EICR’s FAQ

If your Installation is deemed Unsatisfactory, the EICR should list the observations in which it has failed, by categorising then into 3 categories C1 / C2 & C3. Until these observations have been rectified, the installation will remain unsatisfactory.

No, you don’t have to stay with the same contractor who completed the EICR. There is nothing stopping you getting quotations from other contractors to rectify any observations.

These are codes used to categorise any observations found. Any C1 or C2 observations found in an installation will automatically attract an unsatisfactory report.

C1 immediate danger, Immediate remedial action required.’ It is an immediate threat and should be rectified or made safe as soon as possible. Attracts unsatisfactory report findings and you’ll have to have these defects rectified in order to prove compliance.

C2 potentially dangerous, attracts unsatisfactory report findings and you’ll have to have these defects rectified in order to prove compliance.

C3 Improvement recommended, This means it does not comply with the regulations but isn’t actually dangerous. The installation can be deemed satisfactory if only C3 items have been found.

There’s none!! Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR) have many different names however they all mean the same thing and are in fact the same report. Here are some other common names for an EICR:

-Electrical safety certificate

-Landlords certificate

-Fixed wire test

-Periodic inspection

By Law, you must ensure all electrical installations, such as sockets and light fittings, are safe when tenants move in and are maintained for the duration of the tenancy.

We recommend that all landlords have an EICR completed on their properties as good practice to ensure that the electrical installation is safe for continued use.

Properties in Scotland & England, including HMO (House of Multiple Occupancy) are required by law to have an EICR completed every five years.

We also advise PAT testing appliances if you have provided the tenants with kettles/ dishwasher etc

If you don’t already have an EICR for the property then the insurance company will need one completed. Failure to do so will result in an invalid insurance policy.

It is a good idea to get an EICR for:

• Change of ownership (house or business)
• Change of Insurance company
• Periodically, for planned maintenance

EICR’s don’t have a set time until the next inspection. The qualified electrician takes into account the age of the current wiring, the use of the facility, future maintenance, alterations and it is up to the electrician to determine the next recommended test date.

However if everything was deemed in good condition please see below for maximum intervals between EICR’s:

Type of Workplace	Suggested Period between Visual Check	Suggested Period between Inspection & Testing
Commercial	1 year	5 years
Educational establishments	1 year	5 years
Hospitals	1 year	5 years
Industrial	1 year	3 years
Residential accommodation	1 year	5 years
Offices	1 year	5 years
Shops	1 year	5 years
Laboratories	1 year	5 years
Agricultural / Horticultural	1 year	3 years
Cinemas	1 year	3 year
Leisure complexes(excluding swimming pools)	1 year	3 years
Restaurants / Hotels	1 year	5 years
Theatres	1 year	3 years
Public houses / Bars	1 year	5 years
Marinas	4 months	1 year
Laundrettes	1 year	1 year
Petrol stations	1 year	3 years
Construction sites	3 Months	6 Month

A short power outage can be expected on each circuit within the system. But because most of the testing is carried out whilst the system is still live, these outages can be planned around your daily activities.

Every electrical installation deteriorates with use and age. It is important for the person responsible for the maintenance of the installation to be sure that the safety of users is not put at risk, and that the installation continues to be in a safe and serviceable condition.

Increasingly and rightly so, an EICR is commonly asked for when purchasing a house to identify what condition the electrical installation is in and if it is in a safe & satisfactory condition.

No an EICR is not required however they are increasingly being requested from the buyer and we would recommend you get an EICR on the house you are buying.

For a Domestic EICR, these can take anywhere from 3 hours to 1 day depending on size.

For a Domestic property we charge £150.00 +VAT and for Commercial properties it is priced on application.

If an employee/ member of the public or tenant was to be injured by an unsafe electrical installation and you were the person responsible for the electrical up keep of the installation then you face:

• An expensive fine

• Imprisonment

• Potential criminal charges in the event of injury or death

• Invalid property insurance, which will cause expensive court/insurance costs.