You might think it is perfectly harmless to hire an unlicensed handyman to do your electrical work or even do it yourself. However, on average, 15 people die in Australia each year from electrical accidents. Not to mention the hundreds that are seriously injured.

Think About The Cost

You might also think that you could save a lot of money by hiring a cheaper unlicensed handyman as apposed to a licensed Electrician. But once again you could be wrong considering the potential damage to appliances in your home meaning you could have to fork out thousands of dollars.

Think About The Dangers

Electricity is incredibly dangerous and one small mistake can suffer severe consequences. Licensed electricians go through a long apprenticeship of several years to learn the knowledge and skills necessary to complete electrical work efficiently and safely. There a many videos and articles on the internet that will instruct you on how to perform certain electrical work however the knowledge gained from a 10 minute video is nothing compared to years of work and study. At South East Electrical we have electricians with decades of experience.

Keeping It Legal

Very little electrical work can be perform legally without a licensed electrician. For example you can change a light bulb. However installing a new power point, replacing a light switch, replacing a batten holder with a new light fitting, repairing an appliance such as a heater, altering the location of an existing power point, replacing a light fitting with a ceiling fan, constructing an extension lead, or replacing a plug on the end of a lead. These are all examples of things that are illegal to perform yourself and can result in penalties.

Queensland has penalties of up to  $100,000 or two years imprisonment if injury or death is caused as a result of illegal electrical work.

Think About It

Think about that handyman you might hire. Even if he has years of electrical experience it doesn’t mean he knows what to do, how to do it safely, or the pitfalls of doing it incorrectly. Importantly for him, he may be liable for for any damages or injuries caused by the work you hired him to do. Moreover if they do not hold an electrical contractor licence they are in direct violation of section 56 of the Electrical Safety Act.

Home electrical DIY and handyman jobs aren’t a good idea. You want it done properly and safely. For free advise on your electrical upgrades call South East Electrical on 1300 997 621.