Two plumbers have been fined for breaching WA’s electricity licensing regulations by assessing electrical installations without holding an electrical worker’s licence.

The plumbers assessed customers’ switchboards without an electrical licence and the magistrate noted offensive conduct, sales tactics and vulnerable victims.

At the time of the offences, the 34-year-old and the 26-year-old were employed by a large Perth plumbing, gas and electrical company.

Their defence lawyer, Trent Andrews, told the court his clients were following instructions from the business, which was “sending out all their plumbing workforce and getting electrical work” and using a script that mentioned a well-known electric shock incident that seriously injured a young girl in Beldon.

“It sounds like a scam. It doesn’t sound like fair business to me,” Magistrate Donna Webb says in court, adding that the men’s conduct was morally “offensive” as it involved vulnerable people and sales tactics.

“When they were called out to attend people’s homes, they were doing assessments on electrical power boards and other electrical fittings and then basically having a sales spiel encouraging the person that they needed to upgrade either their meter box or other electrical circuitry,” she adds.

“What is particularly concerning…is the vulnerability of the people whose homes they were attending.

“The conduct is offensive in terms of the spiel that they had to give in terms of getting people to sign up to having work done. We don’t know whether that work was necessary… and certainly, the accused wouldn’t be able to tell whether that work was necessary because they weren’t trained electricians.”

WA’s director of energy safety, Saj Abdoolakhan, says unlicensed electrical work was a serious offence that could cause injury or death.

“No one should be assessing electrical installations at your home unless they are a licensed electrician, which involves at least four years of training and experience.

“Businesses and individuals who provide unqualified electrical advice – particularly with the aim of instilling fear and exploiting trust for financial gain – should know the regulator is watching and the community is getting wiser.

“When engaging a tradesperson, consumers should only take advice from a trusted and appropriately qualified person, as well as seeking out more than one quote for the work.”