Terms of business

Last updated: October 2026.

These are the terms of business for the PAT testing and related services provided by MS Electrical, a sole trader business run by Mike Stevens, based near Banbury, Oxfordshire. They apply to every job unless we have agreed something different with you in writing. By booking a job with us you accept them. Contact us on 07590 405169 or at pat@mikestevens.uk.

Our normal working hours are Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm. Evening and overnight work is available by arrangement at a rate agreed before the visit.

Our services

We carry out in-service inspection and testing of portable appliances (PAT testing), along with related services such as microwave leakage testing and testing for events and production companies. A test involves a visual inspection and electrical testing of each appliance, a pass or fail label on each item, minor repairs where practical, and a PDF certificate with an itemised report. Any parts we fit, such as a new plug or fuse, are charged separately.

Quotes and prices

Prices shown on the website and in any quote are a guide based on the information you give us. The final price is confirmed with you and depends on the number and type of items and the site. MS Electrical is not VAT registered, so no VAT is added. Our minimum charge is £50 (for up to 50 items). Any parts fitted during minor repairs, such as plugs or fuses, are charged separately. Travel is free for the first 30 miles from our Banbury base. Beyond that we charge £1 a mile for each mile past the first 30, measured one way, which covers the return journey, and we tell you the amount when we confirm the booking. Evening and overnight (out-of-hours) work is available at a rate agreed before the visit.

Booking, changes and cancellations

You can book online or by contacting us. If you need to change or cancel, please let us know as early as you can, so we can offer the slot to someone else. We may treat repeated missed appointments as a cancellation.

Access and your responsibilities

So we can complete the work safely and on time, please make sure the items to be tested are accessible, that we can reach power sockets, and that someone can give us access if the premises are not normally open. Please tell us in advance about anything on site that affects safety or access, including any equipment that is heavy, fixed in place or awkward to reach.

We work alone and to a booked time slot. Where access has to be arranged, or equipment has to be moved by your staff, please have that in hand before we arrive. If we cannot reach items on the day, they will be handled as set out below.

Equipment access and testing

Equipment Access & Testing Disclaimer

PAT testing is carried out on accessible, freestanding electrical equipment where the plug and cable can be safely accessed.

We do not dismantle, move, disconnect or otherwise interfere with fixed or integrated equipment where the plug or electrical connection is not readily accessible.

If an item cannot be safely accessed or moved due to its weight, position, risk of damage to flooring or the item itself, or a risk of injury to our technician, a full PAT test may not be possible. In these circumstances, a visual inspection will be carried out where reasonably practicable, and the item will be recorded as visually inspected rather than electrically tested.

We will not move equipment where doing so could reasonably result in injury, damage to the equipment, surrounding property or flooring.

Heavy or Difficult-to-Move Equipment

We do not routinely move, lift or reposition heavy, bulky, awkward or specialist equipment where doing so would require additional personnel, specialist lifting equipment or create a risk of injury or damage.

Where an item requires more than one person to move safely, the customer is responsible for providing suitable assistance and personnel to make the equipment safely accessible for testing.

Our technician will not undertake lifting or moving that they consider unsafe, excessive or outside the normal scope of PAT testing.

If suitable access cannot be provided, the equipment will receive a visual inspection where reasonably practicable and will be recorded accordingly.

The customer is responsible for providing safe and reasonable access to equipment that requires testing.

Items we cannot test on the day

Where an item is recorded as visually inspected rather than electrically tested, this is stated clearly on your certificate and itemised report against that item, so your records show exactly what was and was not done. We will tell you at the time. If you later make the item accessible, we can test it on a return visit, which is charged at the rates in force at the time unless we have agreed otherwise.

What testing does and does not cover

PAT testing checks that an appliance is safe to use at the time of testing. It is not a guarantee that an item will not develop a fault later. Testing of fixed wiring and installations (an EICR) is a separate service. If an appliance fails and cannot be made safe with a minor repair, we will label it and advise you to take it out of use; the decision to continue using any item is yours.

Results, certificates and records

Your certificate and itemised report are issued on completion, usually emailed the same day. We keep a copy of your records for around 18 months (see our privacy policy).

Payment

Payment is due on completion of the work unless we agree otherwise in advance. We will tell you the accepted payment methods when you book.

Insurance and liability

We carry £5m public liability insurance and work in line with the IET Code of Practice. Our liability for any claim connected with the work is limited to the value of the work carried out, except where the law does not allow such a limit. Nothing in these terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for anything else that cannot be excluded by law. We are not responsible for pre-existing faults, or for equipment we were not asked to test.

Complaints

If something is not right, please tell us as soon as you can, on 07590 405169 or at pat@mikestevens.uk. We will acknowledge your complaint within five working days and aim to resolve it within twenty working days. Telling us early usually means we can put it right on a return visit.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and any dispute will be subject to the courts of England and Wales.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. The date at the top shows when they were last changed.