Changes to the rules for landlords

SELECT is making some important changes to its Certification of Construction Scheme that will have implications for the type of training now required

Approved Bodies (AB) and Approved Certifiers of Construction (ACC) should be aware of a number of updates that we’ve introduced to our Certification of Construction Scheme.

The first change means that for those applying to become ABs in the SELECT scheme, the designated ACC must meet the following criteria:

Be eligible for Approved Electrician status
Have successfully completed BS 7671 training in the last five years
Have successfully completed electric vehicle (EV) charge point equipment training in the last five years
Have successfully completed the ECS Health, Safety and Environmental Assessment in the last three years
Have successfully completed SELECT’s Certification of Construction Scheme self-study programme in the last three years.

The second change means that, from 1 January 2025, there will no longer be an annual fee of £50 plus VAT for ACCs to stay in the scheme.

We will continue to e-mail renewal reminders, but this will now be an auto-renew process and will be free of charge, with no annual fee charged.

ACC training requirements

ACCs will no longer be required to attend a Scottish Building Standards (SBS) one-day or e-learning course. This will be replaced with a SELECT self-study programme and open book assessment called the Scottish Building Standards Course Renewal, AKA course 408. This programme is intended for electrical installers who are already registered as ACCs in the SBS Certification Scheme and meets the three-yearly update training requirements set out in the scheme.

The way that training is carried out is changing

It aims to provide the necessary information for an ACC to remain up to date with current SBS guidance and legislation, with self-study that’s designed to be easy and flexible.

On booking, candidates will be e-mailed the course notes along with a link for the open book assessment. The pre-study of course materials should take around 12 hours and can be completed in stages at a time that suits the individual.

Once the pre-study has been finished, there is a multiple-choice assessment with 25 questions that needs to be completed. If you’re successful in passing the programme, you’ll be issued with a CPD certificate.

The cost for SELECT Members is £75 plus VAT per delegate and the programme must be completed within one month from the date of booking.

EV charge point installation

In addition to course 408, ACCs are now required to undertake the SELECT EV charge point installation training course – AKA course 324 – every five years.

This is due to changes to the SBS regulations that took place in June 2023, with training now required to design, install, test, inspect and commission an EV charge point.

SELECT produced a technical circular highlighting the importance of the changes contained in these updated regulations. This information can be downloaded by scanning the QR code on this page or going to bit.ly/sbs-update

Staying in the scheme

To remain in the SELECT scheme, ACCs are now required to ensure they keep up to date with all four areas of training outlined at the start of this article, i.e. BS 7671 training, EV charge point equipment training, the ECS Health, Safety and Environmental Assessment and the Certification of Construction Scheme self-study programme.

As always, I’d be happy to discuss this further in person if you have any questions. Please contact me by emailing jenny.cryans@select.org.uk or you can call the Training team directly on 0131 445 9206.

Understanding the regulations

Guidance on the installation of EV charge points is laid out in Section 7.2 of the Building Standards Division Technical Handbook, which is applicable to works from 5 June 2023.

The handbook’s Mandatory Standard says that every building must be designed and constructed in such a way that provision for EV charging is made where car parking spaces are located in the building or its curtilage, i.e. the area around it.

This does not apply to:

A non-domestic building where ten or fewer car parking spaces are present in the building or its curtilage
Alteration to, or extension of, a building other than major renovation works.

The guidance continues: “It is now a requirement for all new homes, where external car parking is provided, to have access to a charge point socket. It is considered that, where a property has more than one vehicle, one socket is sufficient for normal usage.

“The installation of a proprietary EV charge point socket, not a standard electrical outlet, will facilitate safe and efficient recharging of vehicles. The provision of electrical infrastructure will also ‘future proof’ parking spaces in response to the growing uptake of EVs.

“Installers of EV charge points should be aware of the need to notify the electricity distribution network operator (DNO) of the intent to undertake such an installation to an existing electrical supply or when applying for a new electrical supply.

“In the case of conversions, every conversion which alters the number of dwellings, or the number of building units, in the building, or which changes the occupation or use of a residential building to any other type of building, or a building so that it becomes a residential building, shall meet the requirements of this standard.”