The time has come, you’re in need of a plumber and you need someone reliable, but how do you know if a contractor is a trusted professional?
There are thousands of contractors out there and it can be difficult to find someone you can rely on; we’ve all heard some horror stories and none of us want to let a rogue contractor into our home.
The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC) is a membership organisation for plumbers and heating engineers in England and Wales.
Any member of APHC must be a qualified professional business who are committed to delivering high standards of workmanship and customer service.
If you are looking for a reliable plumber or heating engineer, choosing an APHC member can give you the peace of mind that they are part of a reputable trade association and a group of vetted, qualified professionals.
In order to become an APHC member to begin with contractors must comply with industry standards including Building Regulations, Water Regulations and appropriate British Standards. It is also compulsory that APHC members operate a customer complaints procedure designed to achieve an amicable resolution to customer complaints and they must adhere to the APHC Customer Charter, which sets out the minimum trading standard requirements when dealing with customers. This ensures that APHC members offer unrivalled levels of customer service.
In addition, APHC also has strict quality assurance criteria that plumbing and heating companies must pass in order to be accepted as a member.
Core requirements against which APHC members are vetted:
• The business must comply with the requirements laid down in the ‘APHC Membership Schemes Rules’
• The business will provide full contact details on all relevant communications with customers including written correspondence, quotations, invoices and electronic communication.
• The business will ensure that appropriate levels of insurance are in place commensurate with the business activities – minimum £2M of public liability must be maintained at all times and minimum £5M of employer’s liability must be maintained at all times (if staff are employed).
• The business will ensure that only competent operatives are employed to undertake plumbing & heating work.
In addition, selected APHC members also have additional accreditations under the following schemes:
• Water Regulations Approved Contractor Scheme (WaterSafe)
• Competent Persons Scheme
• Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS)
By using an APHC member to undertake your plumbing and heating work it ensures that you are using a qualifies and reputable person who can perform to a high professional standard.
To find an APHC member in your area just search your postcode: www.aphc.co.uk/find-an-aphc-member/
