What is an EICR Certificate?
EICR is the acronym used to refers to an electrical installation condition report. After a certified electrician performs an inspection of your electrical systems, you will get a certificate. This document contains several codes describing the installation state, taking into account omissions, defects, and lack of maintenance. What you want to see in this certificate is a "satisfactory" grade, meaning the expert deemed your installation safe. In case they find significant problems, the electrician will detail them and, ideally, work with you on a plan to fix them.
Safehouse offers Electrical installation reports at reasonable prices (starting at £150), carried out by certified, highly skilled, and trained professionals. We screen all of our engineers to make sure they are able to offer an excellent service. If you want to learn more about what we can do for you, contact our customer service agents for a free, no-obligation consultation. We are one of the leading providers of EICR's in London, with hundreds of satisfied customers every week.
Electrical Installation Condition Report
The primary purpose of electrical inspections and reports is to keep people and their homes safe. One of the leading causes of home fires is old and faulty wiring, and most old installations fail to comply with current national standards (BS7671 – Requirements for Electrical Installations ( IEE Wiring Regulations) –). These standards are part of the latest legislation designed to make housing safer.
An Electrical Installation Condition Report will uncover any damaged or outdated wiring or installations and find potential electric shock risks or fire hazards. An EICR will also help detect lack of bonding or earthing, overloading electrical systems or equipment, and identifying any defective electrical work. Regardless of the legislation, all the issues mentioned pose a significant threat and must be appropriately addressed and fast.
Safehouse's staff can perform an inspection and extend an EICR report and fix all the issues to make your home safe. We have been in business for many years and have hundreds of satisfied customers, including two of the largest letting agencies in the UK. If you want a professional service at an excellent cost, we are your best choice. Our EICR certificates start at £150 + VAT.
How Long Does an EICR Certificate Last?
An electrical safety certificate or EICR has different durations depending on the type of property that's certified:
* Ten years for domestic use (depending on the condition of your installation, you may want to consider a lower duration, but that is the owner's prerogative).
* Five years or at the end of each tenancy for rented property (depending on what the electrician finds on the inspection, they may recommend for an earlier date of renewal, which landlords must observe).
* Three years for industrial installations
* One year for restaurants and hotels
Are Electrical Certificates a Legal Requirement?
Electrical Certificates are mandatory for private rental properties, according to the "Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector" document that was officially passed during 2020. All landlords have until the end of April 2021 to comply with these new regulations and must provide an EICR to their tenants and their local housing authorities. Before this, only tenants of houses with multiple occupations (HMO) were legally required to get an electrical certificate. These regulations are part of an effort of the government to make rented spaces safer and join Gas Safe regulations that were already in place.
As a tenant, you have the right to ask your landlord for an EICR that's no older than five years. This applies to new tenants, to those who never got an electrical safety certificate or those whose certificate has expired. Remember that electrical installations can wear and tear easily, which is always better to make sure that you and your family are safe. If you are looking for a rental space, make sure that each of the places you consider has a valid electric certificate; according to housing regulations, no tenants can move to a rental space that fails to provide an updated EICR.
If you are a landlord and are worried about complying with regulations, get in touch with us today. For more information about what an EICR should cover, where to find certified electricians or how to fix current electrical issues, contact our customer support team. First consultations are free.
Does a Landlord need an Electrical Safety Certificate?
Yes. Starting June 2020, all landlords must provide an EICR to their tenants and the housing authorities in no longer than 28 days if their current EICR is five years or older. According to the current legislation, tenants across England are required to:
1) Ensure that all electrical installations meet safety standards
2) Test all electrical installations and systems in 5-year intervals (and get a certificate indicating the state of those installations). This certificate should reach, at least, the "satisfactory" level and, according to what is before the inspection, a new EICR may be recommended before the end of the 5-year term.
After an inspection, landlords are required to get a report from the certified electrician. They provide a copy of the report to their tenants –in no more than 28 days– and provide a copy to the housing authority within seven days in case they receive a request (remember that the housing authority can request an EICR certificate at any time). Landlords are also required to keep a copy of each inspection and provide it to future tenants upon request. Serious letting agents may ask for an EICR report before agreeing to show your property.
All tenancies are included in the legislation requiring updated EICR's, including rent act tenancies, rent agriculture tenancies, licenses to occupy, secure tenancies, non-housing act tenancies, regulated tenancies, assured tenancies, and assured shorthold tenancies. There are, however, some tenancies that are excluded from mandatory electrical reports. These include:
* When the tenant shares the accommodation with the landlord or their family members
* In the case of private registered providers of social housing
* In case of occupancies longer than seven years
* Healthcare buildings, care homes, and refuges
* Student housing
Newly built properties or those in which all electrical installations have been rewired require another type of certificate, called an Electrical Installation Certificate or EIC. An EICR will be needed after a five-year period.
Scotland and Wales do not share the same regulations as England regarding electrical safety reports. According to the Scotland Housing Act, in Scotland, certified professionals carried out electrical inspections have been mandatory since 2015. The process requires two separate inspections; an EICR and a portable appliances test or PAT. On the other hand, Wales does not require electrical safety inspections but deems all landlords responsible for the electrical safety of their properties.
If you need more information about standards and regulations regarding electrical installations or how to find qualified professionals to carry out an EICR at your property, contact Safehouse for a free, no-obligation consultation. Our friendly customer support team can provide valuable information and help you make a decision about when to get an EICR report for your property.
EICR Report
If you are in the process of purchasing a property of any kind, it is essential to contact certified electricians to perform an EICR report before buying. Fixing damaged electrical installations can be extremely expensive (£2000 on average, when the damage is not very severe). According to recent research, almost 50% of new homeowners do not think an EICR is necessary. Over a third of them will find electrical problems they were unaware of before purchasing and paying hefty amounts to fix them. Why take the risk of having to disburse a large sum of money when you can contact Safehouse and get an EICR for as little as £150? We pride ourselves in answering customer's requests fast and efficiently, and we help you make informed decisions because we understand that your family's safety should always come first.
EICR for Landlords
Suppose you are a landlord and need to perform an electrical installation condition report. In that case, you need to find an electrician or service certified by one of the governing bodies: NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting) and ECA (Electrical Contractors Association). These agencies assess contractors to ensure they meet relevant technical and safety standards (industry-recognised apprenticeships or level 3 certificates in installing, testing, and ensuring compliance of electrical installations in dwellings). Beware of anyone stating they can perform an EICR without these certifications. Their services are not only illegal but can put your tenants in real danger.
All electrical installation condition reports for tenancies are valid for a five-year period, after which they must be renewed. Tenants who forgo electrical verifications can face significant financial penalties (up to £30,000). To comply with regulations, the rating of the report needs to be at least "satisfactory". Electrical certificates need to be reassessed every five years for rental properties, or sooner if the electrician states that in the report.
In case that your property is deemed unsafe by the electrician performing the assessment, you will get a certificate that states "unsatisfactory" and provides a report with the following codes:
C1 – Danger is present, risk of injury is likely and immediate action is required.
C2 – Potentially dangerous. Remedial action is needed urgently.
C3 – improvement of your electrical system is recommended. C3 is the only classification code that can appear on a report and still pass the EICR test.
FI – Further investigation required
You will be required to create a plan to fix the issues, which needs to be carried out within 28 days (or less if the issues are deemed dangerous (C1 "immediate action is required"). After this, you will be required to obtain written confirmation stating that the work was done and that standards are now met. You must then supply this confirmation to your tenants and local authorities with a copy of the original report (you are not required to provide a new EICR, but you are required to provide evidence of the repairs and the final inspection). In case of non-compliance, and at the tenant's request, the local authority may perform emergency remedial actions and bill you, the landlord, for them. If this happens, you cannot control the quality or the cost. It is vital to keep a record that proves that you are undertaking the necessary steps to fix electrical problems and avoid this issue. You should keep a record of your conversations with possible contractors, as well as all documents proving that you have correctly and timely communicated these steps to your tenants.
At Safehouse, we can not only provide the EICR report; we can also walk you through the remedial steps and take care of all issues promptly and at a very reasonable cost. We take your peace of mind seriously and have open lines with customer service representatives who take calls for emergencies 24 hours a day. Our average time to respond to an emergency is one hour. When you hire us for an EICR report, we will walk with you in every step of the process to ensure your electrical installation is in perfect condition. For more information about how we can help and the range of services we provide, book a free consultation today.
If you are a letting agent looking for professional services for your clients, give us a call. We are already in business with the two largest letting agencies in the UK.
EICR Test London
Most of London's housing and commercial infrastructure is far from being new, and electrical installation condition reports are especially relevant for older buildings. Because of the age of some buildings, wiring can be damaged or faulty, which can lead to severe accidents. According to research carried out by "Electrical Safety First", a third of buyers find electrical problems they were unaware of during purchase. Some of them can lead to severe accidents or significant expenses. This is one of the reasons why it is so important to have a professional electrician verify that your electrical installation is safe: so you and your family –or your tenants– can have peace of mind.
An EICR will help you verify:
a) Proper earthing and bonding
b) Proper functioning of all consumer units such as fuse boxes, outlets, and sockets
c) The extent of any damage or deterioration
d) Changes that might have led to deficiencies in installation
e) Wiring type and condition
f) Provision of residual current devices for socket-outlets that may be used to plug in electrical equipment used outdoors
g) Properly placed identification and notices
EICR Certificate
Because of the 2021 legislation regarding electrical safety in England, most letting agents will advise their clients to ask for an EICR certificate before committing to rent a property. Not having an EICR report can lead to your property remaining empty for a long time, costing you money. Because of this, we recommend you get your EICR report at least one month before you start looking for tenants, as, according to the law, you cannot move them in unless the certificate states that your installation is in satisfactory condition. Safehouse offers unparalleled customer service, and we pride ourselves on solving our customers' problems fast and effectively. Our expertly trained staff can verify your electrical installation and provide an EICR certificate for as little as £150. Our friendly sales agents can offer you information about the process with no obligation.
EICR London
There are many EICR providers in London, but not all of them meet the same standards. We at Safehouse have been in service since 2016 and have thousands of satisfied customers. We are proud of being the leading providers of maintenance services for two of the largest letting agencies in the UK. Some of the services that make us your best choice:
* We offer a 24-hour helpline for out-of-hours emergency services
* We employ a large number of engineers covering a wide variety of trades. All of them are trained and certified to the highest standards.
* We offer a 24-hour technical helpline for engineers and clients
* We aim to respond to all emergencies within one hour
* We can handle minor handyman repairs, complete refurbishments, or build extensions
* We are SafeContractor approved and members of the NAPIT association
* We operate throughout London and the south of the UK
As you can see, we are a trustworthy, established business with a large client base. We strive to offer the best service in the industry, and our many satisfied customers are proof of our excellent quality. We work with homeowners, landlords, and agencies and offer a wide range of services. For us, an essential part of our business is you, the customer. For more information about what we offer, give us a call today. We have a great team of customer support agents who can guide you through our services, pricing, and estimated delivery times.
CONTACT US NOW FOR A FREE QUOTE - PEACE OF MIND COULD COST AS LITTLE AS £150 + VAT
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