Cost of an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) test
The cost of an Electrical Installation Condition Report, as you can see in the EICR cost in the UK table, depends on two main things, where you live in the UK and how big and complicated your electrical wiring installation is. The average hourly rate of an electrician in the uk is £37 per hour and they will probably book at least half a day to complete the checks so you are looking at paying around £140. For one bedroom flat in London some qualified electricians are charging £100 including VAT but this is at the low end of the scale. For a more complicated installation in a larger property it might take the electrician a day to do all the checks and cost £300 or more for very large properties. As I said some electricians offer a cheaper service and this depends a lot on your location. Electricians in and around London tend to be more expensive.
Why do I need an EICR?
The electrical condition installation report is a government regulation performed to show whether your home's electrical installation is in satisfactory or unsatisfactory condition. This will include checks to the safety of your consumer unit, wiring, lighting switches and sockets.
Electrical systems and appliances are a leading cause of fires in homes in the UK. Basically anything that causes heat has a chance of catching fire and with so many modern appliances running through our homes it is sensible to get everything checked out once in a while.
If you have a suspicion that the wiring in your home is faulty or looks like it has not been updated for a long time, the first thing you will need to do is get an EICR. If you are buying an older home in the UK you should ask the seller for a copy of the report before you purchase the property because you might have to rewire the property. If you are selling a property you could be asked for an electrical condition report by the potential vendors.
From June 2020 all private landlords are required to hold an Electrical Installation Condition Report EICR or its equivalent for their properties which will need to be renewed every 5 years or sooner. If requested they will need to provide a copy of the report to the tenants or the local authority. Local authorities are responsible for enforcing the new legislation and £30,000 fines can be imposed. Remedial notices served to landlords to get problems fixed.
How do I get an EICR?
A qualified electrician in your local area can complete an electrical installation condition report on your property. Choosing an electrician that is a member of NICEIC or NAPIT will give you peace of mind that they are qualified to complete the inspection.
Use HaMuch to post your job to local electricians and discover their availability together with their hourly rate so you can choose an electrician to suit your budget. Not only that, HaMuch is a free service. All you have to worry about is negotiating the price of an EICR with the electrician.
What is the difference between an EIC and an EICR?
Electrical Installation Certificate
If you are having major building alterations to your house that include conversions and extensions you will probably be required to complete a partial or full rewiring of your home. On completion the electrician will present you with a certificate to state that the installation is new or partially replaced and is in safe working order. This is an EIC or Electrical Installation Certificate.
Electrical Installation Condition Report
If you want a qualified electrician to inspect the condition of your current electrical system in your domestic or commercial property you need to get an EICR. Landlords have a legal requirement to have this report to present to tenants or local authorities if requested and it needs to be renewed every 5 years. If you have rewired your property and have the relevant EIC you will not need to also have an EICR (for 5 years if you are a landlord).
How is an EICR test performed?
An Electrical Installation Condition Report identifies problems with your electrical wiring circuits in your home. It might flag a deterioration of electrical components, damaged wiring or potential safety issues that haven't been previously identified.
The inspection involves elements of visual inspection to identify any obvious faults with broken equipment or incorrect wiring, dead testing for continuity, insulation resistance and polarity, and live testing to check the system can react effectively in the event of a fault or electric shock injury.
Each electrical circuit is fault graded based on EICR codes:
- C1 (danger present)
- C2 (potentially dangerous)
- C3 (improvement recommended)
- Code FI (further investigation required without delay)
If faults are identified, a reason is given and the owner of the property has 28 days to fix the problem circuits before the property is certified as being safe.
How long does an EICR test take?
A test can take a couple of hours or days to complete depending on the complexity and size of the electrical system. A small flat, for example, would take no longer than 3 hours and the electrician would charge an hourly rate or a fixed price they advertise. If its a large property the electrician will charge a day rate as it will take so much longer to test and deem safe.
Tip: Electricians will probably have a fixed price depending on the number of bedrooms and some will offer a cheaper service if they think they can get extra work out of it. If you think you need a test you probably think there is already a problem which a trained eye will be quick to identify. For this reason electricians are keen to complete an EICR and might do it for cheaper but then identify problems that will bump up the price.
Tip: If you are a landlord and you have a number of properties you might be able to negotiate a deal for multiple properties.