What is an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)?
An electrical installation condition report (EICR), or periodic inspection report as they used to be called, can often be referred to by customers as a Landlord Safety Test or Homebuyers Test.
The most common question our team get asked is, Do I need an Electrical Installation Condition Report? The simple answer is yes. Whether it’s your home, a business or a property you rent out, your entire electrical installation should always be covered by an in date Electrical Condition Report. Although it’s not a legal requirement to have an Electrical Condition Report, many legal documents refer to an Electrical Condition Report as a way of satisfying requirements.
Do you know that if you rent out a property and your tenant is electrocuted due to unsafe electrics then you can be prosecuted? Claiming that you were unaware of the condition of the electrical installation is not a suitable defence, in many areas, the local council will insist on a Condition Report for licencing rental properties.
How often should an EICR be carried out and what is the process?
The process will involve our highly qualified testing electricians inspecting every electrical component on your premise, to establish whether the overall condition of the property is satisfactory. After assessment, the report will detail which systems are satisfactory and which require attention to meet the UK Standard installations: BS7671.
The regularity of Electrical testing is dependent on differing factors:
- Domestic Installations – 10 years or change of occupancy
- Commercial Installations – 5 years or change of occupancy
- Industrial Installations – 3 years
- Residential accommodation – 5 years or change of occupancy
- Offices, shops & laboratories – 5 years
Any work that is required will be graded in importance of the work. Codes: C1, C2 and C3 will be applied to show you the severity of the fault:
- C1 means ‘Danger is present’, risk of injury is likely and IMMEDIATE action is required.
- C2 is the classification for POTENTIALLY dangerous and remedial action is needed urgently.
- C3 is the last classification code, and the only one that can appear on a report and have it still pass the EICR test. C3 means improvement to your electrical system is recommended but not required
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What is inspected in an EICR Report?
During the EICR report, we thoroughly test and inspect the consumer unit, wiring and electrical accessories. This includes:
- The competence of the earthing and bonding.
- Devices that safeguard against fire and electric shock.
- Any damage or wear and tear that could impact the safety of the properties occupants.
- Identify any damaged electrical fittings and accessories.
- Identify any exposed live wires that could result in fire or injury.
Registered, experienced & skilled electricians should only carry out an EICR. The qualification required to be able to carry out the report, requires a considerable volume of additional training & experience compared to your average electrician. This then allows our electricians to issue your electrical installation certificate (electrical safety certificate)