EICR certificate, Dartford and north Kent
An Electrical Installation Condition Report on the fixed wiring of a flat or house, for landlords, sellers, buyers and homeowners across Dartford, Gravesham, Bexley and the Kent side of south east London. The report sets out every circuit, every defect and its code, and the date the next inspection is due.
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A board David replaced after an EICR found no RCD and no surge protection.
Landlords, sellers and homeowners
The inspection is the same whoever orders it. What changes is why it is wanted and what happens next.
The inspection, on the day
From the customer’s side an EICR is mostly waiting and a lot of switching off. The inspector starts by looking at the supply: where the cable comes in, what kind of earthing it provides, the size of the main fuse and the condition of the meter tails and the main switch. Then the consumer unit cover comes off and the power is isolated one circuit at a time, which is why the lights and sockets go off and on through the visit and why anyone working from home needs a warning. Every circuit is tested from the board, and a sample of the sockets, switches, light fittings and connection points around the house is opened and examined behind the faceplate, room by room, including the bathroom, the kitchen and the loft where cables run. Fixed equipment on its own circuit, a shower, an oven or an extractor fan, is part of the installation and is checked too. Anything that could not be reached is written into the report as a limitation, so the reader knows exactly what the inspection did and did not see. At the end the readings, the observations and their codes go into the report, and it states plainly whether the installation is satisfactory for continued use.
Plan on a few hours for an ordinary house.
The four codes
- C1 Danger present
- Danger is present and there is a risk of injury. The report is unsatisfactory and the work has to be done.
- C2 Potentially dangerous
- Potentially dangerous. The report is unsatisfactory and the work has to be done.
- FI Further investigation
- Further investigation is needed without delay. The report is unsatisfactory until it is done.
- C3 Improvement recommended
- Improvement recommended. It does not fail the report, and landlords do not have to act on it.
Source: GOV.UK, Electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors
EICR cost
How much is an EICR? It depends on the property more than on anything else. The figure moves with the number of circuits on the board, the size of the flat or house, how easy the consumer unit and the wiring are to get to, and the age of the installation, because an older board with more to record takes longer to test and write up.
The quickest way to a firm price is the form on this page. Say how many properties, add the postcode, and attach a photo of the fuse board if you can.
What sets the price
- Number of circuitsEach one is tested and recorded on its own line.
- Size of the propertyMore rooms, more points to sample.
- AccessA board behind a cupboard of shoes, a loft with no boards.
- Age of the boardAn older installation has more to check and write down.
Anatomy of a report
An EICR follows the model form in BS 7671, so a report from one electrician reads in the same order as a report from another. These are the parts a landlord, a buyer or a letting agent turns to first.
Specimen layout, drawn for this page. No real property.
Electrical Installation Condition Report Specimen layout
no real property
- Details of the client and the installationWho ordered the report, the address, the reason for it, the estimated age of the wiring.
- Extent and limitationsWhat was inspected, what was sampled, and what could not be reached.
- Summary of the conditionThe overall verdict: satisfactory or unsatisfactory for continued use.
- Recommendations and next inspectionThe date by which the next inspection is due.
- Supply and earthingThe type of supply, the earthing arrangement, the main fuse, the main switch and the bonding.
- ObservationsEvery defect, where it is, and its code.
- SchedulesThe inspection checklist, then a line for every circuit with its test results.
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EICR questions
How long does an EICR take?
A few hours in an ordinary house. The time goes on the number of circuits, how easy the board and the sockets are to reach, and how much of the house has to be opened up to see behind the faceplates. A large house, or a flat with a hard-to-reach board, takes longer.
How long is an EICR valid?
For a rented home, until the date the report sets for the next inspection, and never more than five years. For a home you live in, Electrical Safety First recommends another inspection at least every 10 years.
Does a C3 fail the report?
No. C3 means improvement recommended. Only a C1, a C2 or an FI makes the report unsatisfactory.
Does someone need to be at the property?
Someone has to let the inspector in and give access to every room, the loft if there is wiring in it, and the consumer unit. The power goes off circuit by circuit during the testing, so plan around fridges, freezers and anyone working from home.