How I Saved Our Firm £42k This Year (And Got My Evenings Back)

Right, so I'm an electrician at a firm in Aberdeen. I've been on the tools for 10 years and now I handle the testing and all the paperwork approvals (basically acting QS).

Before anyone asks - yeah, I'm also the bloke who built TestFast because the existing cert software was driving me mental.

The Problem Was Actually Embarrassing

Our EICR process was absolutely bolloxed.

And I was the only one doing the paperwork. Not the other lads on the tools - they just did the testing, handed me their notes, and moved on to the next job.

Sometimes I'd have to step in and do inspections myself too. So I'd finish a thorough on-site inspection - 35-40 observations documented properly - then spend another 2-3 hours that evening processing not just my paperwork but everyone else's too instead of going home.

Nobody wins when one person becomes a full-time data entry clerk instead of doing actual electrical work.

What Changed

I didn't set out to build software honestly. I just needed to fix our own chaos.

I built a system with three things that actually mattered:

1. ZERO LAG

Click something, it happens instantly. No loading screens ever. Other platforms take 10 seconds just to search for a certificate. Absolute madness.

2. OBSERVATIONS BUILDER

This was the biggest time sink. You used to have to choose between half-assed observations like "cracked socket" or spending ages writing proper coded ones.

Now, you type rough notes and it transforms them into properly worded observations with correct BS 7671 codes. (We actually released a free version of this engine for you to try).

3. OCR & AUTOMATION THAT ACTUALLY WORKS

Scan your handwritten test sheets, boards, notes and the app fills the circuit schedule. The meter connects straight to the app, measurements go straight into the table.

It even auto-validates your readings against the Max Zs limits so you don't have to flick through the Regs book while you're typing it up.

Basically, I removed every bit of friction that had nothing to do with actual electrical work.

The Results

Sounds made up but it's not. Previously took me a full day to churn out 4 reports done properly. Now I can do about 10-12 in the same time.

We've processed over 300 reports in the past few months. Backlog is empty. Boss man saved hundreds of quid. And I actually get home at a decent hour to spend time with my 2-year-old instead of being glued to a laptop until bedtime.

The Money Bit (Because Directors Care About This)

Here's the exact breakdown:

That's nearly another full salary or pure profit depending how you look at it.

But the real win wasn't the money - it was getting home for dinner instead of fighting a laptop till 8pm.

Why I Built This

I didn't build this to sell software. I built it because I was drowning.

I was the one stuck doing all the cert work while the lads moved on to the next job. I'd finish on the tools at 5pm then be up past 10pm wrestling with clunky software that felt like it was actively trying to waste my time.

We were wasting time calculating diversity manually (which is why I built this Maximum Demand Calculator for the site) and checking cable runs. Our monthly bill for the old platform was £300-400. Mental. And the recent "upgrade" made it even worse.

I looked around for alternatives but only found poorly made tools that offered marginal improvements. Disappointing.

So I spent a year building something that works the way we actually work. Not designed by people who've never held a tester but by someone who's been doing this for a decade.

Turns out three other firms in Aberdeen saw our turnaround times and asked what we were using. Then some sparks on Reddit. Now it's 105+ electricians using it and the feedback has been proper encouraging.

See If TestFast Works for You

Currently in professional beta - free access while we refine the tool with electricians who refuse to compromise.

What you get:

• Zero-lag workflow (works online or offline)
• OCR for handwritten notes and test sheets
• Observations Builder with proper BS 7671 codes
• Direct support from someone who's actually held a tester

No card required. No commitment. Just see if it saves you 35 hours a week like it did for us.

Start Free Beta Access

Questions? Drop me an email at [email protected]