What Is an EICR? A Plain-English Guide

EICR stands for Electrical Installation Condition Report. It's a formal safety inspection of the fixed electrical wiring in a building: the cables behind your walls, the consumer unit (fuse box), and all the sockets, switches, and light fittings. Think of it as an MOT for your electrics.

What Does an Electrician Actually Check?

The inspection has two parts: a visual check and a series of electrical tests.

Visual inspection

• The consumer unit: condition, labelling, whether breakers are the right size for the circuits
• Accessible wiring: checking for damage, incorrect joins, or signs of DIY alterations
• Sockets and switches: secure fixings, no cracking or scorching
• Earthing and bonding: metal water and gas pipes connected to earth where required

Electrical tests

• Insulation resistance: checks that cable insulation hasn't deteriorated and isn't allowing current to leak
• Earth continuity: verifies that the earth path on every circuit is intact
• Polarity: confirms live, neutral, and earth are connected correctly at every point
• Loop impedance: measures the resistance of the fault path so that breakers will operate fast enough in a fault
• RCD tests: verifies that residual current devices trip within the required time

How Long Does an EICR Take?

For a typical 3-bedroom house: 3-5 hours. Larger properties, more circuits, or difficult access can extend this. For a flat or small house it can be done in 2-3 hours.

What Does the Report Look Like?

You receive a written report (usually several pages) listing:

• Every circuit tested, with the measured values for each test
• Every observation (something the electrician found that needs attention), each given a code
• An overall result: Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory

What Do the Codes Mean?

Each observation gets one of these codes:

• C1: Danger present. The installation must be made safe before use.
• C2: Potentially dangerous. Requires urgent remedial work.
• C3: Improvement recommended. Not currently dangerous, but worth addressing.
• FI: Further investigation required. A circuit couldn't be fully tested.

Satisfactory means no C1 or C2 codes. Unsatisfactory means at least one C1 or C2 was found and work is needed to make the installation safe.

When Is an EICR Required by Law?

Landlords in England and Wales must have a valid EICR for every rental property. The inspection must be carried out by a qualified person, the report shared with tenants within 28 days, and the installation re-inspected at least every 5 years (or sooner if the report recommends it).

For homeowners, there's no legal requirement, but EICR is strongly recommended when buying a property, after significant electrical work by a previous owner, or every 10 years as routine maintenance.

Who Can Carry Out an EICR?

Only a competent, qualified electrician. Look for membership of a government-approved scheme such as NAPIT or ELECSA. The inspector needs appropriate test equipment and the knowledge to interpret the results against BS 7671 (the IET Wiring Regulations). A certificate from an unqualified person has no validity.

What Happens After an Unsatisfactory Result?

The report will list what needs to be fixed. C1 faults need immediate attention. The property shouldn't be used until they're resolved. C2 faults need to be addressed urgently. Once the remedial work is done, you receive an Electrical Installation Certificate for that work, and the property is re-inspected (or just the affected circuit re-tested) to confirm the improvement.

Book an EICR with RMP Electrical

We are fully qualified electricians serving West London, Berkshire, and Buckinghamshire. Our EICRs come with a full written report on the day, fixed pricing agreed in advance, and the option to carry out any remedial work found, so you're not left chasing another tradesperson.