EICRs and electrical testing
Landlord and homeowner EICRs, inspection, testing and certification.
In short
An EICR, or Electrical Installation Condition Report, is a formal inspection and test of a property’s fixed wiring that grades what it finds. C1 means danger is present and needs putting right immediately, C2 means potentially dangerous and needs remedial work, C3 is an improvement recommendation, and FI means something needs further investigation. Any C1 or C2 makes the report unsatisfactory. Private landlords in England must have a satisfactory EICR carried out at least every five years and give a copy to their tenants.
An EICR is not a formality. It is the only way to find out what is actually going on inside an installation, because the faults that matter are rarely visible from the front of a socket. Testing measures the things you cannot see: whether the earth is doing its job, whether the insulation has broken down, and whether the protective devices actually disconnect in the time they are supposed to.
When you need an EICR
- You are a private landlord in England: at least every five years, and for each new tenancy
- You are buying a property, particularly one not rewired in decades
- You are selling, and the buyer’s solicitor has asked about the electrics
- The installation is over ten years old and has never been formally tested
- A change of use, an extension or a loft conversion has altered the installation
- Something has been happening that nobody has got to the bottom of
What the job involves
Every property is different, but the shape of the work is usually the same. Here is how a typical eicrs and electrical testing job runs.
Agree access and timing
Testing means the power is off in stages, so it is arranged around the property being empty, or around a tenant if it is occupied. Access is needed to the consumer unit, the meter and every accessory.
Visual inspection
The whole installation is looked over first: the board, the earthing and bonding, accessories, and anything obviously damaged, overloaded or wrongly installed.
Dead testing
With the supply isolated: continuity of protective conductors, ring circuit continuity, insulation resistance and polarity. This is where deteriorated cable and borrowed neutrals show up.
Live testing
With the supply back on: earth fault loop impedance, prospective fault current and RCD disconnection times, measured rather than assumed.
Report and explain it
You get the report with every observation coded, and a plain explanation of what each code actually means for you, which matters more than the paperwork. Anything coded C1 or C2 is talked through so you can decide what to do.
Want someone to take a look?
Call 07557 448945 or send a photo on WhatsApp and you will get a straight answer on what it needs.
EICRs and electrical testing near you
S. Sparham Electrical covers Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Pick your area for local detail, or call 07557 448945 if you are not sure whether you are in range.
Frequently asked questions
How often does a rented property need an EICR?
In England, private rented properties need a satisfactory EICR at least every five years under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, or sooner if the report itself specifies a shorter interval. A copy goes to the existing tenants and to any new tenant before they move in.
What do C1, C2 and C3 actually mean?
C1 is danger present, so somebody is at risk right now and it is made safe before we leave. C2 is potentially dangerous, meaning it would become a danger under fault conditions. C3 is an improvement recommendation, which does not make a report unsatisfactory. FI means further investigation is needed. Any C1 or C2 makes the overall report unsatisfactory until it is put right.
My EICR came back unsatisfactory. What now?
It means at least one C1 or C2 was found. The remedial work needs doing and then the report can be satisfied. It does not mean the whole installation is scrap, and it is worth understanding what was actually coded before agreeing to anything: a single unsatisfactory item is a repair, not a rewire.
How long does an EICR take?
A typical three-bedroom house is a few hours. Larger properties, commercial premises, or installations with a lot of circuits and poor labelling take longer, because every circuit has to be identified and tested individually.
Does the power have to be off?
For part of it, yes. The dead tests cannot be done with the installation live. It is not off continuously, but you should expect interruptions through the visit and plan around anything that cannot lose power.
Is an EICR the same as a PAT test?
No. An EICR covers the fixed wiring in the building: the circuits, the board and the accessories. PAT testing covers plug-in appliances. They are separate things and a landlord may need both.
Who is doing the work
Before anyone works on your electrics it is worth knowing what they are trained to do. This is what Stephen Sparham holds.