Electrical safety standards regulations 2020

The government has been talking of introducing mandatory electrical safety tests for a while now and we now finally have some clarity on when this will be introduced.

The term EICR stands for Electrical Installation condition report, but what does that mean? An Electrical Installation Condition Report is a periodic inspection report on a property’s safety relating to its fixed wiring. The main purpose of and EICR is to guarantee the safety of the residents and to ensure they are not susceptible to electric shocks and/or fires.

So what does and EICR test for?

  1. Record the results of the inspection and testing to make sure the electrical installation is safe to use until the next inspections.
  2. Find any damage and or wear and tear that might affect the safety, and report it
  3. Find any parts of the electrical installation that does not meet the IET (Institution of engineering and technology) wiring regulation.
  4. Help find anything that may cause electric shocks and high temperatures
  5. Provide a record of the installation at the time of inspection.

What will the EICR report tell me?

  • It will provide a full summary of the condition of the electrics in your home and determine whether it complies with the current British Standard for electrical safety (BS 7671).
  • It will record a number of observations in line with BS 7671 and make various recommendations where improvement may be necessary or beneficial to improving safety in your home.
  • Once the EICR is completed the registered contractor will provide you with a certificate outlining the overall condition of the electrical installation. Generally, an EICR will provide coding’s against the condition of the installation. The classification codes are as follows:
  • Code C1 – This code should indicates that danger exists, requiring immediate remedial action. The persons using the installation are at immediate risk.
  • Code C2 – This code indicates that, whilst an observed deficiency is not considered to be dangerous at the time of the inspection, it could become a real and immediate danger if a fault or other foreseeable event was to occur in the installation or connected equipment.
  • Code C3 – This code indicates that, whilst an observed deficiency is not considered to be a source of immediate or potential danger, improvement would contribute to a significant enhancement of the safety of the electrical installation.

So when is this going to come into effect?

  • New tenancies must meet the new requirements from the 1st July 2020
  • Existing tenancies must meet the new requirement from 1st April 2021
  • Tests must be done every five years, unless a shorter time is recommended by a qualified electrician

Want to learn more?

If you would like to learn more about Electrical Safety Certificates have a read of our article: A Guide to Electrical Certifications For Landlords.

In it we explain why it’s important, how often you need one, finding a qualified tester, what needs to be tested and lot’s more.

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