Quick answer
An electrical safety check, properly called an EICR, is a visual inspection of the whole fixed installation followed by instrument tests on every circuit, some with the power off and some with it on. It ends with a written report coding anything that needs attention. For most houses and flats it takes a few hours.
Before the visit
- Clear access to the consumer unit (fuse box), and to the loft, garage or outbuildings if they have electrics.
- Plan for the power going off. Freezers, home offices, alarms, and anything medical or that must stay on: tell us when you book.
- Tenants: if you are a landlord, we can contact the tenant directly to agree a time.
- Count your circuits, or send a photo of the board, so the price is confirmed before we arrive. See EICR prices.
Step 1: the visual inspection
The inspector walks the property looking for anything damaged, deteriorated, or not meeting the current standard:
- the consumer unit: its condition, labelling, RCD protection, and signs of overheating
- sockets, switches and light fittings in every room
- bathrooms and kitchens, where water and electricity are closest
- visible cables, earthing and bonding to gas and water pipes
- outside lights, sockets and supplies to garages or sheds
Some faceplates and the consumer unit cover are removed to check connections and cable sizes.
Step 2: dead tests (power off)
With the supply isolated, circuit by circuit:
- continuity of protective (earth) conductors and ring circuits
- insulation resistance, which finds breakdown or damp in the wiring
- polarity, which checks switches and fuses are in the live conductor
This is when you are without power, usually in short spells rather than all day.
Step 3: live tests (power on)
- earth fault loop impedance, which confirms a fault would trip the protective device quickly enough
- prospective fault current at the origin
- RCD tests, which check each RCD trips within the required time
Step 4: the report
Every observation is coded C1 (danger present), C2 (potentially dangerous), C3 (improvement recommended) or FI (further investigation), and the installation is marked satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Any C1 is made safe before the inspector leaves. You receive the full report by email, with the schedules of test results for every circuit. See EICR codes explained.
Step 5: if anything needs fixing
We include a fixed-price quote for any remedial work. Landlords have 28 days to complete it. Once it is done, you get written confirmation that the installation is satisfactory.
Electrical safety certificate check: what an EICR doesn't cover
- plug-in appliances, which are covered by PAT testing
- gas appliances, which need a Gas Safe engineer and a gas safety certificate
- full fire alarm and emergency lighting tests, which are certified separately, although the circuits supplying them are covered