Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)

Quick Answer: An EICR is a periodic inspection of a building's fixed electrical installation against BS 7671:2018+A2:2022, classified C1 (danger present, immediate action), C2 (potentially dangerous, urgent action), C3 (improvement recommended) and FI (further investigation required). For private rented dwellings in England, the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require an EICR every five years (or as the inspector determines). An installation is "satisfactory" only if it has no C1, C2 or FI codes outstanding.

Summary

An EICR is the legally and technically authoritative answer to the question "is this electrical installation safe?". It is not a test of every appliance — that's PAT — and not a certificate of new installation work — that's an EIC (Electrical Installation Certificate). The EICR is a structured visual inspection plus prescribed dead and live tests on a sample of circuits, recorded against the current version of BS 7671 and signed off by a qualified electrician, normally registered with NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA or STROMA.

Three groups commission EICRs: private landlords (legally required since June 2020 in England under the PRS Regulations), homeowners selling or buying a property (often during pre-purchase due diligence), and commercial property managers (under the duty of care in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989). Each group has slightly different concerns about scope and turnaround, but the underlying inspection methodology is the same.

For tradespeople — electricians who carry out EICRs, and other trades who need to understand what a "C1" or "FI" means when they hear it during a job — the report is the operating document. A C1 result typically requires immediate isolation of the installation or affected circuit before any further work can proceed. A C2 result must be remediated, normally within 28 days under PRS rules. A C3 is a recommendation only — not a requirement. Misreading the codes (or, worse, signing off C2 issues as C3 to keep a customer happy) is one of the fastest routes to NICEIC sanctions and professional negligence claims.

Key Facts

• Governing standard — BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 (the IET Wiring Regulations, 18th Edition Amendment 2)
• Periodic inspection frequency (domestic) — minimum every 10 years for owner-occupied homes, every 5 years or change of tenancy for private rented sector dwellings
• Periodic inspection frequency (commercial) — typically every 5 years; reduced for high-risk environments
• PRS Regulations 2020 — Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020; in force from 1 June 2020 for new tenancies, 1 April 2021 for all
• Code C1 — Danger present, risk of injury, immediate remedial action required (e.g. exposed live conductors, missing earth, shock hazard)
• Code C2 — Potentially dangerous, urgent remedial action required (e.g. accessible class I metal accessory not earthed, RCD failed)
• Code C3 — Improvement recommended; not a fail (e.g. older consumer unit without RCD on lighting, lack of supplementary bonding in bathroom for an older installation)
• Code FI — Further investigation required without delay
• Registered Competent Person (RCP) — required by PRS Regulations; landlord must commission EICR from a registered or otherwise qualified person
• Sample testing — minimum sample is normally 100% of accessible circuits visually plus prescribed live and dead tests on at least 10% of circuits (NICEIC/NAPIT guidance), 100% in domestic
• Insulation resistance — minimum 1 MΩ between live conductors and earth at 500V DC test (for installations with cables to current standard)
• Earth fault loop impedance (Zs) — must be below the maximum value for the protective device under fault conditions
• RCD trip times — 30 mA RCD must trip within 300ms at 30mA, within 40ms at 150mA
• Polarity — must be correct on every accessory and at the origin
• Bonding conductors — main protective bonding to gas, water and structural metalwork; minimum 6mm² copper to most domestic installations
• Consumer unit material — non-combustible (metal) for new domestic CUs since January 2016; older insulated CUs are not in themselves a C2 unless other failings exist
• Validity — an EICR for PRS purposes is valid for 5 years; for sale/purchase purposes, lenders typically accept reports up to 12 months old
• Document fee — typical UK EICR cost 2026 is £150–£250 for a 2-bed flat, £200–£350 for a 3-bed house, £400–£700 for a 5-bed or HMO

Quick Reference Table

Detailed Guidance

Scope of an EICR

An EICR covers the fixed electrical installation: from the supplier's cut-out and meter through the consumer unit, all wiring, accessories, lighting points, fixed appliances (immersion heater, electric shower, cooker), bonding and earthing. It excludes: portable appliances (covered by PAT testing under HSG 107), telecoms wiring, fire alarm and emergency lighting (covered by separate BS standards), and external floodlighting fed from a separate dedicated supply.

The inspection sequence is:

1. Information gathering — review previous certificates, identify circuits, record any limitations
2. Visual inspection — accessibility, identification, protective measures, presence of suitable RCDs
3. Dead tests — continuity of protective conductors, ring final continuity, insulation resistance, polarity
4. Live tests — earth fault loop impedance (Zs), prospective fault current (Ipf), RCD operation
5. Functional checks — switching, RCD test buttons
6. Documentation — completion of report including limitations, departures, observations and recommendations

Reading the Report

A correctly completed EICR has six headed sections: details of installation; limitations; observations and recommendations (the codes); summary of the condition; declaration; and the schedule of inspections plus schedule of test results. The schedule of test results contains the actual numbers — Zs values, insulation readings, RCD trip times — circuit by circuit.

Two sections are most often read carelessly:

Limitations — what the inspector did not test and why (sealed conduits, tenant-occupied bedrooms, inaccessible consumer unit). A report with broad limitations ("could not access loft, garage circuit not tested") is materially weaker than one without. For PRS purposes, broad limitations may invalidate the report.

Observations — the codes and their justifications. Each observation should be specific ("Consumer unit has no RCD protection on lighting circuits 1, 3 and 5 — Code C3"), not generic. A report with vague observations ("electrics generally tired") is not a properly completed EICR.

Common C1 and C2 Findings

The most common immediate-danger and potentially-dangerous findings in domestic EICRs:

C1 (immediate danger)

• Exposed live parts in accessible accessories
• Missing earth conductor on metal lighting fitting
• Damaged cable with conductors visible
• Reverse polarity at consumer unit
• Class I appliance with no earth connection

C2 (potentially dangerous)

• Earth fault loop impedance Zs above the value required to ensure disconnection within 0.4s
• RCD trip time outside permitted range
• Inadequate or missing main protective bonding to gas or water service
• Lack of RCD protection on socket circuits in bathrooms and outdoor sockets (for newer installations where it is required)
• Plastic consumer unit with signs of overheating
• Cables run in walls without RCD protection

C3 (improvement)

• Plastic consumer unit in good condition, post-2016 in new builds (not yet a C2 in itself, but recommended replacement on rewire)
• Older installation lacking RCD protection on lighting where not required at original installation
• Absence of metal earthing arrangement for a TT-supplied installation, where TN-S exists at the supply (unlikely now)
• Old rubber-insulated cables (VIR or rubber CTS) — these typically push to C2 once degradation is observable

When an EICR Becomes a Rewire Decision

A C2-heavy report on an old installation often crosses the threshold where a partial rewire or full rewire is more economic than itemised remediation. Indicators:

• Five or more C2 observations affecting multiple circuits
• Original cable insulation is rubber (VIR) or early-PVC and degrading
• Original consumer unit is rewireable-fuse or older split-load with no RCD
• Original wiring has lost colour code (red/black to brown/blue legible only on cut sections)
• Earthing arrangement is borderline (e.g. earthed neutral with no equipotential bonding)

Tradespeople should price a partial rewire (replacing one or two circuits and the consumer unit) and a full rewire alongside the C2 remedial fix-list, so the homeowner or landlord can compare. A landlord facing £800 of C2 remedial work plus a likely re-test in 18 months because the rest of the installation is also borderline is typically better served by a £3,500–£5,000 rewire that resets the EICR clock for 25+ years.

Coding Disputes — Distinguishing C2 from C3

The boundary between C2 and C3 is where most coding errors occur. The published guidance is the IET Best Practice Guide 4 (BPG4) — the standard reference for electricians completing EICRs.

A C2 is "potentially dangerous, urgent remedial action required". A C3 is "improvement recommended". The distinguishing test: would a reasonable person operating the installation under normal use conditions face a real risk of electric shock or fire under foreseeable fault conditions? If yes, C2. If the installation operates safely under normal conditions but does not meet current best practice, C3.

A consumer unit without RCD protection on a lighting circuit installed in 1985 was compliant when fitted. The lighting circuit serves an occupied bedroom. Under fault conditions, a child reaching for a damaged ceiling rose without RCD protection would be at meaningful risk; under normal operating conditions, the circuit is safe. In practice this is borderline and the inspector's professional judgment governs, but BPG4 generally codes such cases as C3 (recommendation) unless other failings exist on the circuit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often do I need an EICR as a private landlord in England?

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require the installation to be inspected and tested at intervals of no more than five years, or sooner if the inspector recommends. A new EICR is also required at the start of a new tenancy if the existing report is approaching expiry, and the landlord must provide a copy of the most recent EICR to new tenants within 28 days. See when an EICR is appropriate during home purchase for buyers' guidance.

How long does an EICR take?

A 2-bedroom flat: 1.5–2.5 hours on site. A 3-bed house: 2–4 hours. A 5-bed property or HMO: 4–6 hours. Reporting and certificate issue typically takes another 1–2 hours office time per inspection. Same-day verbal feedback is normal; the formal report is typically issued within 3–7 days.

What happens if my EICR comes back unsatisfactory?

The remedial work must be completed by a qualified electrician, normally within 28 days for PRS purposes (sooner for C1 findings). Following remediation, a new EICR is not required if the remedial work is documented on a Minor Works Certificate or Electrical Installation Certificate that references the original EICR — together they form the satisfactory chain. The landlord must give a copy of the remediation evidence to the tenant within 28 days of completion.

Can the same electrician who carried out the inspection do the remedial work?

Yes, provided they have the competence and registration. There is no rule preventing inspection-and-remediation by the same firm. The risk to be aware of is conflict of interest — coding work as C2 to generate remedial revenue. Landlords commissioning multiple EICRs from one firm should occasionally cross-check by getting an alternate firm's view; coding inflation is detectable across a portfolio.

What's the difference between an EICR and an EIC?

An EIC (Electrical Installation Certificate) certifies new installation work, alteration, or addition. An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) inspects the existing installation against the current standard. Every new circuit added to an installation requires an EIC, regardless of whether the existing installation has a current EICR. See how an EIC certifies new electrical work for related certification.

Regulations & Standards

• BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 — Requirements for Electrical Installations (IET Wiring Regulations 18th Edition Amendment 2)

• Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 — periodic inspection requirement and PRS landlord duties

• Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 — duty to maintain electrical systems in a safe condition (commercial)

• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 — general duty of care for employees and visitors

• Building Regulations Approved Document P (Electrical Safety, Dwellings) — notification and competent person scheme for new and altered installations

• IET Best Practice Guide 4 (BPG4) — EICR coding and methodology guidance

• HSG 107 — Maintaining portable electric equipment in low-risk environments (PAT testing) — separate from EICR

• Building Regulations Approved Document B — fire safety implications including consumer unit material specification

• Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 — full text of PRS regulations

• GOV.UK — Guide for landlords: electrical safety standards — landlord duties summary

• IET — Best Practice Guide 4 (Electrical installation condition reporting) — BPG4 coding methodology

• Electrical Safety First — Landlord guidance — practical guide to PRS compliance

• NICEIC — Periodic inspection guidance — registered competent person requirements

• when consumer unit replacement is required — companion article on remediation common after a C2

• when an EICR fits into a pre-purchase building survey — for the home-purchase EICR scenario

• public liability insurance for electrical contractors — relevant to electricians issuing EICRs

• Part P notification requirements for new electrical work — for EIC certification of remedial work