Some of you may have read previous blogs as I have tried to work my way through the bureaucracy of licensing and installation for festive lights in the town centre. In fairness the paperwork has been easier (was started in JUNE!) mainly because a lovely lady called Katie in Havant Borough Council has been helping me.
So why am I saying there will be no festive lights in Waterlooville this year? Scottish and Southern Electrics SSE!!
We have to get permission to hang the motifs from their lighting columns (also know as lamp posts!) To do that we have to get an installer approved by them!!
Our installer from last year retired and we had to find a new one. To hang, plug in and flick a switch on 8 motifs, put the lights in the Xmas tree, plug in and flick a switch, and also hang some battery powered lights in the trees (and remove) Our first quote COST £3500 Which we felt was excessive.
We did find a local installer, Clinton Electrics. They do work for Havant Borough Council. so we thought he should be reliable and safe. He gave us a cost of £1900. Expensive but worthwhile to get the lights up for the town. Then SSE stepped in insisting on a G39 certificate. When I asked Clinton Electrics if they had this certificate the response was below:
We do not hold a G39 certificate (very few electrical
contractor will)
Please let your SSE contact know that we are Full NICEIC
electrical contractor
and that will will not be making any alterations
to the lamppost,
we will only be opening the cover and switching an
Isolator on to power
the already installed 16A Commando socket.
If a G39 is insisted upon you will either have to find
another contractor
or pay for the day course £500 (course fee + our
time).
We don’t hold a G39 as in the 16 years I've ran my
business and the 26 years
I've been in the trade I've never been asked for
it
and have installed £40K of street lights for the NHS.
I sent this response to them. After 5 days of deliberation SSE have replied that he cannot be used as no G39!! I accept that we must all be kept safe but surely this is going too far.
DOES ANYONE OUT THERE KNOW AN ELECTRICAL INSTALLER WITH A G39 WHO COULD PUT THE LIGHTS UP? who is not going to charge £3500!
I did ask SSE for a quote 2 months ago, which they never replied to. When I asked again today the response was that they no longer put up festive lighting!
As things stand no festive lighting in Waterlooville