An EICR is not just a bit of paperwork for a letting agent. It is a proper inspection and test of the fixed electrical installation in a property, from the consumer unit to sockets, lighting circuits, earthing, bonding and visible accessories.
We often meet owners who think an EICR certificate means everything electrical in the building has been approved. It does not cover loose appliances like kettles, lamps or tenants’ own extension leads. It checks whether the fixed wiring is safe enough to remain in service, and it records defects that need attention.
Getting it wrong can be expensive and dangerous. A missed fault can mean electric shock risk, overheated cables inside walls, nuisance tripping, failed landlord compliance, insurance problems after a fire, or a sale delayed because the buyer’s solicitor asks for electrical evidence at the last minute.
Why an EICR Matters in London Properties
London has a lot of older housing stock, and many Kensington and Chelsea properties have had several rounds of alteration. A Victorian terrace might have original routes for cables, 1980s additions in the loft, a modern kitchen circuit, and a consumer unit squeezed into a hallway cupboard. Converted flats can be worse, because wiring may pass through communal areas, ceiling voids or older risers that no one has opened for years.
An Electrical Installation Condition Report is carried out against the current safety standard, BS 7671, also known as the IET Wiring Regulations. It is not asking whether your installation was built to the latest design in every detail. It asks whether the installation is safe for continued use and highlights danger, potential danger and improvement recommendations.
For private rented homes in England, landlords normally need a satisfactory EICR at least every five years under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations 2020. Commercial premises are also expected to manage electrical safety under duties such as the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, with inspection intervals depending on use, risk and environment. For owner-occupiers, there is no blanket legal five-year rule, but we still recommend inspection when buying, after major works, after water damage, or when the installation looks dated.
Confirm the Property Type, Access and Scope Before Testing
Start by making clear what is being inspected. A studio flat with six circuits is a very different job from a four-storey townhouse with outbuildings, electric underfloor heating, garden lighting and a plant room. The electrician needs access to the consumer unit, meter position, sockets, switches, light fittings where practical, fixed equipment and any areas where cables or accessories are known to be hidden.
In a rented flat, tenants should be told that power will be turned off during parts of the test. In a small business, we usually plan around tills, servers, fridges, alarms and office equipment, because switching off the wrong circuit at the wrong time can cause real disruption. If there are locked cupboards, loft hatches, basement rooms or communal electrical cupboards, arrange access before the visit.
Typical London domestic EICR costs are often around £120 to £180 for a small one-bedroom flat, £180 to £300 for a two or three-bedroom flat or house, and £250 to £450 or more for a larger property with many circuits. Commercial EICRs commonly start around £300 and rise with the number of circuits, working hours and complexity. Very cheap quotes can mean limited sampling, rushed testing or repair work being pushed later without clear explanation.
Inspect the Consumer Unit, Earthing and Bonding First
The consumer unit tells us a lot before any test instrument is connected. We check the condition of the enclosure, labelling, circuit breakers, RCDs, RCBOs, spare ways, signs of overheating, missing blanks, loose covers and whether the unit is suitable for its location. Older fuse boards with rewireable fuses are not automatically a fail just because they are old, but they often lack modern RCD protection, which can lead to C2 or C3 observations depending on the circuits and risk.
Earthing and bonding are critical. We check the main earthing conductor, the earthing arrangement, and bonding to incoming metallic services such as gas and water where required. A missing or undersized bonding conductor is common in older houses where plumbing has been altered over the years, especially when a kitchen or boiler has moved from the original position.
This is not an area for DIY judgement. If the main earth, bonding or consumer unit connections are wrong, the installation may not clear a fault quickly enough, which means exposed metal parts can remain live. That is why safety-related EICR findings should be checked and repaired by a competent electrician, not guessed at with an online checklist.
Test Each Circuit With the Power Safely Isolated
Much of an EICR is not visual at all. The electrician carries out dead testing, where circuits are safely isolated and checked using calibrated test equipment. This can include continuity of protective conductors, ring final circuit continuity, insulation resistance and polarity checks.
These tests find faults that you cannot see from the front of a socket. We have found ring circuits broken behind kitchen units, borrowed neutrals on lighting circuits in older stairwells, damaged cable insulation where screws have gone through walls, and accessories wired with reversed polarity after DIY replacements. In period homes with lath and plaster, ornate ceilings and older trunking routes, a fault may be several rooms away from the accessory that first looks suspicious.
Power will usually be off to parts of the property during this stage. Sensitive equipment should be unplugged where needed, and alarms, boilers, gates, pumps and network kit should be discussed before testing starts. A proper electrician will not simply pull the main switch without asking what depends on it.
Carry Out Live Tests and RCD Checks Carefully
Live testing checks how the installation behaves under supply conditions. This can include earth fault loop impedance, prospective fault current and RCD trip testing. The point is to confirm that protective devices will disconnect quickly enough if a fault occurs.
RCDs and RCBOs are especially important in modern domestic safety. They are designed to trip quickly when current leaks to earth, reducing the risk of serious electric shock. During an EICR we test whether they trip within the required time, not just whether the test button clicks.
If an RCD fails to trip correctly, keeps nuisance tripping, or is absent where it is needed for higher-risk circuits, that may affect whether the report is satisfactory. In many London flats, we see older split-load boards where one RCD protects too many circuits, so a small fault on a kettle or outside light knocks out half the property. That is not always an immediate danger, but it can be a strong reason to improve the board layout.
Check Sockets, Switches, Lights and Fixed Electrical Points
An EICR includes sampling and inspection of accessories such as sockets, switches, fused spurs, isolators, light fittings and cooker points. The electrician looks for broken fronts, scorch marks, loose fittings, poor IP ratings in bathrooms, unsupported cables, signs of overheating and unsafe additions. In rental homes, we pay close attention to high-use points such as kitchen sockets, washing machine spurs and immersion heater controls.
Bathrooms and kitchens need particular care because water, steam and electricity are close together. We check whether equipment is suitable for its zone in a bathroom and whether circuits needing additional protection have it. In basements and lower-ground London flats, damp and corrosion around accessories can also be a clue that a wider building defect needs fixing, not just an electrical accessory replacement.
Outdoor electrics are another frequent source of EICR failures. Garden sockets, shed supplies, pond pumps and wall lights are often added after the original installation, sometimes without proper mechanical protection or RCD coverage. A cracked exterior socket that lets in rain can turn into repeated tripping in winter, or worse, a live fault in an area people touch.
Record Defects Using the Correct EICR Codes
The report should clearly code each observation. A C1 means danger is present and immediate action is needed. A C2 means potentially dangerous and urgent remedial work is required. An FI means further investigation is needed because the electrician cannot confirm safety without more checking. A C3 means improvement recommended, but it does not by itself make the report unsatisfactory.
A satisfactory EICR normally means there are no C1, C2 or FI items. If the report has any of these, the installation is classed as unsatisfactory until the necessary work is completed and documented. This is where owners sometimes get caught out, because they receive the report but do not deal with the follow-up paperwork.
Typical remedial costs vary widely. Replacing a damaged socket or switch might be £90 to £160 depending on access and minimum call-out. Adding or replacing bonding can often sit around £180 to £350 where the route is straightforward, but can cost more if floors, boxing or long cable runs are involved. Consumer unit replacement in London commonly falls around £650 to £1,200 for many domestic properties, depending on size, RCBO specification, surge protection, labelling and testing.
Complete the Report and Plan Any Remedial Work
Once testing is complete, the electrician should issue a written EICR with details of the installation, supply characteristics, inspection schedule, test results, limitations and observations. The test results matter. A report that simply says “passed” without circuit readings, schedules or clear limitations is not much use if a landlord, insurer, buyer or managing agent asks questions later.
If remedial work is needed, it should be priced clearly and prioritised. A C1 issue must be made safe straight away, often before the electrician leaves. C2 items should be dealt with promptly, while C3 recommendations can usually be planned alongside other electrical improvements.
Some remedials are straightforward, such as replacing cracked accessories, improving labelling, fitting correct blanks, or removing unsafe DIY spurs. Others need more thought, such as rewiring a faulty lighting circuit in a decorated flat with ornate cornices or tracing a ring fault behind fitted kitchen cabinets. Our electrical services team will usually explain which faults affect safety immediately and which are sensible upgrades rather than urgent repairs.
Plan Timing, Access and Disruption Properly
For a typical one or two-bedroom flat, an EICR might take two to four hours if access is good and the installation is simple. A larger house can take most of a day, and commercial premises can take longer or be split into phases. The number of circuits matters more than the number of rooms, which is why a small restaurant or salon can take longer than a flat.
Book the inspection before a tenancy deadline, sale completion or insurance renewal date. If faults are found, you need time for remedial work and paperwork. Leaving an EICR until the week a tenant moves in is a common way to create stress, especially if a hidden fault means floors, cupboards or ceilings need careful access.
Winter can expose electrical weaknesses in London homes because heating, tumble dryers, dehumidifiers, outside lights and pumps are used more heavily. After roof leaks, plumbing leaks or basement damp, do not wait for the next routine EICR if electrics may have been affected. Water near wiring, fittings or a consumer unit should be treated as a safety issue and checked professionally before circuits are used normally again.
Businesses should also think about trading hours. For shops, clinics, offices and hospitality premises, we often arrange early morning, evening or phased testing where practical, so essential equipment is not interrupted without warning. If emergency lighting, fire alarms or data cabinets are present, make sure they are identified before testing starts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Does an EICR check my appliances?
No. An EICR checks the fixed electrical installation, not portable appliances. Appliances are usually covered by PAT testing where needed, especially in workplaces or furnished rentals.
Q2: Can a property fail an EICR because the fuse board is old?
Age alone is not an automatic fail. The issue is whether the installation is safe, correctly protected and suitable for continued use, so an older board may still pass with recommendations or may fail if safety defects are found.
Q3: How often should landlords arrange an EICR?
Private landlords in England normally need an EICR at least every five years, or sooner if the report states a shorter interval. A new report may also be sensible after major electrical works or suspected damage.
Q4: Is it safe to do EICR checks myself?
No. EICR testing involves live and dead electrical testing, safe isolation and interpretation of BS 7671 requirements. Visual checks by an owner can spot obvious damage, but the inspection and certificate should be done by a competent electrician.
Q5: What happens if my EICR is unsatisfactory?
The report should list the defects and codes. C1, C2 and FI items must be dealt with for the installation to be considered satisfactory, and you should keep evidence of the remedial work with the original report.
The main thing to remember is that an EICR is a safety inspection of the fixed wiring, not a box-ticking certificate, and the value is in the testing, the fault codes and the quality of the follow-up. If you need an EICR for a London home, rental property or business premises, Kensington Maintenance Services Ltd can inspect it properly, explain the findings in plain English and price any remedial work sensibly, so feel free to get a quote or contact our team before a small electrical fault becomes a bigger problem.