ECA (formerly the Electrical Contractors' Association) is the main

trade association A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry. An industry trade association partic ...

for companies involved in electrotechnical and other technical engineering projects in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. In 2022 it had some 2600 registered members - companies who collectively generated annual revenues of over £6billion (e.g. the UK electrical contracting industry is worth in excess of £10 billion). ECA also has associate categories open to industry manufacturers, distributors, educators, clients and specifiers who wish to engage and collaborate with members. ECA is currently either leading or active across a range of built environment, building, construction, maintenance, and infrastructure issues, and in particular those relating to electrical engineering, mainly in the commercial, industrial and public sectors, as well as the domestic arena. Key areas of activity include: technical; standards; skills; health and safety; renewable, energy efficiency and other energy installations; supply chain procurement and payment; digitalisation; and employment issues.

History

Founded in 1901, the ECA represents contractors who design, install, inspect, test, monitor, and maintain electrical and electronic equipment and services. It was incorporated on 19 April 1916. ECA became the official trading name of 'Electrical Contractors' Association' in autumn 2017.

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. Today, the ECA actively represents the electrical and electronic contracting sectors, taking a leading role in both technical standards (notably

BS 7671 British Standard BS 7671 "Requirements for Electrical Installations. IET Wiring Regulations", informally called in the UK electrical community "The Regs", is the national standard in the United Kingdom for electrical installation and the safet ...

) and professional competencies in both the domestic and commercial sectors. It has diversified to cover not just electrical engineering, but also fire and security, datacomms, energy provision, building management systems, audiovisual, temporary installations, and other services. The Fire and Security Association (FSA) consists of members of ECA and ECA's Scottish counterpart, SELECT. With the charity Electrical Safety First, ECA owns Certsure LLP, which trades under certification brand NICEIC. With

Unite the Union Unite the Union, commonly known as Unite, is a British and Irish trade union which was formed on 1 May 2007 by the merger of Amicus and the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU). Unite is the second largest trade union in the UK (afte ...

(which includes members of the former Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union), ECA is a founder and partner in the Joint Industry Board (JIB), which oversees wage negotiations in the industry. JIB also runs the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS), which administers site cards for individuals.

Functions

The ECA has three main aims: *To provide support services to its Registered Members. These include advice on: technical issues, employment, health and safety, contracts, legal, energy solutions and skills. *To work with regulatory bodies, government and other opinion formers to build an efficient and sustainable industry, based on high standards of training and practice. * To form strategic relationships with those who specify electrical and other engineering services to enhance the profile and promote the use of Registered Members of all sizes. It represents the views of specialist electrical and other engineering companies within contractor group

Build UK Build UK is a representative organisation for the UK construction industry, formed by the September 2015 merger (announced the previous June) of the UK Contractors Group (UKCG) and the National Specialist Contractors Council (NSCC). By bringing to ...

and via

Actuate UK Actuate UK is an alliance of eight specialist engineering membership associations in the United Kingdom. It was formally launched in February 2021, in some respects superseding, but expanding on the activities of, the Specialist Engineering Contrac ...

. It holds a range of electrical industry conferences and other events, including the ECA Industry Awards and ECA Edmundson Apprentice of the Year Award annually.

Publications

It produces the ''ECA Today'' magazine every quarter.ECA Today
/ref> This is supplemented by ''ECA Today'' online - www.ecatoday.co.uk - which provides daily industry-related news and other content. In addition to free material for its members, the ECA also provides free checklists for commercial clients on selected topics, such as low carbon energy.

Location

ECA moved from its previously long established HQ in Bayswater, West London, via temporary premises in Hammersmith, to newly joint-owned offices in an 'industry hub' in

St Katharine Docks St Katharine Docks is a former dock and now a mixed-used district in Central London, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and within the East End. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, immediately downstream of the Tower of London an ...

, near London's

Tower Bridge Tower Bridge is a Grade I listed combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones and engineered by John Wolfe Barry with the help of Henry Marc Brunel. It crosses the River Thames clos ...

on 6 November 2017. Other bodies based in the hub include BEAMA, BESA (joint premises owner), Electrical Industries Charity, Electrical Distributors' Association and Voltimum.

Regional offices

* Central South - Basingstoke * East - Bury St Edmunds * East Midlands - Penkridge * Greater London -

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

* North East - Newton Aycliffe * North West - Warrington * Northern Ireland - Belfast * South Wales - Cardiff * West Midlands -

Penkridge Penkridge ( ) is a village and civil parish in South Staffordshire District in Staffordshire, England. It is to the south of Stafford, north of Wolverhampton, west of Cannock and east of Telford. The nearby town of Brewood is also not far awa ...

* South East - Sevenoaks * West / South West - Somerset

References

External links

ECA website

EuropeOn - European Association of Electrical Contractors
{{Authority control 1901 establishments in the United Kingdom Electrical safety in the United Kingdom Electrical trades organizations Electric power in the United Kingdom Trade associations based in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 1901