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An Electrical Installation Condition Report records the condition of the fixed wiring at the time of inspection. It involves visual inspection plus electrical testing of the circuits, and results in a report that is either satisfactory or unsatisfactory , with any observations coded.
10 questions in this topic. General UK guidance, not advice about a specific property.
An Electrical Installation Condition Report records the condition of the fixed wiring at the time of inspection. It involves visual inspection plus electrical testing of the circuits, and results in a report that is either satisfactory or unsatisfactory, with any observations coded.
It covers the fixed installation — the board, circuits, sockets, switches and fittings — not plug-in appliances.
A report is unsatisfactory if it contains any C1, C2 or FI. A report with only C3 items is satisfactory.
An unsatisfactory result means at least one C1, C2 or FI observation was recorded. The report should describe each one and where it is. The next step is remedial work to clear those items, after which written confirmation that the faults have been rectified can be issued.
You do not have to use the same electrician for the remedial work, and it is reasonable to have the scope priced from the report before committing.
Yes. The report is a description of the installation's condition, so any competent electrician can quote against it. Send the observation pages and photographs of the consumer unit and any affected areas.
Be aware that some observations cannot be fully priced until they are opened up — an FI code in particular means the extent is not yet known.
The widely used guidance is at least every 10 years for an owner-occupied home, every 5 years for rented property, and at a change of occupancy. Installations with a swimming pool or similar are inspected more frequently.
The recommended date for the next inspection is stated on the report itself, and can be shorter if the condition warrants it.
The power is switched off for parts of it — dead testing has to be done with circuits isolated — and then restored for live testing. Sockets, switches and light fittings are sampled and opened, so access to them matters.
Clear access to the consumer unit and to accessories behind furniture makes a real difference, and limited access has to be recorded as a limitation on the report.
Every EICR states the agreed extent and any limitations — for example, areas that could not be accessed, fittings that could not be opened, or a sampling percentage rather than 100% inspection. These are agreed before the inspection, not invented afterwards.
Read this section: a report with heavy limitations tells you much less about the installation than one without.
Where the work is notifiable under Part P you should also receive a Building Regulations compliance certificate.
Ask the electrician or firm that did the work first — they should hold a copy. If the work was notified under a competent person scheme, the scheme may also be able to supply a duplicate Building Regulations certificate, and the local authority holds records of work notified through building control.
If no certificate can be traced, an EICR is the usual way to establish the current condition for a solicitor or buyer.
An EICR covers the fixed installation — wiring, board, circuits and accessories. PAT testing covers plug-in appliances such as kettles, lamps and chargers.
They are separate exercises. A landlord furnishing a property with electrical appliances has a duty to make sure those are safe, which is where appliance testing is commonly used, but it is not part of the EICR.