Electrical Contractors' Association

Electrical Contractors' Association
Abbreviation ECA
Formation 1901
Type Trade association
Legal status Non-profit company (No. 00143669)
Purpose Electrical contractors in England, Northern Ireland and Wales
Headquarters ESCA House
Location
Region served
 England, Northern Ireland, Wales
Membership
 c. 3000 electrical contractors
Group Chief Executive Officer
 Steve Bratt
Main organ
 (President: Philip Fagg)
Affiliations Association Européenne de l'Installation Electrique, National Home Improvement Council, Specialist Engineering Contractors Group
Staff
 130
Website ECA

The Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) is the main trade association for contractors involved in electrical engineering projects in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. In 2010, it had over 3000 registered members - companies who collectively employed over 30,000 UK workers and generated annual revenues of over £5 billion (the UK electrical contracting industry is worth £10 billion). The ECA is currently either leading or active across various building services technical and training issues, and in particular those relating to electrical engineering, in both the domestic and commercial sectors.

History

Founded in 1901, the ECA represents contractors who design, install, inspect, test and maintain electrical and electronic equipment and services. It was incorporated on 19 April 1916.

Electricity industry improvements

The ECA played a particularly important part in the 1920s and 1930s when electric power was introduced to most houses. Before this time, and the formation of the National Grid, electricity was supplied at different voltages and frequencies. Previously most electrical power networks were owned by local authorities. In the 1920s, some local authorities wanted to have the statutory obligation to electrically wire houses exclusively themselves, when the Electricity (Supply) Act 1926 was being discussed (which led to the National Grid by the Electricity Commission. At the time 500,000 workers worked in the electrical industry in the United Kingdom. In 1930 there were around three million consumers of electricity.

The modern system of plugs and sockets was specified by BS 1363 in 1947. The 1926 Act had led to a (much-needed) centralisation of the UK electrical industry but the Electricity Act 1947 lead to the regional network of electricity boards set up by the British Electricity Authority. The boards became public electricity suppliers in 1990.

ECA finances

Although, for a trade association, the financial position of the ECA is relatively strong, in November 2012, it was reported to have lost £26m through a "disastrous investment" in the Lloyd’s insurance market, which required it to accelarate its plan to cut costs and restructure its operations.[1]

Function

The ECA website says it has three main aims:

It represents the views of specialist electrical contractors on the UK Contractors Group and the Specialist Engineering Contractors Group. It holds the ECA Electrical Industry Conference each May. It holds the ECA Edmundson Apprentice of the Year and Adult Trainee of the Year Awards annually.

Publications

It produces the ECA Today magazine every quarter.[3]

Location

The ECA head office is in Palace Court, off Bayswater Road (the A402); the nearest tube station is Bayswater.

Regional offices

See also

References

  1. ↑ Prior, Grant. "ECA loses £26m in Lloyd’s insurance nightmare". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  2. ↑ About the ECA (website accessed 01 September 2010)
  3. ↑ ECA Today

External links

Video clips