Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR)
What is an EICR?
An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), formerly called a Period Inspection Report, is a report and not a certificate.
It serves to provide an assessment of the existing electrical installation against the current national standards.
The full report contains;
- Electrical Installation Condition Report
- Schedule of Inspections
- Schedule of Test Results
The report will summarise if the overall condition of the installation is satisfactory or not. It will also detail any defects found in order of their severity.
Is an EICR necessary?
Electrical Installation Condition Reports are necessary because all electrical installations deteriorate over time. This can be due to factors such as wear and tear, corrosion, damage, environmental influences and excessive electrical loading.
It is a legal requirement that electrical installations are maintained in a safe condition. Periodic inspection and testing is an industry recognised practice to help meet this requirement.
Who needs an EICR?
Electrical Installation Condition Reports are often required by:
- Landlords renting out property, also commonly described as the Private Rented Sector (PRS). If electrical appliances are left in the property then PAT Testing is also required.
- Insurance companies
- Mortgage Lenders
- Change of use or sale of property
- Home owners who want to check their electrics are safe
- Businesses meeting their legal requirements under the Electricity at work regulations 1989
What does an EICR include?
The Electrical Installation Condition Report includes a detailed assessment of the agreed parts of the installation with any limitations agreed before hand.
It does not include any work to rectify any defects or any problems found.
We will give you a full briefing to explain the contents of the report, including advice on how to remedy any issues discovered during the inspection and testing.
If at any point during the inspection of your installation anything is found that is considered to be significantly unsafe we will isolate it and make it safe. If at this point the result of the installation can not be tested the reporting will be terminated and full fee still due. Once the defect has been remedied then a new appointment can be made to inspect and test the whole installation.
Before our technician arrives
Here’s a list of documents you should make available (if you have them) and things you should do before we arrive to perform the inspection and testing:
Documents (if you have them):
- Initial Installation Certificates
- Previous EICR’s or other documents showing period inspection & testing
- Maintenance records
- Circuit diagrams, charts or tables
Checklist:
- Make sure full access to the consumer unit (fuse box) is available
- Tell us the height and location of the consumer unit (so we know what ladders to bring)
- Mains electric must be working and any paid for meters have enough credit
- Any known damage or problems must be clearly identified before the inspection begins.
- All electrical appliances must be unplugged
- Anything that can’t be unplugged or isolated must be identified as an agreed limitation.
