Which UK Home Electrical Jobs Fall Under Part P Building Regs?
Your electrician quotes for a new consumer unit and mentions that the work needs to be notified. You agree, but what does that actually mean? The question often comes up years later, when a buyer’s solicitor asks for the electrical certificates and you cannot remember where you put them. Many homeowners are unsure which jobs need this paperwork.
Part P building regs set out which electrical jobs in your home must be notified and how they should be signed off. However, not every job needs notification. All fixed electrical work must still meet safety standards, whether it is notifiable or not. Part P also deals with a different requirement from DNO approval.
Home energy storage brings these rules into focus because installing a battery often involves adding a new circuit. This guide explains which jobs need notification, who can sign them off and which certificates you should receive. It also looks at solar panels, home batteries and EV chargers, so you know what to check before arranging an installation.
What Are Part P Building Regs?
Part P is the electrical safety requirement in the Building Regulations for dwellings. Part P building regs require reasonable provision to protect anyone who operates, maintains or alters an installation from fire or injury. That’s the building regs Part P electrical safety purpose in one line. Wiring shouldn’t shock anyone or start a fire.
The scope is wide. It takes in installations in or attached to your home, shared parts, outbuildings and garden electrics. England follows the 2013 edition of Approved Document P, in force since 6 April 2013. Under Building Reg Part P, the supply to your garden office matters as much as your kitchen ring main.
Part P applies in England and Wales, each with its own guidance. Scotland runs on the Building Standards system. Northern Ireland has no statutory equivalent. So Part P building regs UK really means two sets of guidance, not one.
It’s worth remembering that work does not become exempt from safety standards just because it is non-notifiable. Even a like-for-like socket replacement must be safe, tested and meet the required standards. Building regs Part P applies to the work whether or not it needs notifying. The aim of Building Regulations Part P electrical safety remains the same, no matter how small the job.
Where to Download Approved Document P
Hunting for a building regs Part P download? In England, gov.uk hosts “Electrical safety: Approved Document P” as a PDF (2013 edition). The Planning Portal hosts it too. Wales has its own version on gov.wales. Download the edition for your nation, because notifiable work differs.
Check the page date. The Building Safety Regulator keeps the Approved Documents under review, and a building regs Part P download from some random third-party site might be stale. Stick to the official pages. Guidance is subject to change and it is important to check the edition on gov.uk before taking action.
Notifiable and Non-Notifiable Work
Under Part P building regs in England, three things are notifiable: a new circuit, a consumer unit replacement, and any addition or alteration to a circuit in a special location. Special locations? The zones around a bath or shower, plus rooms with a swimming pool or sauna heater.
Non-notifiable work still has to be designed, installed, inspected and tested to BS 7671. Other Building Regulations requirements apply too.
Wales notifies more, including some kitchen, bathroom and outdoor alterations. Live there? Read the Welsh list under Building Regs Part P before you book anyone. England’s list is below.
Job (England) | Notifiable? | Why |
Full or partial rewire | Yes | New circuits and consumer unit |
Replacing a consumer unit | Yes | Named in Approved Document P |
New kitchen circuit (cooker, hob) | Yes | New circuit |
Replacing kitchen sockets, switches or lights on existing circuits | No | Like-for-like replacement |
Adding a socket or light to an existing circuit in a bathroom zone | Yes | Alteration in a special location |
New circuit to a garden office or garage | Yes | New circuit; outbuildings fall within scope |
Adding an outdoor light to an existing circuit | No | Existing circuit, outside special location |
Fitting a built-in cooker to an existing isolator | No | A new circuit to the isolator would be notifiable |
Note: Part P rules differ between England and Wales and can change. This guide provides general information and should not be taken as legal advice remember to always check gov.uk or your local council’s building control to know the current situation. |
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Who Can Do the Work and Sign It Off
Document P specifies what is legally expected. Work must be built in accordance with BS 7671, the certificate states the version used in its work. Notifiable Part P building regs work has three sign-off routes. Pick yours before work starts, not after.
Standards and Sign-Off Routes
Registered self-certification scheme: The electrician is registered for the work and will self-certify it if they are qualified to do so. Their scheme, in turn, makes a report to the building control on their behalf.
Building Control: The person arranging the work contacts the local council before it starts. The council then checks the work and handles the sign-off. Homeowners can use this route too.
Registered third-party certification: a separate authorised provider certifies qualifying work.
A short Part P knowledge course doesn’t register an electrician for self-certification. Scheme assessment does. So for any Part P building regs UK job, ask which route your installer uses, then get it in writing.
Part P Certification: What You Should Receive
Your Part P building regs paperwork lands as three documents. Building regs part p certification is your proof that the work was tested and, where notified, checked.
Document | Records | Timing |
Electrical Installation Certificate | New circuits and larger work, with test results | On completion |
Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate | Small additions to an existing circuit | On completion |
Building Regulations Compliance Certificate | Confirms notified work met Part P | Within 30 days of completion (England, self-certified work) |
Keep all three in one folder. Conveyancers ask for them when you sell.
Homeowner Checklist
Before the work starts: Ask the electrician which self-certification scheme they belong to and check their registration. Schemes include BESCA, Blue Flame Certification, Certsure (NICEIC), NAPIT and OFTEC. Check the relevant scheme against the official gov.uk list and agree in writing how the work will be signed off.
During the job: ask for inspection and testing results as the work completes.
After the job: confirm you hold the electrical certificate and the compliance certificate. Check that building regs Part P certification reached you and that the scheme or the council has been notified within 30 days.
Part P and Home Energy Projects
Part P covers the safety of fixed wiring. DNO approval, meaning a G98 notification or G99 application, covers grid connection. They’re two separate jobs. A certificate under part p building regs won’t satisfy the DNO, and DNO approval won’t stand in for a Part P certificate.
Project | Part P (England) | DNO route | Also check |
Hardwired solar PV | Notifiable: new circuit or consumer unit work | G98 notify within 28 days, or G99 apply first | MCS certificate for SEG; planning permission separately |
Home battery on a dedicated circuit | Notifiable: new circuit | G98 or G99 by combined inverter output | Installer confirms route |
Inverter upgrade | Like-for-like on existing circuit: non-notifiable; new circuit or consumer unit change: notifiable | Higher output can move G98 to G99 | Tell the SEG supplier |
EV charger | Notifiable: new dedicated circuit | Separate DNO process; V2G export uses G98/G99 | Installer confirms |
Plug-in solar (compliant kit) | No fixed wiring: not Part P work | G98 notification | Interim Product Specification |
Plug-in solar gets its own mention. The specification is confined to compliant kits have been in the UK since 27 August 2026, output maximum is 800VA, one kit/household, and a complete kit incorporating a standard BS 1363 plug. It is hardwired to a fixed circuit with a battery outside of it, so Part P Building Regs apply.
Under Building Reg Part P, that battery’s new circuit is notifiable. Your installer then works out the G98 or G99 route from the combined inverter output. The DNO rules as well as the SEG terms change. Thus, it’s necessary to check the latest stipulation from the Energy Networks Association and Ofgem.
Getting a Home Battery Installed the Right Way
The hard part of home energy storage is the install, not the purchase. A battery adds a new circuit, so Part P and the DNO route both apply. Compliance comes from the registered electrician’s installation, not from the product. Check the installation requirements before you buy.
Planning New Solar and Storage Together
If you're installing solar panels for the first time, it makes sense to plan the panels and battery together. Your electrician can install the necessary circuits during the same project and provide the relevant certificates once the work is complete. The EcoFlow STREAM 5000 is designed for homes setting up solar and storage together. It supports up to 5,000W of solar input across four MPPT channels, each rated at 1,250W. It stores 5kWh (5,024Wh), expands up to 90kWh and delivers up to 3,000W of AC output. Its compact design also includes a built-in handle. Before installation, share the system requirements with your electrician so they can plan the work and handle the necessary Part P building regs sign-off.
Adding Storage to an Existing Solar System
Imagine your existing solar panels generate more electricity than your home uses during the day. The excess goes to the grid, yet by evening, you're buying electricity to cook and run your appliances. A storage battery would allow you to save some of the unused solar energy for nighttime. An electrician would come in to install a dedicated circuit, which is classified as notifiable work, checks if G98 or G99 apply, and issues the proper certificates. The EcoFlow STREAM AC 5000 is designed for homes that already have solar panels. Each unit stores 5kWh (5,024Wh), with expansion possible up to 90kWh. It also delivers up to 3,000W of AC output. Intelligent Mode+ schedules charging around electricity tariffs and forecasts, while Local Mode keeps data on your home network. However, the system alone does not meet Part P building regs requirements. Proper installation and sign-off by a registered installer are what matter.
Note: Compliant generation-only plug-in solar kits have been legal to buy and use in Great Britain since 27 August 2026, but these rules do not cover plug-in batteries or solar-plus-storage systems. Home batteries and systems with integrated batteries (like the EcoFlow STREAM range) are not plug-in solar products. They must be professionally installed and must comply with IET Wiring Regulations (BS 7671) and DNO connection requirements. Check current GOV.UK guidance and speak to a qualified installer about the requirements for your home. |
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Conclusion
Part P covers new circuits, consumer units and special locations. Any work that requires notification must be carried out by a registered installer or building control. The approval of the DNO is separate and independent from certificates which follow within 30 days. Have your Part P building regs in one file for the next sale.
Home energy storage is the project most likely to put a new circuit in your home, so it needs a registered electrician from day one. Explore the EcoFlow STREAM 5000 and EcoFlow STREAM AC 5000 on the EcoFlow UK website to find home energy storage for your home, then share the installation requirements with a registered electrician.
FAQ About Part P Building Regs
What happens if electrical work breaks Part P building regs?
The council can serve a compliance notice within 12 months of the contravention, and prosecution can bring an unlimited fine. If the work has been carried out in the past, the solution is a regularisation certificate that will be granted after inspection and testing.
Is a Part P certificate the same as an EICR?
No. An EICR is a periodic inspection report on the condition of an existing installation, and landlords in England must hold one at least every five years. Part P certificates record new work. Neither replaces the other.
Which BS 7671 edition should a Part P certificate reference?
New electrical work should now follow BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, published on 15 April 2026. It should be noted that though the previous A2/A3 edition was applicable throughout the transition phase ending on October 15, 2026, A4 is the relevant standard now for any new installation and certifications.