What is an EICR?
An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is a formal report on the condition of an existing electrical installation. It records whether the installation is safe for continued use, based on inspection and testing against the current edition of BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations.
An EICR is not a certificate for new work. New work is covered by an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) or a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate.
When is an EICR needed?
Common reasons for an EICR include:
- private rented properties in England, which must be inspected and tested at least every five years under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020
- buying or selling a property
- periodic inspection at the interval recommended on the previous report
- a change of occupancy or use
- insurance, mortgage or licensing requirements
What does an EICR cover?
An EICR records the extent and limitations of the inspection, the supply characteristics and earthing arrangements, the details of each distribution board, a schedule of inspections, a schedule of circuit details and test results, and any observations found.
Observation codes
Each defect is recorded as an observation with a code:
- C1 — danger present, risk of injury, immediate remedial action required
- C2 — potentially dangerous, urgent remedial action required
- C3 — improvement recommended
- FI — further investigation required without delay
Any C1, C2 or FI means the overall assessment is unsatisfactory. C3 observations alone do not make a report unsatisfactory.
The overall assessment
The report ends with an overall assessment of satisfactory or unsatisfactory, a recommended date for the next inspection, and the signatures of the person who carried out the inspection and the person who authorised the report.
Completing an EICR on your phone
In AiCert° you complete the EICR on site: supply details, board and circuit schedules, test results, coded observations with photos, and on-screen signatures. The PDF is ready to send before you leave. See the EICR app page for how it works.