Sydney, NSW -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/08/2016 --According to NSW Fair Trading, more than 200 complaints and inquiries are receive annually regarding unlicensed tradespeople who are putting Australian families and homes at risk, by working without the correct license to undertake the work at hand.

In 2013, NSW Fair Trading commissioned independent research company Insight and Reason to survey 1,000 NSW home owners on how they have gone about hiring a trades-person in the past 18 months. While three quarters of home owners said that they checked license details before hiring, only 14% of these consumers went to the Fair Trading's website to do an official check. Most people simply looked for a license number on the side of a vehicle or in an advertisement.

Adem Colak is an electrician in Sydney and the CEO of Powerlink Electrical. He says that taking the time to double check license details is a must before hiring any trades-person.

"Taking a few minutes to check your electrician's license details on the NSW Fair Trading website is one important step you can take to ensure the safety of your family and your home," says Colak.

He warns home owners to, "Make sure that when you're searching for an electrician in Sydney you take the time to ensure they hold an appropriate licence for the work at hand. Not only is this an important safety measure, but in the case that something does happen and there is an incident in your home, if you have hired an unlicensed electrician you will have difficulty with your insurance claim. As a consumer, you won't be protected."

The NSW Fair Trading Website states that a trades-person has to be licensed when undertaking any electrical work regardless of the size of the job.

Check licensing details on the NSW Government Fair Trading Website

By doing a license check through the NSW Government Fair Trading website you'll not only be able to view an electricians current license details but you'll also be able to view their background information both historical and current.

"Making an informed decision is the first step to ensuring high quality work is always undertaken at your home or place of business. The NSW licensing system protects consumers by ensuring that you'll always deal with a legitimate business and a trades-person who has the appropriate qualifications for the job at hand," states Colak.

The Sydney business owner goes on to say, "As a professional electrician and business owner providing residential, commercial and an emergency electrician in Sydney service, I can't stress enough how important it is to hire an electrician who is licensed. Despite fines as high as $200,000 for individuals or even imprisonment can result if injury or death results from faulty work, we are still seeing unlicensed tradespeople operating who are dangerous and detrimental to our industry."

To conduct a licence check visit the NSW Government Fair Trading Website:
https://www.onegov.nsw.gov.au/publicregister/#/publicregister/categories

About Powerlink Electrical
If you are in need of an emergency electrician in Sydney or require the assistance of a domestic or commercial electrician, Powerlink Electrical are the licensed and experienced professionals you can trust.

For more information please phone 0404 521 444 or email us at adem@powerlinkelectrical.com.au