We have become so used to arriving home, flicking a switch on the wall and a light comes on, or pressing a button on the remote and our television springs to life that we take it very much for granted. Cookers, fridges, washing machines and other appliances all work because they rely on electricity being fed to them through a network of electrical cables and wires. Most of them are buried inside the walls of our houses where they were routed when the property was built.

This mean that if your property is sixty years old, your electrical wiring is also sixty years old and as such may well be starting to deteriorate. It is also true to assume that the original wiring has been added to or altered since it was first installed. A house built a generation ago would not be equipped with multiple televisions, a Sky or Virgin box, computer equipment, dish washer and other items of electrical equipment which would nowadays be loading aging electrical wiring.

Either way, because it is hidden from sight the first sign that there is a wiring problem could be switches tripping out in the fuse box or worse still, a fire. Fires caused by faulty electrics affect 20,000 homes in the UK every year with electrical products cause around 90 per cent of the fires, while approximately 10 per cent can be attributed to faulty wiring. Faults with the fuse board, switches or sockets could cause electric shock or fire, causing injury and damage to occupants. Most of these fires could be avoided by regular inspection and maintenance of electric installations.

Electrical installations, in common with most aspects of house building are regulated by standards in order to ensure safety. All buildings must comply with the current building regulations which were in place at the time of construction. Part P of building regulations states that anyone carrying out electrical installation work in a home must ensure that the work is designed and installed to protect from electrical fire and electric shocks. Part P applies to all changes made to existing installations, including any parts that have been rewired and the British standard for electrical safety, although not mandatory is British Standard BS 7671.

Today’s regulations are much more stringent than those of past generations and much more focussed on safety. That being the case it is unwise to assume that your electrical circuitry is safe and in good condition without having it check by a qualified electrician. Although not mandatory, Electrical Installation Condition Reports are recommended to be carried out by a suitably qualified electrician every ten years in residential properties

An Electrical Installation Condition Report or EICR is a formal document produced by an electrician or electrical engineer after a comprehensive assessment of electrical systems within any commercial, domestic or industrial property and has five main purposes:

1. To ensure that all electrical installations on the property are safe. Your electrician will inspect the electrical installation from the fuse box or consumer unit to the wall sockets, including hard wired equipment such as cookers to make sure that it is free of damage or deterioration due to wear and tear. He or she will also check an installation or relevant equipment to ensure that it is properly installed.
2. The report will identify damage and wear and tear that might affect the safety of the installation. If faults are found, the electrician will recommend the appropriate corrective measures.
3. To find components of an electrical installation that do not meet regulations, such as consumer units, control and switchgear, the bonding and earthing of wires and cables and the conditions of sockets.
4. Determine any electrical appliances which show signs of damage and wear and tear, recommending the repair and replacement of items deemed unsafe.
5. The report will record the condition of your electrical installation for comparison to be used in future inspections to determine any rate of deterioration. In the event an accident occurs, your Electrical Installation Condition Report will provide proof that you have taken the necessary steps to ensure the integrity of the installation.

Landlords are expected to ensure the safety of their tenants throughout their tenancy. This includes making sure that electrical appliances, wires and fuse boxes are safely installed and working properly. The latest regulations of The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector state that all private landlords should make sure that all electrical installations are in good working condition. An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EIC) also known as a Landlord Safety Test, provides that for the installed electrical elements in a property including the fuse box or consumer unit, wiring and sockets as well as any hard wired electrical appliances such as cookers and should be carried out at most every five years.

The Electrical Installation Condition Report will show any faults and the UK government have stipulated that inspectors will use the following classifications to indicate where a landlord must undertake remedial work: 

    Code 1 (C1): Danger present. Risk of injury. The electrical inspector may make any C1 hazards safe before leaving the property. 

    Code 2 (C2): Potentially dangerous. Further Investigation (FI) required without delay. 

    Code 3 (C3): Improvement recommended. Further remedial work is not required for the report to be deemed satisfactory. 

An Electrical Installation Report does not cover portable or plug in electrical appliances, such as microwaves, kettles, lamps or televisions, a private landlord must have an extra Portable Appliance Test (PAT) carried out to cover these items. For landlords, a Gas Safety Certificates is also required.

As well as highlighting any faulty wiring or equipment to raise safety issues, an EICR will emphasise any potential ways to save electricity either by reconfiguring parts of the system or replacing older less efficient equipment with a view to cutting down your energy usage, which will in turn both save you money and lessen your carbon footprint, which will help to cut down greenhouse gas emissions.

If you are looking for help with any electrical issues, you may find some of these services useful: