I have received a number of letters recently concerning builders who install electrics as part of a complete package. Most are not qualified to do so either by skill or registration and dangerous installations are the result. Qualified electricians are called in to put the work right meaning the customer pays twice. Following two letters where dangerous installations occurred I decided to dedicate the front page to issue a warning and called on Clive Masters of Masters Electricité to comment.

‘ With increasing frequency, we are employed to put right shoddy, incorrect and even dangerous installations carried out by unqualified people claiming to be capable of doing electrical work. We know that in another area, electrians Peter Amor and Mick Sullivan have had to deal with the same sort of problems. We feel sure that most of you will agree that it is essential for your physical safety and financial security that before employing people to carry out electrical work, you should check that they are qualified, registered with the chambre de metiers for electrical installation and hold the decennale insurance that specifically covers this activity. When someone comes to quote for work on your house don't feel embarassed, but ask to see their chambre de metiers registration card and their current insurance certificate, if they can't produce these documents, you should be suspicious. Unregistered and uninsured people may offer to do the work at a price below that of a professional, but paying again to have the work put right doesn't make it cheaper ultimately.

How to find out if someone is registered? Go to www.masters-electricite.com and click the link to cofacerating. If you haven't heard of the decennale insurance, it is the obligatory insurance that any one carrying out work on a building must have. It is to protect the owner of the property against defects in workmanship and collateral damage for up to 10 years after the work commenced. A point to note is that if the work is carried out by an uninsured individual or company, or even a DIY job, then the responsibility rests with the owner of the property at the time for ten years, even if they have subsequently sold the house.

The picture is an example of such work. This ventilator was installed in a bathroom, but instead of making a hole of 100mm through the wall, he drilled a small hole and poked through a small piece of waste pipe. The pipe was too small to carry an effective volume of air, but in fact the outlet vanes on the fan body were obstructed by the back of the hole and couldn't even open’.

The diagnostic électrique is now confirmed. From 1 January 2009 an inspection is obligatory where the electrical installation is more than 15 years old. From 1 January 2009 at the house transaction, a document will be presented that explains explicitly the standard of the installation and will show immediately if there are any risks to the occupants. There will not be an obligation on the new owner to rectify the faults detected. However, if the new owner is going to be faced with a large cost to bring the property up to standard, no doubt the fact will be taken into account during the transaction.

The inspection will cost between 100 and 200 euros and be a visual examination. The inspectors must verify six essential points: the differential protection, the earthing, circuit breakers, the specific electrical safety in bathrooms, the condition and conformity of sockets, switches, etc and the condition and conformity of the cabling. It should be noted that British cables, sockets, etc do not conform to the French standard, meaning that houses which been rewired using these products will be highlighted in the report. Qualified and certified electricians regularly deal with an organisation known as CONSUEL

The full name is the Comité National pour la Sécurité des Usagers de l’Electricité and as the name suggests the purpose is to safeguard the lives and property of people using the electrical network. The CONSUEL was created in 1964 with the goal of improving the quality of electrical installations in homes and buildings open to the public. CONSUEL continues in this function of verifying that new installations, conform to the wiring regulations and that the electrical installations will not put at risk the building and those people using it. It is only when the inspector is satisfied that the new installation is up to standard, will a certificate of conformity be issued. The certificate has to be presented to EDF before they will connect a definitive supply to the property.

The CONSUEL is the only body that can issue the certificate and this authority is not subordinated to businesses or individuals. Anyone may request an inspection, but before doing so it would always be worth having an experienced person check to make sure the installation conforms, as a re-inspection fee would be charged following a negative report.

Thanks Clive

At last the authorities are beginning to clamp down on those working on the black. The fines for people caught, mostly builders and builders’ labourers are fairly hefty and in one case recently a Tribunal ordered an estimate on past earnings which resulted in a figure of over 30 000 euros being demanded. The builder concerned is not now in France. Frankly it is expensive being here, but think of another consequence - injury from work can result in hefty healthcare costs and in some cases bankcruptcy, if the appropriate assurance and registration is not in place. And if it is your property that is damaged, you are out of pocket and could be liable. If you are looking for a builder, plumber or electrician - get a quote and confirmation that they are registered to do the work, that they have decennale insurance in place and mostly that they are qualified to do the work - otherwise you pay twice!!! For electrical work in particular ensure that they have the appropriate certificates from EDF as it is they who can simply turn off your supply. Then a paper trail starts....Ed

From January 2009 there is a new work system in place making it easier to register and work - getting closer to the EU standards. This is as a result of President Sarkozy’s reform programme making the French more fiscally aware at the same time discouraging people from working “on the black” However the penalties for the latter will get tougher. We asked Lindsey Queriaud of Cast, our legal eagle, to look into this for us and true to form has given a full account of the new provisions as best as she can as it is not yet totally finalised. Any ‘tweeks’ will be reported in a later issue.

She has also outlined the meanings of the word cotisations and why we all have to pay them. Lindsey is an absolute gem and etcetera is lucky to be associated with her. Thanks Lindsey.

This article was important enough to print on the front page. It is not a frightener - it is just fact. It is rumoured that there are professional trackers reporting on people working on the black or working outside their permitted sphere of activity; we may not endorse this but it sure is a way of creating a level playing field for everyone. After all that I have a little room left for my ramblings!!, but Hello again and welcome to the November edition of etcetera. There is a distinct chill in the air but it is pushing towards winter and with the slightly darker evenings and lighter mornings, children especially need be vigilant on the roads.

Money needed ! Andrew Farrow is on the run again (no not from prison)despite his injuries earlier in the year. He is running in the La Rochelle Marathon He needs your money - please help.

He writes: “The marathon is on Sunday November 30th , kicks off at 9am and consists of a course that does 2 laps of the pretty seaside town and the total distance is 26.2 miles (42.2km) and it must be completed in under 5 hours and 30 minutes. There are places for 8000 runners and it's the last large marathon in the French calendar, for more information the website is www.marathondelarochelle.com It is largely flat but is quite twisty and some of it is run on cobbles. It starts at 9am and will mean a very early start for me (since it takes about 2.5 hours to get there and I have to be there in good time to warm up and get acquainted with the area and sign in. The charity I have decided to run for this time is Children with Leukaemia (MacMillan will be for my next attempt at the Ironman in 2010) and continues the anti-cancer theme. Anyone wishing to donate in person at my shop can put their donation in my jar (well, old sweetie pot) and it'll be sent to the charity in the UK after the race is run. As regards sponsorship, it can be done either online at www.bmycharity.com/andrewfarrow which goes directly to the charity, or donors can send a cheque payable to "Children with Leukaemia" to the shop or can come to the shop and donate in person. People can feel free as to whether they will donate per mile (or Km) or upon successful completion of the event... photographic proof will be provided after the event in the form of a picture of a dishevelled me in a jacket (it'll be cold) with a finishers medal (hopefully).”

Nigel Lines, a Premier Business Manager of Hong Kong Shanghi Banking Corporation HSBC is a new and welcome contributor to etcetera and writes about the current financial crisis. Talking to many financiers, their underlying comment was that if the media and the stock markets had shut for one month the problem would largely have disappeared. We have the ability to talk ourselves into a downturn but as many UK manufacturers and suppliers say “do what the French do in times like this - buy local and French”. As Ray Moore, Radio 2 presenter used to quip, “form a queue at the bread shop do a bit of panic buying, spread the word and a perfectly safe situation becomes a drama”.

If you are celebrating Bonfire night then do take care especially of the young and old.

As always etcetera is brought to you by the advertisers who have a variety of publications in which to advertise, so please where possible support them. I thank M Lartigaut and M Tellier of Aeroport International de Limoges for their undaunting support, and encouragement by making etcetera available at the Airport.

Don’t forget November 11th Lastly a Very Happy Birthday to Veronica, my partner of 32 years - what a journey we have made in that time. Thank you Veronica for being you. And Happy Birthday to my brother Ray (Tony as mum called him) on 30 November. I suppose being editor, I can do these things.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VERONICA Happy Birthday RAY

‘Bout sums it up - enjoy this version of etcetera and I send to you and yours my very best wishes

roger lines