Electrical Contractors' Association
Encyclopedia
The Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) is the main trade association
for contractors
involved in electrical engineering
projects in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
. 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 colonies
of the British Empire at the time were also wired according to that standard. 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.
The UK electrical contracting industry is worth £10 billion.
(A402). The nearest tube station is Bayswater tube station
. It is next to the boundary of Westminster
, and Kensington and Chelsea (Ossington Street).
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.
It represents the views of specialist electrical contractors on the UK Contractors Group
and the Specialist Engineering Contractors Group
. It holds the week-long ECA Electrical Industry Conference each May. It holds the ECA Edmundson Apprentice of the Year and Adult Trainee of the Year Awards each January.
From the 1920s to 1950s the annual dinner was held each January at the Savoy Hotel
.
Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
for contractors
Electrical contractor
An electrical contractor is a business person or firm that performs specialized construction work related to the design, installation, and maintenance of electrical systems—a $130 billion industry in the United States....
involved in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
projects in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
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 an 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 CommissionElectricity Commission (UK)
The Electricity Commission was a government department that oversaw the UK's electricity supply industry from 1919 until nationalisation in 1947...
. 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
BS 1363
BS 1363 is a British Standard which specifies the most common type of single-phase AC power plugs and sockets that are used in the United Kingdom. Distinctive characteristics of the system are shutters on the line and neutral socket holes, and a fuse in the plug...
in 1947. The colonies
British overseas territories
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
of the British Empire at the time were also wired according to that standard. 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
British Electricity Authority
The British Electricity Authority was established in 1948 with the nationalisation of the Great Britain's electricity supply industry. It was created by means of the Electricity Act 1947...
. The boards became Public Electricity Suppliers in 1990.
The UK electrical contracting industry is worth £10 billion.
Structure
It is based on Palace Court, off Bayswater RoadBayswater Road
Bayswater Road is the main road running across the north of Hyde Park, London. To the east Bayswater Road becomes Oxford Street . It is where the fictional upper middle class Forsyte family live in the BBC series the Forsyte Saga...
(A402). The nearest tube station is Bayswater tube station
Bayswater tube station
Bayswater is a London Underground station in the Bayswater area of the City of Westminster. It is served by the Circle and District lines, but is closed until 23rd of August for engineering works. It's between Notting Hill Gate and Paddington stations, in Travelcard Zone 1...
. It is next to the boundary of Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
, and Kensington and Chelsea (Ossington Street).
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.
Regional offices
- Central South - NewburyNewbury-In the United Kingdom:* Newbury, Berkshire**Newbury **Newbury Racecourse**Newbury F.C.**A.F.C. Newbury**Newbury R.F.C.**Newbury Building Society**Newbury Weekly News**Newbury College**Newbury railway station...
- East - Bury St Edmunds
- East Midlands - MountsorrelMountsorrelMountsorrel is a village in Leicestershire on the River Soar, just south of Loughborough with a population in 2001 of 6,662 inhabitants.-Geography:...
- Greater London - RomfordRomfordRomford is a large suburban town in north east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan...
- North East - DarlingtonDarlingtonDarlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
- North West - LymmLymmLymm is a large village and civil parish within the Warrington borough of Cheshire, in North West England. Lymm was an urban district of Cheshire from 1894 to 1974. The civil parish of Lymm incorporates the hamlets of Booths Hill, Broomedge, Church Green, Deansgreen, Heatley, Heatley Heath, Little...
- Northern Ireland - Bangor, County DownBangor, County DownBangor is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a seaside resort on the southern side of Belfast Lough and within the Belfast Metropolitan Area. Bangor Marina is one of the largest in Ireland, and holds Blue Flag status...
- South East - Heathfield, East SussexHeathfield, East SussexHeathfield is a small market town, and the principal settlement in the civil parish of Heathfield and Waldron in the Wealden District of East Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, England.-Location:...
- South Wales - LlanishenLlanishenLlanishen is a district in the north of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. Llanishen is well-known as the home of the 'Tax Offices', the tallest buildings in north Cardiff and a landmark for miles around...
, Cardiff - South West, and West - Aztec WestAztec WestAztec West is a business park in South Gloucestershire, England, situated at the northern fringes of Greater Bristol, near Bradley Stoke and Patchway. It is close to the M4 and M5 motorways and the Almondsbury Interchange. Adjacent is the A38 trunk road....
, AlmondsburyAlmondsburyAlmondsbury is a large village near junction 16 of the M5 motorway, in South Gloucestershire, England.-Description:The village is split by a steep hill, part of the escarpment overlooking the Severn floodplain. At the bottom of the hill is Lower Almondsbury where a pub and hotel, The Bowl Inn, is... - West Midlands - PenkridgePenkridgePenkridge is a market town and ancient parish in Staffordshire, England with a population of 7,836 . Many locals refer to it as a village, although it has a long history as an ecclesiastical and commercial centre. Its main distinction in the Middle Ages was as the site of an important collegiate...
Function
The ECA website says it has three main aims:- To provide support services to its Registered Members.
- To work with regulatory bodies, government and 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 work to enhance the profile and promote the use of Registered Members of all sizes, improving their profit potential.
It represents the views of specialist electrical contractors on the UK Contractors Group
UK Contractors Group
The UK Contractors Group is the main association for UK construction contractors. Established in January 2009, it succeeded the Major Contractors Group and the National Contractors Federation which had until that point represented the views of the leading UK contractors.Its members include Balfour...
and the Specialist Engineering Contractors Group
Specialist Engineering Contractors Group
The Specialist Engineering Contractors Group is a United Kingdom construction industry organisation, currently representing six specialist engineering membership associations...
. It holds the week-long ECA Electrical Industry Conference each May. It holds the ECA Edmundson Apprentice of the Year and Adult Trainee of the Year Awards each January.
From the 1920s to 1950s the annual dinner was held each January at the Savoy Hotel
Savoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel is a hotel located on the Strand, in the City of Westminster in central London. Built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, the hotel opened on 6 August 1889. It was the first in the Savoy group of hotels and restaurants owned by...
.
Publications
It produces the ECA Today magazine every two months. In the 1920s its publication was called the Electrical Contractor.See also
- Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing UnionElectrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing UnionThe Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union, known as the EETPU was a British trade union formed in 1968 as a union for electricians.-History:...
- NICEICNational Inspection Council for Electrical Installation ContractingThe National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting or NICEIC is one which regulates the training and work of electrical enterprises in the UK...
- British Cables Association
- International Electrotechnical CommissionInternational Electrotechnical CommissionThe International Electrotechnical Commission is a non-profit, non-governmental international standards organization that prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies – collectively known as "electrotechnology"...
- British Approvals Service for CablesBritish Approvals Service for CablesBritish Approvals Service for Cables is an independent, non-profit technical organisation which provides certification services to manufacturers of electrical cable in the United Kingdom...
- British Electrotechnical and Allied Manufacturers Association
- SELECT - the Electrical Contractors' Association for Scotland