The simple answer is yes. Your electrical installation; whether in your home, business or a property you rent out, should be covered by an in date Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). 

From July 2020, it became a legal requirement going forwards on all landlords to have an EICR in place. 

For businesses, although an EICR is not a legal requirement, they are bound by legal obligations to staff and customers. Laws such as Health and Safety at Work (1974) state that employers are ‘responsible for the health and safety of their employees’ including the ‘Electricity at Work regulations’. These requirements can be met by having a satisfactory EICR. 

It is recommended that an EICR is completed every 5 years to remain compliant. This is sometimes dependent on the type of premises and its use. 

We charge a minimum fee of £175+ VAT and travel expenses. Please contact us to discuss your requirements. 

The length of the test will depend on the size of the property, the accessibility of the electrical systems and the number of pieces of electrical equipment. The minimum amount that must be inspected is 10% of the entire electrical system. 

A complete EICR could take anywhere from half a day to a whole day to carry out the inspection. Our team would be able to give you an idea of the length of time. 

The comprehensive assessment will need to be written up once the inspection is complete. 

Once it is complete, the EICR is deemed either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. If it is the latter then you will be given a list of recommended remedial works. 

C1 – Danger present, risk of injury (immediate remedial action required)

C2 Potentially dangerous (urgent remedial action required)

C3 – Improvement recommended

F1 – Further investigation required without delay

Anything resulting in a C1, C2 must be remedied within 28 days. 

Anything identified as F1 must be investigated immediately. 

Where it becomes less clear is with C3. You will receive a satisfactory EICR with C3 items recorded. While these items don’t need to be remedied within a given time frame, they will improve the electrical safety of your property and some insurers require a clear EICR for compliance. 

Once the remedial works have been carried out then a certificate can be issued to reflect the changes; you will not need a full re-test. 

Remember, you are not obliged to use the same electrical contractor to carry out the EICR and the remedial works.