An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is a detailed report covering the condition of electrical systems and installations in a property, be it residential, commercial or industrial. They ensure the electrical systems and components in a property have been installed correctly and are in a good state of repair.   

Only qualified electricians can produce EICRs. For a typical domestic property, an EICR should take a few hours at most; electrical systems that are larger and/or more complex will take longer.

The first section of the report details your information as the property owners. The specifics of the property are then outlined, including the reason for the report, type of property and estimated age of the wiring system. If there is evidence of any additions or alterations to the original system, this will be noted down. Similarly, if there are installation records available this will be noted, along with the date of the last inspection.

What will an electrician look for in an EICR?

During an EICR, the electrician will be test the electrical installations and systems in your property against British Standards Requirements for Electrical Installations (IET Wiring Regulations). This involves performing a number of visual inspections and electrical tests, which should bring to light any: risk of components or installations overloading the system; risk of electric shocks; fire hazards; problems with earthing or bonding; risks of electrical faults or injury from defective equipment. 

During much of the inspection, electricity to the mains power supply will be disconnected.

These are the main areas an electrician will then look at:

Incoming power supply and meter

The electrician will visually inspect the mains supply and meter, checking that the casing and the components inside are in good condition. They will look for signs of damage (changes in colour, charring, cracked casing). They will also check that the cables in the mains supply are the correct size and in good condition, and that cables connecting metalwork are earthed or bonded correctly.

Consumer Unit/Fuse Board

The electrician will check that the unit is accessible, fixed in place, and that the enclosure is in good condition. Next, they will make sure that the devices on the fuse board are all compatible with the system, and that incompatible devices have not been added since the last inspection. They will test each terminal for tightness and ensure the protective device on each is correctly installed and in a good state of repair (no gaping holes or signs of damage), and that each device is labelled correctly. Lastly, the electrician will make sure that the wiring in the fuse board is the right size for the system and in good condition.

Cabling and wiring

As in the mains supply, meter and fuse board checks outlined above, the electrician will check that cabling and wiring is correct in terms of size, has been installed correctly and is not damaged or defective. For example, wires that have been attached to gas pipes for sake of convenience during installation are not acceptable, as the two supplies need to be easily separable in case of emergency. Similarly, where cabling passes through several floors or walls of a property, the holes need to be appropriately sealed to ensure fire cannot spread easily.

Individual sockets and switches

The electrician will check that these are intact, not damaged in any way, and show no signs of overheating. They may only inspect a portion of the sockets and switches in a property, usually between 10-20%, and detail their findings. For example, they may report that the wires are not under strain, no wires are visible outside of the socket enclosure and all components are all safely enclosed. If the sample of sockets and switches inspected were sound, then the electrician might not go on to check all the installations on the basis that whoever was in charge of these likely installed every one of them to the same high standard. However, if some defects or faults were found within the sample of sockets or switches inspected, the electrician should go on to inspect more to determine whether there are other faults to be found. If there are any sockets or switches outside, the covering on these will be checked to ensure it is suitably waterproof.

Installations in bathrooms or shower rooms, or ‘Special’ installations and locations

The ratings of installations in ‘special’ rooms should be checked against the regulations. For example, installations in bathrooms and shower rooms must now be connected to the RCD, whereas previously this was not a requirement. Similarly, it was previously allowed to have the oven switch above a gas cooker; this is not compliant with current regulations. As another example, bathroom installations should be low voltage and a minimum distance from the bath/shower.

Dead tests

Whilst the electricity to the mains supply is disconnected, the electrician will perform a number of ‘dead tests’. These include: tests of insulation resistance (determining how effective the insulation is at preventing the flow of electrical current); tests of polarity (ensuring the wiring and neutral conductors have been connected correctly); and continuity (to check whether a circuit is open or closed).

Live tests

The electrician will also perform a series of live tests, with the system connected to the mains power supply. These ensure the system cuts out in the event of an electric shock, an electrical fault or if the system becoming overloaded.

Outcome

An EICR will conclude with either a ‘satisfactory’ or ‘unsatisfactory’ outcome. In their report, the electrician will allocate a symbol or grade to each component tested.

If there is no fault, the component will be marked with a tick (✓).

If the inspection finds an issue, these components will be marked as C1, C2, C3 or FI according to the severity of the fault, with C1 being the most severe:

• C1: Danger present. Risk of injury. Immediate remedial action required.
  Ideally, if an electrician identifies a C1 fault in the system they should repair it there and then, as the danger is immediate.
• C2: Potentially dangerous- urgent remedial action required.
• C3:  Improvements recommended (but not required). If an installation doesn’t comply with the regulations but isn’t dangerous, C3 will be used.
• FI: Further investigation required without delay.
  This grade is rarely used, and it means that further investigation is needed to determine the condition of the system or if there are any faults, but the limitations of the inspection meant this couldn’t be substantiated on this occasion. For example, if there is a complex issue and the cause couldn’t be determined easily, this grade would be used. This or another electrician would then need to come back to the property to look into the issue further on another occasion.

If any C1 or C2 gradings are reported, the EICR will conclude that the system is ‘unsatisfactory’. A property can have a ‘satisfactory’ result with C3 faults identified.

The report should detail any issues found and recommendations for remedial work, if required. A good report will also refer to the specific regulation that the issue relates to, for example, “Wiring is exposed, Reg: xxxxxx. Cable is deteriorating, Reg xxxxxx.”. The electrician that conducted the EICR should also be able to explain these to you if need be.

Much like a car failing its MOT,  an unsatisfactory EICR will detail the remedial work necessary, and the property owner is free to have this work done by another electrician if they prefer. Also just like an MOT, failure (or in the case of an EICR, ‘unsatisfactory’) is not necessarily a reason to despair! Of course, it could be that there are a whole host of serious faults in need of attention and costly work, but it could be down to a single C2 fault that can be fixed relatively easily.

If the system has a ‘Satisfactory’ EICR or once any urgent remedial work has been carried out, you will be issued with an EICR Certificate of Safety.  

Frequency

It is recommended that homeowners have an EICR carried out every 10 years or after a change of occupancy. In line with this, you may need an EICR if you are buying or selling a house and a report has been requested as part of the conveyancing process.

Landlords or Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) are required to have an EICR every 5 years or after a change of occupancy. There should be a label on the fuse box detailing the date of the last inspection and suggested date of the next inspection.

An electrician might request that you have an EICR before beginning any work on the system at your property, for example a fuse board or consumer unit upgrade. You might also need an EICR if the electrics are problematic, for example if fuses are blowing, appliances failing or the RCD tripping.

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