Getting gas safe registered after doing ACS

[AbsolutePlumb]

Hi all,
I left college at the end of july and have since received all my level 3 certificates, unvented card etc

On the Bpec unvented letter which came with certificates and id card, it says the gas safe register now have my details
But when i go on the gas safe website and click register online it doesnt once aknowledge that they know anythin about me and dont ask for any qualifications at all?
Ive gone throught the application online and got to the end where they just ask for £420 to complete registration

I know you have to pay to become registered, that isnt the problem
I just dont understand why I have done the qualifications if it seems any tom dick or harry can just register in exactly the same way i have?

Help please???

 

[Blake]

Hi,

Not sure I fully understand your question. So have you completed your ACS?

Once someone has been to college and taken there ACS and appliances etc and successfully passed, they will then need to apply to Gas Safe to be part of the scheme so you can legally work on gas. This is what costs you £420 as it includes a visit from the inspector. Also note, that even though you have your ACS, they are not obliged to accept you onto the scheme.

It does not matter which path you went down to get your ACS, and plumbing certs have no bearing on ACS or being Gas Safe Reg.

I have no formal plumbing certs but I'm Gas Safe Reg.

 

[AbsolutePlumb]

Thanks for your reply, yes i have completed the ACS. sorry i didnt make myself clear

My actual question really was, is this the correct way of getting on the gas safe register?
I was just concerned that i would be paying the 420 for something that isnt actually an official register considering they asked for no national insurance number, asked for no phot of me and asked nothing at all about ACS.

What kind of things do the inspectors usually ask you on your first time?
And what does the fee cover?

Thanks for your help

 

[Blake]

From memory, you pay your fee and then they will contact you with a date for the inspector to come around your house and meet you. He/she will want to see all of your certificates and a portfolio of work evidence if relevant. You will get asked some basic questions on gas safety, flueing and vent, but nothing that you would not have covered in your training.

They are not out to catch you out, just to make sure you are safe. If accepted, they will let you get on with it and then pay you a visit in 6-12 months to see how you are getting on.

I was petrified when I had my visit, but the chap was nice and it was fine.

Good luck with it

 

[AbsolutePlumb]

Thanks for your reply, so i presume the inspector will take a photo for the gas safe card?

 

[CMairiD]

Didn't you have to supply a passport photo for your BPEC course? Cos that's the photo that should have been submitted to Gas Safe on your behalf.

 

[AbsolutePlumb]

Yeh thats what i thought

The thing that confuses me is the fact that there is no mention what so ever about them holding my details or that they have been in contact with BPEC

Seems like a very bad system

 

[arfurdaley]

My understading of the process is when you complete your ACS, the certification body (BPEC, CITB etc) pass all your details on to Gas Safe. When you (or your employer )apply to Gas Safe to become registered, Gas Safe have all the relevant details (Name, NI no, photo details of what appliances you can work on) they then issue you with your Gas Safe card, licence no and put you on the register details of which can be viewed on their website.

I think theres some guys on here who work for the colleges, they may be able to advise you further.

 

[AbsolutePlumb]

Ah rite i see

So my next step is to complete the application, pay the money, then wait for the inspector to come see me who will have all my details from BPEC?

Sorry for all the questions i just thought it was strange how they didnt seem to know anything about me and didnt ask anything about me

 

[konimitsu]

Hi I did my ACS exmas in June but the fees had to be paid before hand and the registration fee was included (I think it was £90 fee for the Gas Safe register) the rest is for the exams etc.

Once you pass you hand over your photo etc and the guys who did the exams etc do the rest and send them off to the Gas Safe register who then send you back the card and enter your details online if accepted.

That is how I think it goes, not sure it is different for others but that is what happened with me and only 2 months ago.

How much did you pay for the ACS exams? Did not have a breakdown as only going from memory but sure it had the registration fee seperate but it HAD to be paid upfront with the exam fees.

 

[kirkgas]

Hi I did my ACS exmas in June but the fees had to be paid before hand and the registration fee was included (I think it was £90 fee for the Gas Safe register) the rest is for the exams etc.

Once you pass you hand over your photo etc and the guys who did the exams etc do the rest and send them off to the Gas Safe register who then send you back the card and enter your details online if accepted.

That is how I think it goes, not sure it is different for others but that is what happened with me and only 2 months ago.

How much did you pay for the ACS exams? Did not have a breakdown as only going from memory but sure it had the registration fee seperate but it HAD to be paid upfront with the exam fees.

if i'm reading your post correctly you wont like my answer!! i think what you have paid for is a certification fee on top of your training/assessment, you have NOT paid for your gas safe registration, its not the way it is done, to answer your post and the OP's, you pay a college, you get trained and assessed, you also pay an "internal" certification fee to get your paperwork processed by the certification body, when you pass the certification body sends an electronic download to Gas Safe, who for want of a better phrase put you in a "holding tank" as a person who has passed the criteria but is not yet registered to do work, soon after this you will receive your certificate from the certification body, this is the dangerous group to be in as you have a cert but are not registered to work on gas, only after you pay your £420 (for the 1st year, thereafter about £200 per year) and fill out the application form, which is cross referenced with the download from the certification body, and get visited by the inspector will your "company" get added to the register allowing you to do gas work as a 3 month probationer subject to subsequent visits ensuring your work is ok, a lot of people think when they leave the college after their exam that they can do gas work which isn't the case.
the reason the college dont include your gas safe register money is 2 fold, 1 they cant apply on your behalf and 2 depending on your route the fee will be £420 to get a new company on the register or if you are joining an existing firm as an employee the fee is £63. hope this helps

 

[mike_s]

I passed my ACS in July, within about 2 weeks I got a letter from BPEC with my qualifications on, then my dad added me as an engineer to his company for 40 quid and I was instantly listed on the Gas Safe website with my picture and the work I am qualified to do as BPEC pass your details and picture on to Gas Safe for you. Within a further 2 weeks I had my Gas Safe card.

 

[fuzzy]

gas safe asked for my photo and a copy of all quals, they just use last years photo from then on, it may look silly in 20 years though!!!lol