Part P came in to force in January 2005. Here are the highlights.

All electrical work carried out in a kitchen, bathroom or shower room requires notification to the local authority building control.

All electrical work outside in a garden, shed, garage or remote building requires notification.

Installation of under floor or overhead heating requires notification.

Any new circuit (not an extension of an existing one) in any room in the house requires notification.

Extensions to existing circuits which are not in the places mentioned above are not notifiable unless the area is communal.

A recent application I made to Maidstone council for notifiable works of £2000 was going to cost over £360 to notify. (June 08)

The office of the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott at the time, introduced Part P into the building regulations in January 2005.

They apply to all domestic dwellings, even flats above shops. The idea was to cut the amount of deaths caused by electrocution caused by incorrectly installed electrical circuits. Plainly put to stop cowboys and DIYers.

Certain works are now notifiable to building control, as you can see from the third column here. You can do this by making an application to the local planning office but this is extremely expensive, the alternative is to use a tradesman who is a member of a competent persons scheme such as NAPIT.

Such a tradesmen can self certify their work and carry out the notification using the scheme they are enrolled in for a nominal cost.

If you are getting quotes for electrical work ensure that the person is a member of such a scheme to ensure that the work will be notified and completed to the regulations. You may have problems when you sell your house or invalidate your insurance if you have work done that is not notified.

The 18th edition wiring regulations came in force in 2018.

Lighting circuits in domestic dwellings require RCD protection

All cables buried less than 50mm deep in a wall to be mechanically protected by armouring, protected with an earthed metal sheath/conduit OR circuits protected by a 30mA RCD

If lighting circuits are protected by an RCD to comply with the above then they should be split between more than one for safety.

All domestic socket outlets should be protected by a 30mA RCD

All circuits in a room containing a bath or shower should be protected by an  30mA RCD

All circuits supplying mobile equipment not exceeding 32A for use outdoors (lawnmower, strimmer, pond pump, lighting) should be protected by a 30mA RCD.