Understanding an EICR: A UK Homeowner's Guide

An EICR assesses the condition of the fixed electrical installation: the wiring, consumer unit, and sockets built into the property. It does not cover individual appliances such as a kettle or a washing machine.

Any issue found is given a code. C1 means danger is present and needs immediate attention. C2 means a potentially dangerous issue needing urgent repair. C3 is an improvement that is recommended but not required. FI means further investigation is needed before a finding can be confirmed.

Landlords in England must have a valid EICR for a rented property, carried out at least every 5 years, under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. Scotland and Wales have their own similar requirements for rented properties.

Homeowners are not legally required to have an EICR on a property they live in themselves, but a check roughly every 10 years is commonly recommended, particularly in an older property.

Ask whether the electrician is registered with a competent person scheme, such as NICEIC or NAPIT, and ask to see their ID card before work begins.

You can check a registration number on the relevant scheme's website. Do this even for an electrician you have used before, since registration can lapse.

An EICR is easy to misplace, particularly as a paper copy kept for years between checks. Keeping a digital copy, along with the date it was carried out and who did it, means it is available whenever you need it.

Attaching the certificate to your property's record, with its own expiry date, means you are reminded before it becomes overdue rather than after.