Do You Need A Power Quality ‘Health Check’?

With energy efficiency set to play a crucial future role in the way we install and maintain electrical systems and products, Rob Barker, Director of Power Quality Expert, looks at why now is as good a time as any to offer your customers a Power Quality Health Check.

Following the recent publication of the 18th Edition wiring regulations, Energy Efficiency has now received its own entry (Appendix 17).

Clearly this is a significant development and means that areas such a Power Factor Correction, Voltage Optimisation, Data Logging, Load Profiling, Power Quality and Energy are now becoming more relevant when looking at an electrical installation.

However, this is not an area that electrical contractors are typically involved with on a day-to-day basis and the knowledge and experience required could be something that’s unavailable within their existing business.

So how can contractors start to offer this type of service to their customers?

One way is through a company like Power Quality Expert. We’ve recently developed Power Quality Health Check, a new report writing service that’s designed to provide this knowledge and experience to all electrical contractors and to allow them to add Power Quality Surveys and Energy reporting to their company profile by using us as their expert.

What type of investment is required?

When expanding into a new service area, electrical businesses always have to consider the investment needed for additional equipment.

This can often create an obstacle in the mind of the contractor, and is one of the reasons why our service has been designed to work on a “pay-as-you-go” basis. Additionally, the test equipment required can also be hired.

Many of the popular analysers will be available from your local electrical wholesaler and test equipment suppliers along with the Power Quality Health Check voucher.

Hire costs can vary, but the report vouchers are available for a recommended price of £150 + VAT. For the contractor who already has an analyser that they may not be using to its full potential, a voucher is all that is required to use the service.

What does a survey consist of?

A survey is normally undertaken over the course of seven days. Once complete the recorded information from the instrument can then be uploaded through the Power Quality Health Check portal, along with the unique voucher code. We’ll then analyse the data and produce a follow-up report.

As part of this report we’ll make recommendations for remedial work, where appropriate (installation of harmonic filters or power factor correction, for example) and present some of the more important analysis in a clear “traffic light” format to help you, as a contractor, engage your client with the results in a simple format.

The report is stored and made available on your own personal account where it can be viewed online, downloaded as a PDF or shared via a unique link with the customer.

The price that we recommend contractors charge their customers for a Power Quality Health Check is £350 + VAT per survey, so clearly an opportunity to add an extra profit stream to any forward-thinking business.