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Experts in electrical installation, testing and servicing

As one of the South East’s leading NICEIC-approved contractors, Barton Knight Electrical can provide all commercial electrical installation, testing and maintenance services, meeting the latest safety standards and regulations. See below for our full range of services.

With experience across a broad range of sectors including education, retail, commercial, industrial, health and public services, we have established long-term relationships with many clients who invite us back again and again. 

We work on a huge variety of projects, from new retail shops and refits, high-spec office fit-outs, and new build student accommodation, through to ongoing services for councils, schools, hospitals, private residential and commercial landlords,  as well as more specialist work for eg embassies or police stations. 

Whether new build, fit-out, refurb or ongoing works, we successfully deliver on-time and to budget. Our track record speaks for itself – read our case studies and testimonials for more.

Our expert team of professionally trained, experienced electricians are all Health & Safety certified with Advanced DBS/CRB checks.  

Our office-based support staff (including a dedicated project manager and onsite foreman for larger contracts) are also on hand to ensure that your project is completed on time and to budget, with minimum disruption.

We offer a complete design-and-installation service, or work with consultants where required.

For larger contracts we offer a dedicated project manager and onsite foreman, while our sister company Barton Knight Contracting focuses on complex, multi-phase programmes.

Our

Work

Why

Barton Knight Electrical?

Electrical, fire, and security

All employees H&S certified + Advanced DBS checks

We're always available to talk through projects, large or small

We work to IEE standards and the latest BS 7671 regulations

We use the latest renewable technology for solar panels, batteries, and EV chargers

Recommended by previous clients – ask us for details

Frequently Asked

Questions

The law requires that all business owners, their directors, managers and employees comply with “The Electricity at Work Regulations”.

All electrical systems must be maintained to be safe at all times. No system or part of it may give rise to danger during either normal operation or under fault conditions. Regulation 4(2) – “All systems to be maintained so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, danger”. “System” means the wiring of an electrical installation and everything connected to it.

Regulation (29) states: “It shall be a defence for any person to prove that he took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of that offence”. Test reports, together with other preventative maintenance documentation, form the basis of this proof and will provide your best defence against prosecution should the need arise.

Duty holders are responsible for setting up adequate maintenance programs and must assess the needs and frequency requirement of testing, maintaining, and monitoring electrical systems and equipment.

Electricity will always find the easiest path to earth. Any faults or weaknesses within your electrical installation or portable appliances can go undetected if they aren’t regularly tested. In the event of another fault developing, this could lead to serious risk of fire, electrocution, and/or death. For example, a 13-amp ring-main without earth continuity could render all metal parts of appliances plugged into it “LIVE” if one item on the ring developed a fault to earth.

Fixed wiring testing will accurately identify faults, their locations and usually the recommended solution.

A short power outage can be expected on each circuit within the system. Most of the testing is carried out while the system is still live, so these outages can be planned around your daily activities.

The law does not require electrical testing to be carried out. However, the law does require that you keep your entire electrical system safe at all times. The only effective way is to have periodic testing and inspection carried out, and to remedy any faults found (and record the actions).

If an accident or fire occurs where electricity is suspected to have been the cause, then the duty is yours to prove that you did your best to avoid that accident (offence). Test data results together with preventative maintenance records will provide your best proof and defence.

Increasingly, insurers are insisting that inspection and testing be carried out on a regular basis.

If you are found guilty of an avoidable accident, then under law you will be deemed to have committed a criminal offence. Insurers will not pay fines or compensation suffered resulting from a criminal offence.

A visiting inspector will not necessarily identify the need to maintain electrical safety at every inspection, especially if there are other issues to be addressed.

If testing has not been specifically demanded, the legal requirements to comply with electrical safety still apply.

There has always been a requirement to satisfy Health & Safety legislation. In 1989 The Electricity at Work Regulations came into force, which clarifies the need to maintain electrical systems safely.

Test data results will form a major part of your defence, should an accident occur which leads to prosecution.

We have a lot of experience in working in manufacturing environments.

Most electrical testing involves carrying out live tests. We can plan in dead testing during weekends, shift changes, holidays, process changes, cleaning or maintenance stoppages.

You are responsible to make sure that you and your staff comply with Health & Safety legislation. However, it depends on the terms of your lease as to whether you or your landlord pays for testing to be carried out on electrical installations. Usually, if you’re on a full repairing lease then the cost will fall to you.

Portable Appliance testing will always be at your expense.

As per BS 7671, you can only rely on sample testing if you hold previous full system records, the installation is considered to be in excellent condition, no faults are found during sample testing, and no undocumented alterations have been carried out since the system was new or last tested.

This does not hold true for the vast majority of electrical systems, for which full inspection and testing should be undertaken.

No, definitely not. Thermal imaging is an excellent interim maintenance option for identifying hot spots in connections, fuses, motor bearing, conveyors etc. and can help prevent costly breakdowns and fires in some cases.

However, thermal imaging cannot take into account damaged equipment, lack of earthing, over fusing, excessive cable runs, volt drop, potential fuse disconnection time failures, and many other potential faults.

Full periodic inspection and testing should form part of any maintenance regime.

Unless/until you suffer an accident then nothing may happen – but maintenance of a safe electrical system is a legal requirement. An avoidable accident could lead to prosecution, for which there will be no insurance.

Because we accurately identify any faults found, the cost of remedying them in most cases is not too great. The majority of problems found involve earthing deficiencies, which – although potentially very dangerous – are not usually hugely expensive to fix.

IEE/IET guidance suggests the following test intervals: 

  • Domestic – 10 years/change of occupancy, 
  • Rented accommodation/Commercial ie. shops, offices, schools, hospitals, etc – 5 years
  • Industrial, agricultural and horticultural – 3 years
  • Places subject to entertainment licences, swimming pools, caravan parks, etc – 1 year

All the views and opinions expressed on this page are given for guidance only and are our interpretation of hypothetical circumstances; we cannot accept any liability for any actions taken as a result of this guidance. We strongly recommend that all electrical work is designed, installed maintained and tested by a suitably qualified electrician.

All the views and opinions expressed on this page are given for guidance only and are our interpretation of hypothetical circumstances; we cannot accept any liability for any actions taken as a result of this guidance. We strongly recommend that all electrical work is designed, installed maintained and tested by a suitably qualified electrician.

Where we

work

We cover the South East including London and the Home Counties, Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and more.

As part of the wider Barton Knight Group, our sister companies include Barton Knight Contracting, which focuses on very large, multi-phase contracts, and local electrician Morton Fairview, based in Croydon.