The UK’s leading voluntary body for electrical contractors was officially incorporated on August 10 1956. The National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting as it was first known , started out with 3,500 contrcators on its roll.
Today, it has more than 19 000 Approved Contractors and an additional 9,000 domestic installers – making it the UK’s largest and most recognised volutary body within the electrical industry.
“The 60th anniversary marks a significant milestone in the history of NICEC,” commented current CEO of NICEIC, Emma Clancy.
“Much has changed within the industry during the last six decades but the values of safety and competence remain at the core of everything we do.
“More and more businesses now turn to NICEIC for accreditation – firms who have voluntarily chosen to have their work assessed on an annual basis. They provide the appropriate insurances and customer protection policies, and have a detailed record of their work through the certification and notification process.
“This has to be a good thing, not only for the industry, but consumers too, and we will keep working hard to continue to improve and meet our customers’ needs today and tomorrow.“
NICEIC was created in a post war era when there was a lack of uniform standards for wiring and there was no regulation of anyone carrying out electrical work.
Although the first edition of the wiring regulations was produced way back in 1882 there was little control over the guidance being implemented.
In 1923 The National Register of Electrical Installation Contractors (NREIC) was set up to help the public identify competent contractors – although many of the contractors around at the time were not obliged to sign up.
It would be another 33 years before NICEIC was set up as the first voluntary body and although much has changed, the principles remain the same – to keep a roll of approved contractors, to carry out inspections of their work, and to inform the public about the dangers of unsafe installations.