Frequently Asked Questions

An EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report — is a formal inspection of the fixed electrical installation in a property. That means the wiring, consumer unit (fuse board), sockets, light fittings, switches, and any other permanent electrical components. It doesn't cover portable appliances like kettles or TVs — that's a PAT test.

The inspection tests each circuit individually against the current wiring regulations (BS 7671) and identifies anything that's unsafe, potentially unsafe, or worth improving.

Most homeowners don't need to think about this until something prompts it — a house purchase, a landlord legal requirement, an insurance renewal, or a concern about the age of the wiring. If you're not sure whether you need one, call me. I'd rather tell you honestly that you can wait than book a job you don't need. See the full EICR guide for more detail.

I'll arrive, look at the consumer unit and the property layout, then work through each circuit methodically. For each circuit I'll carry out visual inspection and physical testing — checking insulation resistance, earth continuity, polarity, and the operation of protective devices.

At the end I'll sit with you and run through what I found. I'll explain anything in plain English — what it means, how serious it is, and what (if anything) needs doing. You'll get the written report the same day. You're never left with a list of technical findings and no explanation.

It depends on the number of circuits and the age and condition of the installation. A straightforward 8-circuit property typically takes 2–3 hours. A 14-circuit property with older wiring might take 4–5 hours.

I don't rush EICRs. The point of the inspection is to actually find problems. An EICR that takes 45 minutes on a large property hasn't been done properly.

I need access to the whole property — all rooms, the consumer unit, and any outbuildings with electrics. For landlords: I work with a lot of letting agents and can coordinate directly with tenants to arrange access. You don't need to be there yourself.

Yes, for periods during the testing. Each circuit needs to be isolated individually. In a typical property, individual circuits go off in turn — the total time without power on any given circuit is usually 20–40 minutes. I'll always talk you through this before I start so you can plan around it.

Every problem found is given a code — C1, C2, C3, or FI — which tells you how serious it is. I'll explain each one in plain English before I leave: what it means, what needs doing, and roughly what it would cost to fix. You're never handed a report and left to figure it out.

For C1 and C2 items I can usually carry out remedial work on the same visit or return promptly, and I'll give you a clear written estimate before I do anything extra.

A satisfactory report means the installation is safe to use as it stands. An unsatisfactory report means C1 or C2 items were found that need remedial work.

An unsatisfactory report isn't a disaster — it's information, and it's fixable. For landlords, you have 28 days to carry out the remedial work. I'll tell you exactly what needs doing and what it'll cost before you commit to anything.

For rental properties, the legal requirement is every 5 years (or on change of tenancy). For owner-occupied homes, the recommendation is every 10 years — or whenever there's a change of use, major renovation, or you're buying the property. For commercial premises, every 5 years is standard.

I price EICRs by circuit count, not by number of bedrooms. My base price is £180+VAT for up to 6 circuits, then £15+VAT for each additional circuit above 6.

So a straightforward flat with 8 circuits would be £210+VAT. A larger house with 14 circuits would be £270+VAT. I'll always confirm the circuit count and give you an exact price before I start.

Because bedrooms don't determine how long an EICR takes — circuits do. Each circuit needs to be individually tested. A 2-bed flat might have 14 circuits. A 3-bed house with a simple layout might have 8.

Pricing by circuit also removes a perverse incentive: if an electrician charges a flat rate regardless of circuit count, they're financially better off testing fewer. I've written more about this in my blog post on EICR pricing.

The easiest way is to count the switches in your consumer unit (fuse board). Each switch — whether it's an MCB, RCBO, or old-style fuse — represents one circuit. If you can't easily access the consumer unit or aren't sure, give me a call and I can usually give you a good estimate from the property description alone.

No. The EICR price I quote covers the full inspection and the written report. There's nothing extra for the paperwork, the certificate, or the report being sent to you or your letting agent.

If remedial work is needed, that's priced separately — but I'll always give you a clear written estimate before I start it. You're never committed to remedial work just because I did the EICR.

You can, yes. But a very cheap EICR — particularly a flat-rate "from £79" or "from £99" price — almost always means one of three things: the testing is being rushed, not all circuits are being tested, or limitations are being raised to avoid doing the difficult bits. A limitation on an EICR report means something wasn't tested. It protects the electrician, not you.

Yes — and most conveyancers and mortgage lenders are increasingly expecting one. A homebuyer's survey will flag concerns about the general condition of a property, but surveyors aren't electricians. They can note that a fuse board looks old, but they can't test circuits or tell you whether the installation is actually safe.

Think of it like buying a used car. You'd want a mechanic to check it — not just a general visual inspection. An EICR gives you that specialist view before you commit.

It's worth considering, particularly if the property is older. A satisfactory EICR is a sales asset — it removes a potential objection from buyers and their solicitors, and gives buyers confidence they're not inheriting an expensive problem. Think of it like a full service history on a car you're selling.

Getting it done before going to market also means if C2 items come back, you can fix them on your own timeline — not under pressure from a buyer threatening to renegotiate.

There's no legal requirement to have an EICR to sell a private home. However, buyers' solicitors increasingly ask for one — particularly on older properties. If you don't have one, the buyer may commission their own, and any issues found can slow the sale or become a renegotiation point at a moment when you have little leverage.

Getting one done before going to market puts you in control of the information.

Most remortgage lenders don't require one as standard. However, some — particularly those lending on older properties or properties that have been extended — may ask for one if a surveyor flags concerns. If your lender is asking for an electrical inspection, an EICR is what they want.

Technically, an EICR is valid for 5 years. But validity and usefulness are different things. An EICR from 4 years ago doesn't reflect changes made since, and it was done by someone else whose standards you can't verify. I'd always recommend commissioning your own on a property you're buying — it's the only way to know what you're actually getting.

Less worried than you might feel right now. A surveyor flagging wiring is routine — they're trained to note anything that needs specialist assessment, not to diagnose it. The survey note tells you something was observed. An EICR tells you what it actually means and what, if anything, needs doing.

In some cases it turns out to be minor. In others, it's a significant issue worth factoring into the purchase price. Either way, you're better off knowing before you exchange.

For a pre-purchase inspection, the buyer commissions and pays. For a pre-sale inspection, the seller pays — but the benefit is theirs, because it removes friction and protects the asking price.

They're the same thing — the box on the wall where your electricity supply comes in and gets distributed to the circuits in your property. "Fuse board" is the older term. The difference is what's inside: old fuse boards have rewirable fuses that you replace by hand when they blow. Modern consumer units have MCBs, RCDs, and RCBOs — devices that trip and reset, and are significantly better at preventing electric shock and fire.

If you still have a rewirable fuse board, upgrading it is the single most impactful electrical safety improvement you can make to an older property.

You don't need to diagnose this yourself — an EICR will tell you definitively. But here are the signs that suggest it's worth getting checked sooner rather than later: you have a rewirable fuse board; there's no RCD protection; circuits trip frequently without obvious cause; the board looks discoloured, smells, or shows signs of overheating.

If you recognise any of these, don't wait for a problem to happen.

An RCBO combines the functions of an RCD and an MCB in one device. In plain terms: each circuit gets its own independent protection. On older boards with a shared RCD, one fault on any circuit trips the RCD and takes out half the house — your fridge, your broadband, everything on that side. With RCBOs, only the faulty circuit goes off. Everything else stays on.

I fit RCBOs as standard on every consumer unit upgrade because it's genuinely better protection, not just a more expensive option.

From £450+VAT for up to 6 circuits, then £50+VAT per additional circuit above 6. Every upgrade includes a Hager consumer unit, individual RCBOs on every circuit, integrated surge protection, full testing, an Electrical Installation Certificate, and Part P Building Control notification — there's nothing extra to arrange or pay for afterwards.

Typically one day. The power will be off for most of it — usually 4–6 hours. I'll agree a start time with you in advance, get it done efficiently, and restore power before I leave. Most people plan it for a day they can be out, but it's not essential. You'll have a new electrical certificate on completion.

A standard 3-pin socket works — and if you only charge occasionally or have a plug-in hybrid with a small battery, it might be all you need. It charges at around 2.3kW (roughly 8–10 miles of range per hour), which is slow but adequate for low-mileage use.

If you charge regularly or overnight, a dedicated 7kW wallbox is the right answer. It's faster (around 30 miles of range per hour), it's on its own circuit designed for sustained load, and it's safer for long-term daily use. Most people who drive an EV as their main car find a standard socket frustrating within a few weeks.

Installation labour starts from around £300+VAT for a straightforward run. The charger unit is additional — prices vary from around £300 to £600+ depending on brand and features. I handle the full DNO application to Northern Powergrid as part of every installation, so there's nothing extra to arrange.

Yes. I hold the City & Guilds 2919 EV charging qualification and I'm an OZEV-approved installer. This matters practically: many charger manufacturers require installation by a qualified installer for the warranty to be valid. An unqualified installation can void the warranty and cause insurance complications.

The OZEV grant for homeowners was closed to new applications in 2023. Grants are still available for landlords and flat owners in some circumstances — covering up to 75% of the cost (capped at £350 per socket). Schemes change, so check the current OZEV position or ask me when you enquire.

In most cases, no — home EV chargers are typically permitted development. Listed buildings and some conservation areas may have restrictions. For the majority of standard residential properties, no planning involvement is needed and the installation can go ahead straightforwardly.

Yes — shops, offices, cafés, hospitality, small industrial units, and mixed-use premises. Commercial work I carry out regularly includes EICRs, consumer unit upgrades, additional circuits, LED lighting upgrades, three-phase supply work, PAT testing, and fault finding.

Yes. For businesses that can't shut down during the day, I can arrange early morning starts, evenings, or weekend working. I'll always agree the working hours upfront and price accordingly.

A commercial EICR is the same process as a domestic one — a full inspection and test of the fixed electrical installation — but scoped to commercial premises. The standard recommended interval is every 5 years, though some lease agreements or insurance policies may specify more frequently.

Yes. Portable Appliance Testing covers the electrical safety of portable equipment — computers, printers, kitchen appliances, power tools, and so on. There's no legal requirement for a specific PAT interval, but the Health & Safety at Work Act requires employers to maintain electrical equipment in a safe condition, and PAT testing is the standard way to demonstrate compliance.

No. The estimate I give you is the price. I don't add sundries at the end, I don't charge a call-out fee on top of an hourly rate, and I don't invoice for things we didn't discuss. The figure you agreed to at the start is the figure on the invoice — unless the scope genuinely changed, in which case you'll have been told and agreed to that before it happened.

For most standard jobs — EICRs, consumer unit upgrades, fault finding, smaller installations — payment is on completion. No money changes hands until the work is done and you're happy with it.

For larger jobs like full rewires or significant commercial work, I'll agree a stage payment structure upfront — a proportion at the start and the balance on completion. I'll always explain what that looks like before you commit.

My standard rate is £60+VAT per hour plus materials. For emergency call-outs after 8pm, it's £120+VAT for the first hour plus materials, then £100+VAT per hour thereafter. I'll always confirm the applicable rate before I start — there's no ambiguity about what you're agreeing to.

Yes, I'm VAT registered. All prices I give you are quoted excluding VAT — so when you see £180+VAT, the total you pay is £216. I always make this clear in estimates and invoices so there's no confusion between the figure we discussed and the amount on the bill.

By BACS bank transfer. I'll send the invoice by email on completion of the job, with payment due within 14 days. I don't take card payments on site.

If you're not sure whether something is an emergency, call me — I'd rather you ring and it turn out to be straightforward than not ring and it turn out to be serious.

Genuine emergencies: burning smell or scorch marks from a socket, switch, or consumer unit; sparking or arcing; total loss of power; a circuit that trips immediately every time you reset it; water ingress near any electrical fitting; exposed live wiring. For any immediate risk to life, call 999 first.

For genuine emergencies I aim to respond the same day — often within a few hours, depending on where I am. I can't guarantee a specific response time, but I treat real emergencies as urgent and will always tell you honestly when I can get there.

After 8pm: £120+VAT for the first hour plus materials, then £100+VAT per hour or part thereof. During normal working hours (8am–5pm), standard rates apply: £60+VAT per hour plus materials. I'll always confirm the rate before I start.

If you can smell burning, see scorch marks, or hear crackling from a socket or fitting — yes. Isolate the circuit at the consumer unit if you can do so safely, or turn off the mains. Don't open sockets or fittings to investigate yourself. Call me, or 999 if there's any risk to life.