A new law introduced in June of 2020 that requires all landlords to have a valid EICR as part of their landlords agreement.
Most people are struggling to understand the purpose of the test and the meaning of the results. I hope this post will help give an insight into the law, the test and what the results mean.
The Law
The law has been passed to ensure that all landlords have a valid EICR at the start of any new tenancy agreement. The landlord has until April 2021 to acquire an EICR for any existing tenants.
The test
The Electrical installation condition report (EICR) is a general check on all accessories (sockets, switches and lights) and the wiring itself. This included ensuring the circuit has no corrosion over time or has been tampered with. This to keep all occupants of the property safe during their stay.
The results
If the test was to fail there are four categories of faults,
C1 = Danger Present (FAIL)
C2 = Potentially Dangerous (FAIL)
C3 = Improvement Recommended.
FI = Further Investigation Required (FAIL)
If you have a failed EICR you have 28 days to rectify all faults. As you can see from the list above a Code 3 or a small number of Code 3s does not mean failure, An electrician may give an unsatisfactory if you have a large number of Code 3s in one installation. Code 3 are advisories and are often when wiring regulations have been updated and so the installation is no longer complainant.
Code 2's include things like broken sockets or lights, basically anything that could potentially expose someone to danger of an electric shock.
Code1's are immediate danger. For example a cable hanging out of an accessory or fuse board cover missing.
FI means further investigation required. This could be that a circuit has a loose connection so the readings aren't what the electrician was expecting.
Reads Electrical Services are currently carrying out EICR's for a number of clients across London and the SE of England. Being a approved contractor for the NICEIC you can ensure the tests are carried out to the highest standard. Please use our contact page to register any interest.