QUESTIONS
What is the difference between ELECSA and NICEIC?
Updated 07/26
By: Alex Peters
Reviewed: Content Team
Short answer: there isn't one any more. ELECSA and NICEIC were both electrical competent person schemes run by the same organisation, Certsure, and since 2021 the ELECSA brand has been retired entirely, with its registered electricians transferred over to NICEIC. If you're seeing "ELECSA" on an older certificate or van, that electrician's registration now sits under NICEIC.
Here's what these schemes actually do, how NICEIC compares to the alternatives, and how it should shape who you hire.
What ELECSA and NICEIC actually were
Why ELECSA no longer exists as a separate scheme
What a competent person scheme does for you as a homeowner
How NICEIC compares to NAPIT and other alternatives
What to check before hiring an electrician
Where to go if you need certificate paperwork
Find an approved electrician near you
What were ELECSA and NICEIC?
Both were government-approved competent person schemes, run by the same parent organisation, Certsure LLP (jointly owned by Electrical Safety First and the Electrical Contractors' Association). Electricians registered with either scheme had passed an initial assessment and were reassessed regularly to confirm their work continued to meet current wiring regulations.
Registration with a scheme like NICEIC lets an electrician self-certify notifiable electrical work under Part P of the Building Regulations, meaning they can sign off and notify the work to your council directly, rather than you needing to arrange a separate building control inspection. Our guide to getting a Part P certificate covers this process in more detail.
Both schemes were accredited under the same UKAS quality standard, NICEIC since 2002 and ELECSA since 2008.
"Advises building control" isn't quite how it works. A registered electrician certifies their own work and the scheme notifies your local authority on their behalf, rather than the council carrying out a separate check.
So why did ELECSA and NICEIC seem identical?
Because they effectively were. NICEIC, founded in 1956, is the older and larger of the two names, while ELECSA was Certsure's second brand offering the same assessment and self-certification service under a different label.
From April 2021, Certsure began consolidating the two brands, transferring all ELECSA registrations across to NICEIC, with the transition completed by late 2022. ELECSA no longer exists as a separate scheme and doesn't accept new registrations.
If you've been handed a certificate with the ELECSA name on it, that's not a problem, it just predates the 2021 consolidation. See our guide on checking a NICEIC domestic certificate if you want to verify one.
Are there other alternatives to NICEIC?
Yes. The main alternative is NAPIT (National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers), which offers the same government-approved authority to self-certify Part P work, assessed against the same underlying competence standards as NICEIC. NAPIT also certifies more broadly across other construction trades, not just electrical work.
Smaller schemes, including STROMA, also now offer electrical competent person scheme registration. All of them provide the same self-certification authority for homeowners; the differences between them are mainly in registration cost and assessment style, which matters to the electrician joining the scheme rather than to you as the customer.
How does this affect me as a homeowner?
In practical terms, not much, as long as your electrician is registered with any government-approved scheme (NICEIC, NAPIT, or similar). What matters is:
They're currently registered, not just qualified in the past
Any notifiable work gets certified and notified properly
You end up with the right paperwork: an Electrical Installation Certificate, plus a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate for notifiable work
If you're missing either document, our guide to getting a copy of your electrical safety certificate covers how to track it down.
On Checkatrade, you'll only find trades who meet our high standards and pass up to 12 checks.
How to choose the best electrician
Confirm current registration with NICEIC, NAPIT, or another approved scheme, rather than assuming a logo on a van is up to date
Check reviews and ask for recommendations
Use a trade directory like Checkatrade, where every listed tradesperson has already been checked
How to find a good local electrician
In this guide we’ll give you tips to find a good electrician in your area, so that you can be confident you’ll hire someone you can rely on.
Before you hire
Frequently asked questions
No, not as a separate scheme. ELECSA registrations were transferred to NICEIC from 2021, with the process completed by late 2022. Electricians who were ELECSA registered are now registered with NICEIC.
Neither is objectively better; both are government-approved competent person schemes offering the same self-certification authority for Part P work, assessed against the same core competence standards. The differences are mainly in registration cost and assessment approach for the electrician, not the standard of work you should expect.
No. Any electrician registered with an approved competent person scheme (NICEIC, NAPIT, or similar) can self-certify notifiable work. What matters is current registration with one of them, not which specific scheme.
Registered electricians are assessed on their competence against current wiring regulations (BS 7671) and reassessed periodically to confirm standards are maintained, rather than being a one-off qualification.
No, it just means the work was certified before the 2021 brand consolidation. The certificate is still valid; it simply predates the change.
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