Electrics Confusion

[Evostance]

It is a very grey area - I've been looking into it recently with a view to doing my own electrics.

Kitchens are no longer considered a 'special area', and as such fall outside the scope of Part P, so what you can do in a kitchen now is greater than before.

You can replace/connect 'like-for-like' items, so if you remove an oven or hob and fit a new one into the same connection point, you're fine.

You can now change or add to existing circuits, so add additional sockets, spurs, lights etc. HOWEVER the rules are very ambiguous about the level of testing required for such additions.

What you definitely cannot do is add any new circuits, i.e. connections to the CU.

I've looked into getting myself certified (for electrics, before anyone Clints!) and to do so you'd need to do the 17th edition course (price varies from £170-£500 depending on style/delivery of the course), then the domestic installers course (£400-£500), then pay one of the schemes around £500/year, and spend £500-£1000 on test equipment and have it calibrated every year

Oh, and as an aside, the rules on CU's are changing on 1st January - as of that date, any new CU installed (either as a replacement, or an additional one) must be in a fireproof enclosure, so either a metal CU, or a plastic one inside a metal box.

I asked the council about this, and they said that any electrical work in the kitchen falls inside Part P, even if your just changing the existing configuration.
This matches what our electricians said and are going to provide a Part P certificate.

On my building notice, I said there will be no change to the circuits to the CU, but they still need the certificate for sign off