EICR certificates - all you need to know
Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR) are required for all rental properties following legislation introduced in April 2020. The report is designed to assess the suitability and safety of the current electrical systems installed within a property and is valid for 5 years.
We’re often asked about the findings from an EICR and what these mean for the landlord. So here is a simple explainer of the terms that you might hear us or other electricians use when talking about EICRs:
The electrical inspection is performed by a qualified electrician and is conducted according to specific electrical safety standards laid out in BS7671:2022 and then codes any deviations from that standard, depending on their severity and risk of injury. These are:
C1: Immediate Danger Present:
For example: An identified live connection that could result in an electric shock.
C2: Danger Imminent, Action Required:
For example: There is a fuse that is underrated for the circuit and could overheat and cause a fire if an excessive electrical load is applied.
C3: Improvement Recommended:
For example: When the electrical system was installed it complied with the former standards, however, the requirements have since been processed forward and improvement would be advantageous.
The above grading system will allow you to determine which aspects of the report need immediate attention and those that can be scheduled for a future date.
At Landlord Property Compliance all of our EICR reports are accompanied by photographs and detailed explanations from our engineers which will look to cover the more technical aspects found.
We’ve outlined some of the more common observations below with a more detailed explanation:
Lack of RCD Protection:
An RCD (Residual Current Device) is an electrical piece of equipment that provides additional protection to the electrical circuit. These typically are protected by a miniature circuit breaker (MCB) whose purpose is it protect the cabling in the event of a fault.
A circuit protected by an RCD will disconnect quicker in the event of a fault offering further protection for tenants. Not all circuits are retrospectively required to be RCD protected and would therefore fall under a C3 observation. However, both outdoor socket circuits and bathroom lighting circuits must be RCD protected or they will be coded as a C2 action on your report.
Over-rated MCB:
An MCB (Miniature circuit breaker) is an electrical piece of equipment that protects the electrical circuit in the event of a fault. The MCB is rated depending on the required load of the circuit it’s supplying - a circuit supplying sockets will demand more of a load than a circuit supplying lighting.
This is why MCB’s supplying sockets are typically rated at 32 amp and circuits supplying lights are rated between 6-10amp. If an MCB is rated 32 amps the cable which is connected to that circuit must also be able to withstand that ampage.
An observation will be noted if the rating of the MCB exceeds the maximum rating of the cable.
A common example of this is when a ring circuit supplying socket circuits (A very typical arrangement) has a break in a part of the circuit, meaning that the circuit is now separated into two single radial circuits and will be coded as a C2 on inspection.
Insufficient IP Rating of Accessory in Bathroom (Special Location):
A bathroom is defined in the electrical safety regulations as a special location, therefore additional measures are required to ensure the safety of the circuits and accessories within.
Often, we identify equipment that is not accurately rated for the protection against ingress of water and therefore we are required to note that as an observation when we issue an EICR report.
EICRs are a legal requirement
Electrical safety certification is a legal requirement for all new and existing tenancies in the private rented sector. Landlords that fail to conduct an EICR and any work it recommends will face penalties of up to £30,000.
Our engineers are specialists in EICR inspecting and testing and can liaise with tenants on behalf of landlords and property managers to determine when is convenient for all parties.
Get in touch with the team for our availability and enjoy hassle-free property compliance.
