What Is an EICR and Do You Need One?

An EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report — is a formal written report produced by a qualified electrician after inspecting and testing the electrical installation in a property. If you own or manage a rental property in Petts Wood or Orpington, it's a legal requirement. If you own your home, it's one of the best things you can do for peace of mind.

What Does an EICR Actually Check?

The inspection covers the fixed wiring of the property — not your plug-in appliances. The electrician will inspect and test the consumer unit (fuse board), all circuits throughout the property, earthing and bonding connections, sockets, light fittings and switches, and the condition of visible wiring.

Each circuit is isolated in turn and tested for continuity, insulation resistance and earth fault loop impedance. Any findings that fall outside acceptable limits are noted in the report with a code rating.

EICR in Petts Wood — Why It Matters

Petts Wood was primarily built in the 1930s. A substantial proportion of the housing stock has electrical installations that have been partially updated over the decades but may still contain original wiring, old consumer units without RCD protection, or earthing arrangements that no longer meet modern standards.

When we carry out EICRs in BR5, some of the most common findings are: absent or inadequate earthing on gas and water pipes, old Wylex or ceramic-fuse consumer units, ring main circuits with reduced insulation resistance, and wiring that has been partially extended without following the original circuit design. None of these are unusual for the area — but they do need to be addressed.

Who Needs an EICR?

Landlords — legally required every 5 years under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. Failure to comply can result in fines of up to £30,000 per breach and affects your ability to serve notices on tenants.

Homebuyers — your surveyor won't assess the electrical installation in any meaningful detail. Before you exchange on a Petts Wood property — particularly anything pre-1970 — an EICR will give you an accurate picture of the electrical condition.

Homeowners — if you've owned your property for more than 10 years and never had an inspection, an EICR is a sensible way to check that everything is as it should be. There's no legal requirement for owner-occupied properties, but the peace of mind is worth it.

What to Expect on the Day

For a typical Petts Wood 3-bedroom semi, the inspection takes approximately 3–4 hours. There will be periods when individual circuits are isolated for testing, so you'll be without power briefly in various rooms. We try to work through efficiently to keep disruption to a minimum.

At the end of the inspection, we'll explain any findings verbally before the report is finalised. The written report is sent by email the same day.

What If There Are Faults?

A report coming back as Unsatisfactory doesn't mean the property is unusable — it means there are one or more items that need attention. The severity is indicated by the code: C1 means immediate danger, C2 means potentially dangerous, and C3 means an improvement is recommended.

Landlords must address C1 and C2 items within 28 days. We'll provide a clear, fixed-price quote for any remedial works and can usually carry them out within a few days. Once complete, we re-inspect the affected circuits and issue an updated certificate.

How Much Does an EICR Cost?

For most residential properties in Petts Wood and the surrounding area, an EICR costs between £99 and £175 depending on the size of the property and the number of circuits. We confirm the price before we attend — there are no surprises on the day.