guidance to industry and consumers.
The Roundtable was founded in June 2012 by NAPIT in response to widespread concern over poor promotion of competent registered electricians and enforcement of Approved Document P of the Building Regulations.
Since the first meeting, the Roundtable has established two main groups: Electrical Safety in the Home and Electrical Safety in the Workplace and has over 70 registered participant organisations. A subgroup of the in the Home group was founded in 2018 to focus on Social Housing.
The ESR is an important vehicle for positive industry change and NAPIT will continue to support its mission via attendance and input at meetings and through the provision of the secretariat services by The National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers.
In our work to secure concrete industry change, the NAPIT Trade Association has spearheaded many successful projects and campaigns.
The introduction of Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020:
NAPIT have spent many years campaigning to improve electrical safety standards in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) so we were delighted when the draft regulations were laid before Parliament on the 13th January 2020, to ensure all PRS properties in England meet minimum Electrical Safety Standards. The new Regulations will come into force for new tenancies from the 1st July 2020 and for any existing tenancies from 1st April 2021.
The National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers, it is particularly satisfying to be instrumental in making a change in this area. The recent publication of the updated Electrotechnical Assessment Specification (EAS), which has introduced minimum technical competence criteria required for carrying out Periodic Electrical Inspection and Testing will be a huge support to The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations and enhance industry standards.
The new Regulations require private landlords to ensure their properties are subject to electrical inspection and testing, resulting in a satisfactory report, by a qualified, competent person at intervals not exceeding 5 years. Local Authorities will be responsible for enforcing the new Regulations and can impose a financial penalty of up to £30,000, if they find a landlord is in breach of their duty. Local Authorities also have the power to arrange remedial work to be carried out, with consent from the tenant, if the landlord fails to comply with the remedial notice and then recover the costs from the landlord. The powers that have been given to Local Authorities to enable effective enforcement are strong and show the Government’s commitment to supporting these Regulations.
Our work in this area to support the Private Rented Housing Department within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government with the drafting of the Guidance for landlords and also the consistent pressure we have put on consecutive Ministers to make electrical safety requirements clearer within the private rented sector paid off, and we are pleased these Regulations have been introduced.
Regular Technical Webinars
Our regular webinars have continued to grow, with more and more members logging in for the latest information on a range of technical topics from the comfort of their own home. The sessions allow members to watch presentations by NAPIT’s technical experts and a range of guests, and have their questions answered by those in the know. There were over 2,000 attendees of the ten webinars held in 2017, and many of the topics for the 2018 webinars were suggested by members at regional Trade Association meetings.
Guidance on reporting issues with Distribution Businesses service equipment
The creation of much needed, time-saving guidance to support installers who wish to report issues with Distribution Business service equipment in the home is one recent example.
NAPIT worked with the Energy Networks Association and other industry stakeholders to create this new reporting mechanism, designed to improve electrical safety in the home.
The Guidance on reporting issues with Distribution Businesses service equipment and supplementary guidance documents are free to download below.