What is an EICR and what does it check?
An Electrical Installation Condition Report is a formal check of the fixed electrical installation in a building. It looks at whether the wiring is safe to keep using, not whether it meets every rule that applies to brand new work.
The inspection covers the distribution board or consumer unit, the main earthing and bonding, the circuits, and the sockets, switches and light fittings they feed. We look for damage, overheating, wear and poor workmanship, then test each circuit to measure what the eye cannot see, such as insulation resistance and how quickly a fault is disconnected.
It does not cover plug-in equipment such as kettles, monitors or fridges. That is portable appliance testing, which we can do on the same visit.
How often does a business or landlord need an EICR?
Landlords of rented homes in England must have one at least every five years, by law. For businesses there is no single fixed interval in law, so guidance and your insurer usually decide it.
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 put a duty on employers and people in control of premises to keep electrical systems safe. A periodic EICR is how most businesses show they are doing that. Industry guidance commonly suggests up to five years for offices and shops, and shorter intervals for some premises, such as industrial units or places with heavy use. Your insurer or the previous report may set a shorter interval, and that is the one to follow.
An inspection also makes sense when you take on a lease or change how the space is used.
- Rented homes (England)
- At least every five years, or sooner if the report says.
- Offices and shops
- Guidance commonly suggests up to five years.
- Industrial and heavy-use premises
- Often more frequent; check guidance and your insurer.
- Any premises
- Follow the next inspection date on your last report.
What do the codes C1, C2, C3 and FI mean?
Each problem found is listed as an observation with a code. The codes tell you how serious it is and how quickly to act.
- C1: Danger present
- Risk of injury now. Action is needed immediately, usually making safe on the spot.
- C2: Potentially dangerous
- Not dangerous this minute, but could become so. Urgent remedial work needed.
- C3: Improvement recommended
- Does not meet current standards but is not unsafe. Not a fail on its own.
- FI: Further investigation
- Something needs looking into further, without delay, before it can be coded.
What is the difference between satisfactory and unsatisfactory?
If the report has any C1, C2 or FI observation, the overall result is unsatisfactory. If it only has C3 observations, or none at all, it is satisfactory.
An unsatisfactory result does not mean the building has to close. It means specific items need putting right. Once that work is done and certified, you have the evidence that the installation is safe to keep using. For landlords, the remedial work has to be done within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so.
C3 items are still worth reading, as they often point to older parts of the installation worth budgeting for.
What happens on the day of the inspection?
Most of the testing needs each circuit switched off in turn, so we plan the day around your trading or your tenants. Circuits go off one at a time, usually for a short while each, not the whole building at once.
Before the visit we ask what must stay powered, such as tills, servers, fridges and alarm systems. We can test those circuits first thing, at the end of the day or when you are closed, within our hours of 8am to 8pm. Computers should be saved and shut down before their circuit is tested.
We also open up a sample of sockets, switches and fittings to check the connections behind them. The sample size is agreed with you beforehand and written on the report. It is often in the region of 10 to 25 per cent, but that is a judgement, not a rule. If the sample shows problems, we widen it.
How long does an EICR take?
It depends mainly on the number of circuits and boards, and how easy they are to reach. A small shop or flat with one board may take around half a day. An office or restaurant with several boards can take a full day or more.
Unlabelled boards, locked rooms and circuits that can only go off after hours all add time. Photos of each board and its circuit chart help us give an accurate fixed price.
What do you receive after the inspection?
You get the full Electrical Installation Condition Report and, if anything needs putting right, a separate fixed price for the remedial work.
- The overall result
- Satisfactory or unsatisfactory, with the reasons stated clearly.
- Observations
- Each defect listed with its location and code.
- Test schedules
- Circuit details and the measured results for each circuit.
- Limitations
- Anything not inspected and why, such as locked areas.
- Next inspection date
- The recommended date for the next EICR.
- Remedial quote
- One fixed price for fixing the coded items. You are free to choose who does it.