NAPIT and NICEIC Registration: What Teesside Homeowners Need to Know
In the UK, electrical work in domestic properties is regulated under Part P of the Building Regulations. The most practical way to ensure your electrical work is safe, legal and properly certified is to use a NAPIT or NICEIC registered electrical contractor — a registered competent person who can self-certify all notifiable electrical work without requiring a separate building control application. ALPS Electrical is NAPIT-registered, covering all domestic electrical work across Teesside, County Durham and North Yorkshire.
What NAPIT Registration Means
NAPIT (National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers) is one of the UK's two main competent person schemes for electrical work under Part P. Registration requires:
- Technical assessment of the contractor's electrical knowledge and practical competence
- Evidence of appropriate qualifications (typically City & Guilds 2391 inspection and testing, or equivalent)
- Agreement to operate under NAPIT's Code of Practice
- Annual audit visits to verify ongoing standards
- Public liability and employer's liability insurance
- Registration on the NAPIT public register — verifiable by homeowners
Critically, NAPIT registration enables self-certification: when a NAPIT-registered contractor completes notifiable electrical work, they issue an Electrical Installation Certificate and notify NAPIT on your behalf. NAPIT then notifies your local authority's building control. You receive a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate — the document that proves the work is legally compliant. Without this certificate, you will have difficulty selling your property, as solicitors and mortgage lenders routinely check for it on electrical work completed since 2005.
NICEIC: The Alternative Scheme
NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting) is the other major competent person scheme for domestic electrical work. The two are broadly equivalent in the protection they provide — both require technical assessment, regular audits, and enable self-certification. NAPIT tends to be more common among smaller independent contractors and multi-trade businesses; NICEIC has stronger market presence among larger electrical businesses and national contractors. Both are equally acceptable from a Building Regulations standpoint.
How to Verify Registration
Never take a contractor's word for their registration status. Verify directly:
- NAPIT: Search the public register at napit.org.uk — search by business name, postcode or certificate number
- NICEIC: Search the Approved Contractor Register at niceic.com
For ALPS Electrical's NAPIT registration, you can verify directly on the NAPIT register by searching for ALPS Electrical in the TS postcode area. Our registration covers domestic electrical work, solar PV installation electrical work, battery storage installation, and EV charger installation across our service area.
Why It Matters for Solar and EV Installations
All solar panel installations, battery storage installations and EV charger installations involve notifiable electrical work under Part P. An installer who is not NAPIT or NICEIC registered cannot self-certify this work — meaning either they should submit a building control application on your behalf (which most don't), or the work is technically uncertified. Uncertified notifiable electrical work is illegal and creates significant problems at property sale. Always check that your solar or EV charger installer holds a current competent person scheme registration before committing to a project.
For Solar Installations: MCS Certification Also Required
For solar panel and battery installations specifically, NAPIT registration covers the electrical work — but MCS certification is separately required for the solar system itself. MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) certification covers both the design and installation standard of the solar system. Without MCS certification, your customer cannot access Smart Export Guarantee payments. Always verify both certifications when choosing a solar installer: NAPIT (or NICEIC) for the electrical work, and MCS for the solar system.
ALPS Electrical holds both NAPIT registration and MCS certification — plus Tesla Certified Installer status, OZEV approval for EV charger grants, TrustMark endorsement and RECC registration. See our full accreditations page or contact us for a free survey across Teesside.