Kitchen cowboys beware

In the first three months of this year alone, Government advice service Consumer Direct received more than 19,000 complaints about builders, plumbers, electricians, decorators and other home improvement traders, estimated at a cost of £80 million to British homeowners.

This is up by millions of pounds from 2008, with most of the complaints about shoddy building work (£40m), fitted kitchens (£14m) and even central heating installation and servicing complaints (£5.5m).

We’ve all heard the horror stories of cowboy builders whose poor work fitting sinks and baths and air conditioners leaves many homes in a worse state than before work had been done.

In a drive to raise standards and keep out the cowboys, a new Industry Standards Register is being launched by the Kitchen, Bathroom and Bedroom Industries National Training Group, to help homeowners know whether their installer is approved. Initially for kitchen installers, it will eventually extend across all trades.

As part of the agreement with the NAPIT Group, who have been contracted to run the Register, the new register will provide a dedicated telephone line and email address from Monday the 19th of October, for enquiries or complaints.

With almost four million installations expected across the country in the next six months – as Britons look to improve their homes rather than jump on the rising property ladder - the chances of being on the receiving end of a poorly wired oven or bad plumbing on your new kitchen sink are as high as ever.

Kate Damania from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says, “We welcome voluntary initiatives like the ISR that improve the standard of service and care that customers receive. Improving standards in the KBB sector in this way is good for consumers and good for business

The Kitchens Bedrooms Bathrooms Industry Standards Register is operational from Monday the 19th of October. A dedicated phone line – 01623819092 – and an email address – isr@napit.org.uk – will also be open to handle enquiries about whether installers are approved and skilled.

For more information visit kbbntg.co.uk.