If your EICR is out of date, you could be putting yourself and your family at risk. As a homeowner, it is your responsibility to ensure that your home is electrically safe and up to current standards. Having a faulty electrical system could result in serious injury – or even death.
An EICR, or Electrical Installation Condition Report, determines whether the electrical system in your property is safe for use. As of July 2020, the report is a legal requirement for any residential building which is privately rented. However, it is also recommended that private homeowners have a valid EICR from a registered electrician.
At Ocean City Electrical, we offer an affordable price for our EICR testing service. We will test your sockets, electrical circuits, the main fuse board, switches, fittings, plug sockets, earthing and bonding. Further checks will also be undertaken for high-risk areas. For example, we will check kitchen appliances for any sign of damage. We also check your bathroom and will thoroughly inspect your shower.
Depending on your property’s specifications, it may be necessary to carry out further checks. These checks will ensure your home is in tip-top shape.
Once we have completed your EICR, the paperwork will be returned to you with advice on any additional steps required. The EICR will contain several codes. These codes will correspond with an action which may need to be taken.
If it is found that the property is electrically unsafe, you will need to carry out the necessary work to rectify this. In some cases, these codes will simply offer advice for future work to maintain the safety of the building. In other circumstances, these steps will need to be undertaken immediately. Our team will be more than happy to assist you with any work needed to maintain the safety of your property.
If you have any further questions, we have an informative FAQ section below. If you are ready to book an EICR report, please contact our team today.
EICR, or Electrical Installation Condition Report, is an electrical inspection. Just as you may get your car serviced, it is also recommended that your electrical installation is inspected by a qualified electrician. Failing to maintain your electrical installation can be a hazard to both the property and the people occupying it.
As a homeowner, it is your responsibility to ensure that the electrical installation within your property is safe and fit for purpose. For a house of multiple occupancies (HMO), it is currently required by law that an EICR is carried out every 5 years.
At Ocean City Electrical, we price EICRs per circuit. They start from £120 + VAT for up to 8 circuits. This is usually enough for most flats and small to medium size houses and can take up to four hours to complete an EICR for a typical three-bedroom property.
Please note that we ideally like to check all circuits where possible, so when obtaining quotes, please ensure you’re comparing like for like. Some contractors offer very cheap prices but may only test a percentage of the circuits for example. This sample can go as low as 10% which can give electricians and homeowners alike a misleading view of an installation.
Also, some electricians may price an EICR cheaply, planning to make up the costs during any remedial works which may follow an EICR. Homeowners must consider the quotes they are given and should not immediately accept the first low quote that is offered.
There are several areas your electrician will want to check for your EICR to be carried out successfully. While every property is different, this list should give you some idea of what is involved during an EICR test and what your electrician will be looking for.
Below is a list of areas your electrician will likely want to inspect.
On your Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), observations made by your electrician will be recorded on your Fixed Wiring Report. They are the aspects of your electrical system that require attention and may require rectifying. They are coded according to the level of urgency required, using the codes C1, C2, C3 and FI.
A (C1) observation means ‘Danger present. Risk of injury. Immediate remedial action is required and poses an urgent threat to the safety of yourself, your family, and anyone else who may be visiting or staying at your property.
A C1 observation requires immediate action. An example of this level would be accessible live conductors due to damage, poorly modified enclosures or removed maintenance panels. Once your electrician identifies a C1, they will immediately notify you of the risk of injury that exists should the issue not be rectified as soon as possible. Your electrician may also isolate the circuit immediately until the issue has been remedied, although it depends on the challenge faced.
Although a C2 code is not as severe as a C1, it is still a potentially dangerous defect that could harm the occupants of your home. A C2 is described as ‘Potentially dangerous – urgent remedial action required’ and although it may not pose an immediate danger, it is likely to escalate further should the issue not be resolved.
The term ‘potentially dangerous’ has been coined to warn homeowners about the risk of injury that could occur should a sequence of events escalate the issue.
A C3 code is described as ‘Improvement recommended.’
A C3 means an issue has been identified that does not comply with building regulations. The issue is not dangerous necessarily and does not warrant an overall unsatisfactory report. For example, you may have damaged fittings in your home which are not exposed.
An FI observation code is described as ‘Further investigation required without delay.’
This means that your electrician has observed an abnormality whilst carrying out their tests. For example, insufficient test results could display something unusual that requires additional inspection.
To comply with building and electrical safety regulations, you will need to address C1, C2 and FI faults if required as soon as possible. However, it is also always worthwhile considering, inspecting, and rectifying any faults in your electrical system. While you are not obliged to use the same electrical contractor to both tests and carry out remedial repairs, you should always ensure you receive your report for any additional inspections or work that is required.
If you’re a private homeowner or landlord looking for a domestic electrician near me, Ocean City Electrical can help. From our offices in Plymouth, we offer a comprehensive range of domestic electrical services including installations, fault finding and repairs. Our domestic electrical services include:
Looking to enhance your home with new and improved lighting? Or are you looking to save on energy bills? Whatever your reason, our team of professional electricians are experienced in all elements of house lighting design and installation.
At Ocean City Electrical, our team of professional electricians come highly trained with the skills and expertise they require to handle every part of the electrical rewiring process. We’ll work with you every step of the way to ensure minimal disruption.
At Ocean City Electrical, we install high-quality 18th edition consumer units. Our highly skilled electricians boast decades of combined experience installing and maintaining consumer units and will strive to complete your installation to the highest possible standard.
An EICR determines whether or not the electrical system within your home is up to date and safe to use. If you own your home, it is recommended you receive a valid EICR from a registered electrician to ensure you, your home and your family aren’t at risk.
If you have an issue with your lighting circuits or consumer unit, Ocean City Electrical can help. Our team of experienced electricians can identify and diagnose all kinds of electrical faults, and resolve the issue with efficiency and professionalism.
