What’s an EICR?

Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs) are official documents provided by engineers or electricians after conducting electrical inspections on residential and business properties. The assessment is based on the quality of the building’s electrical installations.

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What’s an EICR?

Why is EICR important?

In the UK, up to seven fire incidents in a day can be attributed to faulty wires.

EICRs have five main purposes:

  • - Report any damage to electrical wiring that might compromise safety
  • - Find wires that don’t comply with IET Wiring Regulations
  • - Report any problem that may cause electric shocks and high temperatures
  • - Record the results of the assessment and ensure the electrical installations are safe to use until the next inspection
  • - Make a recording of the current assessment for future use

Why is EICR important?

What are inspected?

In an inspection, the electrician checks the following:

  • - Electricity supply installations
  • - Electrical fittings like visible wirings, light fixtures, electrical sockets and switches
  • - Fixed electrical equipment like electric heaters (incl. panel and storage heaters), boilers, other heat-producing equipment

Any electrical installation that fails to pass the test must be replaced or repaired immediately to comply with safety standards.

The inspector may classify problematic installations either as Code C1, Code C2 or Code C3.

What are inspected?

  • - Code C1 (\'Danger Present\') - Anybody using the faulty installation is at risk. A repair must be performed as soon as possible. A qualified person must ensure the installation will be safe to use moving forward.
  • - Code C2 (\'Potentially Dangerous\') - There is no immediate threat but the damage is likely to pose a threat in the future.
  • - Code C3 (\'Improvement Recommended\') –The damage may not present an immediate or potential danger but would result in a significantly safer environment if remedied.

 

Examples of Code C1 include exposed live wires that are accessible to human touch and conductive parts that have become exposed.

Examples of Code C2 include the absence or a reliable earthing, and when a metallic pipe is used for flammable liquids like gases.

Examples of Code C3 include the absence of a \'Safety Electrical Connection - Do Not Remove\' sign, and socket outlets mounted incorrectly.

How long does an assessment take?

A typical EICR assessment takes approximately 1-4 hours, depending on the size of the property and problems encountered.

What happens during an EICR inspection?

An EICR test can only be carried out by an electrician or electrical engineer.

For commercial and rental properties, operational limits will be established with a qualified electrician before work starts. You can request for certain areas to be exempted from inspection and testing, but the reasons for this must be explained.

For instance, you may request that cables concealed within walls, floors, trunking and conduits be left out from testing to ensure your plaster or flooring remains untouched throughout the test.

An EICR inspection will usually require a few minutes to several hours of downtime depending on the size of your property and the extent of testing needed. In some cases, the electrical inspection may require a complete shutdown of all servers and/or phone lines.

Both client and electrician must decide on a sampling rate, which indicates the percentage of sockets to be assessed. The sample size may be increased should any faults occur during the inspection of your property.

To start the inspection, the electrician will disconnect the electrical installation from the property’s main power supply. All wires, cables, fittings, sockets and components will be thoroughly tested based on the IET’s Wiring Regulations.


How often should EICRs be conducted?

The electrician will determine how frequent an EICR should be performed. For example, the standard inspection for a rental property should take place every five years, but the electrician can recommend inspection every three years if the electrics are old.

In general, inspection should be done every:

  • - 10 years for a privately owned property
  • - 5 years for a rental property
  • - 5 years for a commercial property
  • - 3 years for a caravan
  • - 3 years for an industrial installation
  • - 1 year for a swimming pool

How often should EICRs be conducted?

A periodic inspection must be carried out when selling a previously owned house, or if the property is a house in multiple occupation (HMO).

Issues that can be revealed during an EICR test include:

  • - Suitability of control gear and switchgear
  • - Potential faulty electrical work that could result in fires or electrical shocks
  • - Serviceability of switches, fuse board, sockets, light fittings and other electrical equipment
  • - The extent of damage or wear and tear on consumer units, appliances and electrical installations
  • - Condition of cables, light fittings and downlighters
  • - Changes in the property that have resulted in, or might result in, electrical issues
  • - Adequacy of bonding and earthing

 

Rental properties require regular inspections

The law requires landlords to ensure their electrical installations are checked by a qualified person every five years.
Likewise, it is their responsibility to maintain the integrity of the installations throughout the tenant\'s stay
New regulations from the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector state:

  • - By 1 July 2020, a landlord must give a tenant an accomplished EICR before their move-in date. The rules will apply only to new tenancies.
  • - By 1 April 2021, a landlord must supply any current tenants with an EICR

 

Failure to comply with regulations can cost fees of up to £30,000.

What happens when you neglect EICR testing?

Landlords are legally responsible for the safety and well-being of tenants, guests and employees.

Failing to resolve issues with your electrical system could result in hefty fines and legal consequences. You could be charged for negligence and non-compliance with the Electrical Safety Standards if someone in the property suffers an injury or damage to goods due to electrical deficiencies.

An EICR could also determine whether your insurance company will cover damage caused by electrical hazards to your premises.

Rental properties require regular inspections

Trust Prop Cert with electrical wires and cables

At Prop Cert, we have dedicated, accredited inspectors who handle your EICR requirements with unfailing efficiency and professionalism.


As part of our 5-star service, ease and convenience is something we proudly offer clients. Placing an order via our portal takes less than a minute. Once placed, the order gets assigned to our local electrician, who will make contact with the client within 24 hours.


An appointment will be booked within one to three days. Once the order is confirmed, the client will receive an email confirmation.


We have a bespoke order management system that allows clients to track their progress. Reach out to our experts NOW and get your electrical installations checked.

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