Electrical Testing (EICR's)

EICR stands for Electrical Installation Condition Report.

It is quite simply what it says it is… a report on the condition of your electrical installation.

We complete an EICR using a combination of visual inspection and specialist test equipment.

Not every electrician is qualified or competent to complete an EICR as this actually requires undertaking a separate qualification purely on periodic inspection and testing as well as Professional Indemnity insurance to comply with current guidelines!

AVB Electrical provides a comprehensive EICR service with all of the relevant qualifications and insurances in place to give you extra piece of mind.

We complete EICR’s for a number of different reasons…

1) As a pre purchase check of a properties electrical installation- We have rewired homes that have been purchased for full asking price, costing clients more than they had budgeted for.

2) For landlords – As of 2020 all rental properties require an in date EICR before the property can be Let.

3) Before a consumer unit upgrade – Before changing a consumer unit its ideal to undertake an EICR to ensure that there are no faults present that are undetected! When installing RCD’s to circuits that haven’t previously been RCD protected you can experience tripping issues. By undertaking an EICR prior to the change of consumer unit we can accurately quote for changing the board without any unexpected additional costs upon completion.

It is also highly recommended you do not exceed the interval set out in your EICR before getting your next inspection completed! (Normally 10 years, 5 years for rental properties). This is because most insurance companies will deny claims for fire damage, especially where electricity is or could have been the cause, if they discover you do not have an in date EICR!

So if you don’t have an in date EICR or would like to have your electrical installation checked to ensure it’s safe operation, please feel free to get in contact with us today!

Electrical Testing (EICR) FAQ

Do I need an EICR?

Whilst an EICR is only a legal requirement for Landlords currently, everyone should have an in date EICR. This is because insurance companies will specify that in order to pay out in the event of a house fire suspected to have been started by the electrical installation, the homeowner must have an in date EICR to prove the the electrical installation was deemed as safe for continued use.

How long does an EICR last for?

EICR’s are usually issued for 10 years for private homeowners and 5 years on rental properties. This however is at the discretion of the person completing the EICR. If the condition of the installation is deemed safe but is showing signs of deterioration, engineers can recommend that the next EICR be done sooner.

How long does an EICR take?

EICR’s can take anywhere from 1.5hrs to complete right up to a full day. This will depend on the amount of visual inspection wanted or needed as well as how many circuits and consumer units (fuse boards) the property has. The bigger the installation and the more in depth the inspection the longer this will take.

Is an inspection with less visual checks as safe as one with full visual checks?

This depends! At AVB Electrical we will always try to ensure EICR’s are kept minimally invasive. That said if we start to find little things that may indicate the installation is deteriorating faster than expected or that the system has been poorly installed then we would require a more in depth inspection to ensure we check more thoroughly.

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