Contact - 01323 841488 or 07867 960711
or Email info@uk-building-assessments.co.uk
The EIC Report is a complete appraisal of the state of the electrical system, and it is applicable to both domestic and commercial premises.
Prior to purchasing a new home, homebuyers often request electrical safety certificates.
In business, Electrical Installation Condition Reports must be ordered on a regular basis to ensure that the building’s electrics comply with the HSW Act.
With the recent change in legislation it is vitally important that you act accordingly in order to make sure you and your properties are fully compliant. Just because you have a modern installation, or there have been no issues with it, it does not automatically mean that it is safe to use and meets the current guidelines.
As stated by the government statistics, around four people a day are injured or killed in fires connected with electrical faults, and electrical faults are the cause of almost half of all accidental UK house fires. Hence why every home should have a regular EICR check to ensure that all electrics are safe.
More and more insurance companies are requesting that periodic inspection is carried out on a regular basis. It may be required that electrical testing is regularly carried out and evidenced as part of your policy agreement. In most cases, the EICR will tell the insurance company if the accident was avoidable and it can help strengthen your insurance claim.
Do not wait until the electrical system is not working properly because you may end up spending more money on the repairs. If potential problems are identified early, they can be rectified before creating any further damage. In addition, the EICR offers solutions that improve the energy efficiency of the system and by reducing your energy consumption, you can also save money.
Not only does the EICR help identify the problems with the electrical system for safety, but it can also highlight areas to help decrease the use of electricity and to make the electrical system energy efficient. Upgrading appliances, wiring, lighting, heating and air conditioning, for instance, will improve the energy efficiency of the building.
Having been in the energy business since 2007, our gained knowledge puts us in an exceptional position to supply support and advice for all your Domestic or Commercial needs.
An EICR, or Electrical Inspection Condition Report, is an in-depth inspection of your property’s electrical systems and installation.
The inspection is to assess and identify any condition, deterioration or defect which has the potential to result in danger.
In this report, all the electrical systems and installations present in residential or commercial buildings are thoroughly inspected.
Legislation has recently changed and now states that from July 1st 2020, privately rented properties will need a valid EICR for all new tenancies and renewals.
If you have an existing tenancy you have until April 1st 2021 in order to get your EICR report.
Business owners also require a valid EICR as they are legally responsible for the welfare of their staff, customers or tenants, and could face prosecution should there be harm caused due to unsafe electrics.
If you are a homeowner, it is not a legal requirement to have an Electrical Installation Condition Report. However, it is advised that a new report should be undertaken every ten years for a privately owned property.
In addition, if you are looking to sell your property, your buyer's solicitor may well request in order for you to demonstrate regular maintenance to the property. It is also worth noting that if you fail to maintain your electrical systems, insurance companies can use this as a reason to refuse claims.
Rental Properties
The EICR report must be given to all of the tenants before they occupy the property and when a new report is undertaken you must provide tenants with a new report within 28 days of the inspection.
Electrical faults cause almost half of all household fires in the UK and as a result, failure to comply with regulations is taken very seriously. The local authority is responsible for enforcement and they can issue civil penalties of up to £30,000 per breach of these regulations.
Where non-urgent work have been identified they must serve the landlord a notice detailing the work required and giving them 28 days to perform the work. The landlord may make representations to this within 21 days of the notice being served. If they do then the local authority must respond to these representations within 7 days. Until they respond the requirement to perform the work is suspended.
Lastly, if the local authority is satisfied the landlord is in breach and they have the tenant's permission to do so, they may perform emergency remedial work on the property and bill the landlord for any costs incurred.
For rental properties, an Electrical Installation Condition Report lasts for 5 years but also recommends having the report renewed at the start of each new tenancy.
In general, most properties will require a routine check (every 6 to 12 months), then a full inspection at a different interval (from a year to 10 year).
It is advised that the EICR should be undertaken every ten years for a privately owned property and every five years for a rented property.
Landlords are encouraged to get a new EICR when there is a change of tenancy or every five years. If you fail to maintain your electrical systems, insurance companies can use this as a reason to refuse claims.
Guidelines state that the report must be carried out by a competent and qualified person.
A qualified electrician must have taken the proper courses and training that cover periodic testing and inspection of electrical installations and must be registered with scheme providers to ensure their compliance with the latest standards of safety in the field (IET 18th Edition).
It is recommended that you ask the contractor which scheme they are approved with and their certification credentials. The most commonly recognised accreditation bodies in the UK are NICEIC, Stroma, Napit and Elecsa.
The EICR inspection will thoroughly check to see if the electrical system in the property has any electrical faults and goes well beyond a simple visual check.
The survey involves a full inspection and test of a buildings fixed electrical wiring which includes all fixed electrical mains cabling, electrical distribution boards and goes through to the final electrical outlets such as electrical sockets, fused spurs, light fittings and switches.
The testing also consists of a combination of Visual Inspection, Dead Testing, and Live Testing and RCD Testing.
Visual Test
First the engineer will survey the installation before carrying out any testing. This will help highlight any issues caused by wear and tear, e.g. damaged cables or power switches. These are often the most obvious risks present in electrical installations.
Dead Testing
There are three aspects to dead testing - Continuity Testing, Insulation Resistance Testing, and Polarity Testing. These three aspects check if there are any badly connected conductors, make sure that the insulation material surrounding the conductors is intact and that the connection is connected in the right sequence.
Live Testing
This testing is to make sure that if a fault did occur, the system meets the right requirements to cause a disconnection of the supply within a time limit specified.
RCD Testing
Residual Current Devices (RCDs) are devices that are fitted to prevent shock and fire hazards.
Yes, there will be a short power outage whilst each circuit is tested.
This varies greatly depending on the size of the property, number of circuits, complexity of the installation and what potential issues are discovered during the inspection.
However a small flat can take around an hour with large homes sometimes taking up to 3 or 4 hours.
Yes. Simply having the inspection carried out is not enough if you plan to rent the property.
If the engineer deems any part of the system to be unsafe or not fit for purpose then they can mark the installation as ‘unsatisfactory’.
Getting the results of the report can sometimes take a few days as the engineer will need to upload his findings in a digital format which will then be emailed to you.
If your property meets the required standard then your report will be marked as ‘satisfactory’. Should your EICR not meet current requirements, the report will be classed as “unsatisfactory” meaning that the required work needs to be done in order to bring the installation to the required level.
As well as returning an “unsatisfactory” result, the report will then detail which part of the electrical system failed the test and why. Work required is classified using the following codes:
C1 - ‘danger is present’, risk of injury is likely and immediate action is required.
C2 - potentially dangerous and remedial action is needed urgently.
C3 - improvement to your electrical system is recommended. C3 is the only classification code that can appear on a report and still pass the EICR test.
If you receive a C1 fault, the assessor may shut-down the property, or if viable, remedial work will be carried out immediately.
Should you receive C2 observations, you must carry out the remedial works as specified within the government guidelines within 28 days.
Once completed, the Landlord must provide written confirmation to both their tenant and local authority that the works have been carried out within the required 28 days.
Mon 8.00am-6.00pm
Tue 8.00am-6.00pm
Wed 8.00am-6.00pm
Thur 8.00am-6.00pm
Fri 8.00am-6.00pm
Sat 8.00am-6.00pm
Sun Closed