An EICR test, or electrical installation condition report, is an essential part of keeping the electrics in your property safe. It identifies any damage, faults or deterioration to your electrical wiring and installations that could cause danger to people. In addition, it highlights any areas where repairs are needed urgently. It also includes a schedule of recommendations for future work to be carried out. It is a legal requirement for landlords to have an EICR conducted regularly for their properties and it is also recommended that homeowners get one done at least every 10 years.
If you are a homeowner and have not had an eicr uk conducted recently, it is definitely worth booking one in with your local electrician. It is estimated that around four people a day are killed or injured in house fires caused by electrical faults. This is why it is so important to have a regular EICR test carried out by a fully qualified electrician.
When you contact an electrician to carry out a EICR test, they will book an appointment time and date with you and then visit your property in order to complete the inspection. They will start by carrying out a visual inspection and checking for any obvious issues such as overheating sockets or broken plugs. This will be followed by a detailed inspection of all the fixed wiring in your home including your fuse box and earthing, and a sample of a number of outlets. The duration of an EICR depends on the size of your property and the number of circuits that need to be tested, but it usually takes between 1 and 3 hours.
Landlords must have an EICR test completed before renting out their property and also have it renewed every five years. This is due to new legislation which states that all privately rented properties must have a valid EICR certificate in place before any tenant moves in. This is a mandatory part of the regulations set out in The Housing Act 2004 and the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.
If your landlord fails to have a valid EICR certificate in your property, then they are in breach of the law and you can report them to Trading Standards. The EICR report should be clearly displayed in your property and you must also keep a copy of it for the duration of the tenancy.
If you are looking at buying a property, it is advisable to have an EICR carried out by a professional electrician prior to purchasing it. This will ensure that the seller has kept their electrics up to date and that they are safe for you and your family to live in. Mr Electric Northampton visited a property last week which had a newly-built house with brand new electrics, however when our highly trained City and Guilds electricians carried out their EICR it revealed a whole host of problems!