Electricians you can trust for your EICR throughout Plymouth and the surrounding area

EICR

You may find yourself in a position where you are wondering if the electrical installation in your home is in a safe condition now. This may have been triggered by the sale or purchase of a house or maybe the solicitor has required it as part of the sale process. Maybe something has already gone wrong, such as fuses blowing, circuit breakers tripping, appliances failing or maybe that you are having some work done by an electrician and they have either recommended some remedial work or an inspection before they start work.
What is an electrical installation condition report or an EICR as we call them from now on, and what will it tell you?
Report provides an engineering view on whether or not the installation is in a satisfactory condition and it can continue to be used safely. All electrical installations deteriorate with age and use. They should therefore be inspected and tested at regular intervals.

Why do we carry out an EICR?

Electrical installation condition report will :

Reveal if any of your electrical circuits or equipment are overloaded.
Identify any defective electrical work.

Highlight any lack of earthing or bonding.
Find any potential electric shock risks and fire hazards.

Our electrician will work though a list of things and tests on your property, checking that each relevant element on the list is safe and operating correctly. So what sort of things will be checked on the electrical installation of the house.

What does an EICR test involve?

We will :

check the incoming supply and metering equipment making sure that nothing is damaged and that the tails cable feeding the property are the right size and in good condition.
also make sure that all of the cables that connect the necessary metal work of the building are connected to earth within the right size cables as well.
then moving on to your fuse board or consumer unit, we will check this over making sure that no one is been putting incompatible devices in there.We will also check the terminals for tightness, make sure that the correct protective devices are present and operational and that there is no big gaping holes that you can accidentally stick a finger in.
also check over the wiring as far as possible , making sure that it's been installed correctly, safely and that it's the correct size and in good condition as well.
look at individual sockets, isolators, outlets and switches to make sure that they are not damaged, the connections have been well made and that there is no sign of overheating on those.
test all the circuits of your installation.

Some things may pass, fail or something is just within the limits of acceptable and recommendation to upgrade. Each item that gets checked is assigned a symbol or a code to indicate the condition of that item.

If you want to entrust electrical work to us or find out more - contact us. We are always ready to help you.
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Electrical safety test

EICR observation codes :

If all is well with that part of the system, it gets a tick.
If there is something that presents immediate danger to the user, then gets a C1 code. Technically, if it's all possible the electrician carrying out the work should correct a problem given this code straight away. This might include something like damage to a socket front and live parts to become accessible and posing a risk of giving someone an electric shock.
If one of the item on the checklist is given a C2 code that means it is dangerous but not immediately so, and will need correcting soon. Something like no earth connection to a metal light fitting.
An item given a C3 code is one where improvement is recommended. There is no danger to life involved but there is something is not quite right about the installation. It could be such things as important labels being missing from consumer units or fuse boards.
In addition an inspected item maybe given a FI code. This means that further investigation is require and it indicates that there maybe a C1 or a C2 problem lurking somewhere. Due to the limitations of inspection it is not been possible to verify exactly what the problem is. A good example is if any tests have proved that the electrical supply coming into the property is not up to the standard that it should be.

Once eicr test is completed we will send you a copy of the report which will deem the installation either satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

What happens if an EICR is unsatisfactory?

There is no reason to panic if the report comes back unsatisfactory.Your installation might be deemed unsatisfactory for a lot of serious problems or it maybe one relatively small and easy fix issue. The good thing is, once you have an eletrical installation condition report, you can take that report to more than one electrician to get quotes for putting the issues right.

How often does an EICR need to be done?

Your electrics should be inspected and tested every :

10 years for an owner-occupied home.
5 years for a rented home.
3 years for a caravan.
1 year for a caravan parks.
When a property is being prepared for letting.

5 years for a commercial.
3 years for a industrial.
3 years for an agricultural and horticultural
1 year for a swimming pool.
Before selling a property or buying a previously-occupied property.

If you are not sure when the last time your property was electrically inspected and tested. There should be a label on your fuse board with the date of the last inspection and a recommended date for next one. If this is absent, then it is probably time to get one done.

Electrical installation condition report should only be carried out by electrically competent, qualified electricians.
We are approved via Napit to carry out electrical installation condition report (EICR).

How much does an EICR cost?

Electrical Installation Condition Report / EICR, aka Periodic Inspection Report / Landlord electrical safety test is currently priced at :

Domestic - £60 per consumer unit plus £10 per circuit within a unit.
Commercial - £100 per consumer unit plus £15 per circuit within a unit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an EICR?

The main purpose of Electrical Installation Condition Report or an EICR is to detect so far as is reasonably practicable,and to report on,any factors impairing or likely to impair the safety of an electrical instollation.

Is an EICR a legal requirement in England?

It is a legal requirement for landlords in England to have the electrical installation in their rental properties checked by a qualified electrician to ensure that they are safe. This legislation was introduced in July 2020 and checks must be carried out every five years.Landlord who does not have complied with the law,could face a penalty fine of up to £30,000

Who can carry out an electrical installation condition report?

All persons carrying out the inspection and testing of electrical installations must be competent to do so.They must have sufficient knowledge and experience of electrical installation matters to avoid injury to themselves and others. Inspectors have to be familiar with and understand the requirements of the current edition of BS7671.They must be skilled in the safe application of the appropriate test instruments and procedures and have sound knowledge of the particular type of installation to be inspected and tested.

How much does an Electrical Installation Condition Report cost?

The cost of an EICR can vary a lot. It depends, is it domestic, commercial or industrial installation. Domestic an EICR cost starts from £80 to £300.
Jotauras Electrical Services has very competitive rates.

EICR Plymouth | Electrical Installation Condition Report