Royal Electrical Services 07845 087406

EICR and electrical safety certificates on the Wirral

Electrical Installation Condition Reports for landlords, homeowners, buyers and businesses, with clear findings and any remedial work quoted.

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An electrician testing a consumer unit with test probes

An Electrical Installation Condition Report, or EICR, is a thorough inspection and test of a property’s fixed electrics: the consumer unit, the wiring, the sockets, switches and light fittings. It is often called an electrical safety certificate, and it tells you whether the installation is safe to keep using.

We carry out EICRs for landlords, homeowners, buyers and businesses across the Wirral, Merseyside and Chester. You get a full report in plain English, not just a pass or fail, and if anything needs putting right we quote for it with the report so you can get it sorted quickly.

Who needs an EICR?

Some people are required to have one; for others it is simply good sense.

  • Landlords, at least every five years
  • New tenancies and renewals
  • Buying an older property
  • Selling and asked by a buyer
  • Homeowners, around every ten years
  • Shops, offices and other businesses
  • Before a renovation or extension
  • After a flood or fire damage

Landlords: what the law says in England

Under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, private landlords must have the electrical installation inspected and tested at least every five years, or sooner if the last report says so.

You must give a copy of the report to existing tenants within 28 days, to new tenants before they move in, and to the local council within seven days if they ask for it. If the report is unsatisfactory, the remedial work must be done within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so, and you need written confirmation that it is complete.

We work with landlords regularly. One described us doing “a number of rewires and EICRs” on their residential properties. We can arrange access with tenants or agents and carry out any remedial work straight after the report.

A consumer unit mounted beneath a row of switches

Understanding the codes on your report

Anything that does not meet the current wiring regulations, BS 7671, is recorded with a code. The codes decide whether the report is satisfactory overall:

  • C1: Danger present. Risk of injury right now. We make it safe before we leave, with your agreement.
  • C2: Potentially dangerous. Not an immediate danger, but it needs putting right urgently.
  • C3: Improvement recommended. Not up to the latest standard, but not unsafe. A C3 on its own does not make a report unsatisfactory.
  • FI: Further investigation. Something needs looking into more closely before we can say whether it is safe.

Any C1, C2 or FI means the report is unsatisfactory. It does not always mean big work: often it is a missing RCD, a damaged accessory or missing earth bonding. Where it does point to a bigger problem, we will explain your options honestly, from targeted repairs to a fuse board upgrade or rewire.

How an EICR works

  1. Book a time

    Tell us the size of the property and whether it is occupied. We agree a time, and arrange access with tenants if needed.

  2. Inspect

    We check the consumer unit, earthing, bonding and a representative sample of sockets, switches and fittings.

  3. Test

    Each circuit is tested, including insulation resistance, earth continuity and RCD operation. The power is off for parts of the visit.

  4. Report and quote

    You get the full report, the codes explained, and a quote for anything that needs doing.

EICRs for businesses

Employers and anyone in control of business premises have a duty under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 to keep the electrical installation safe. Regular inspection and testing is how you show that. For most shops and offices, industry guidance suggests an EICR every five years. We plan the testing around your opening hours; see our commercial electrical page for more.

An EICR is only as good as the person doing it. Every inspection is carried out carefully and methodically, with the kind of attention to detail the Navy taught us, because a report you can rely on is the whole point.

EICR questions

All questions

How do I know if my house needs rewiring?

Common signs are an old fuse box with rewirable fuses, rubber or fabric-covered cables, round-pin or cracked sockets, lights that flicker, frequent tripping, burning smells, or not enough sockets for modern life. Wiring more than about 25 to 30 years old is also worth checking. An EICR is the best first step: it tells you whether you need a full rewire, a part rewire or just a few repairs.

What is an EICR?

An Electrical Installation Condition Report is a thorough inspection and test of a property’s fixed wiring, sockets, lights and consumer unit. It records anything dangerous or not up to standard using codes (C1, C2, C3 and FI) and gives the installation an overall satisfactory or unsatisfactory result.

How often do I need an EICR?

Landlords in England must have one at least every five years, or sooner if the last report says so, and give a copy to tenants. For homeowners, every ten years is the usual recommendation, and whenever you buy a property.

I am a landlord. What happens if the EICR is unsatisfactory?

Any C1, C2 or FI items must be put right, normally within 28 days, and you need written confirmation that the work is done to give to your tenants. We quote for the remedial work with the report and can usually carry it out straight away.

EICRs across the Wirral

We carry out electrical condition reports for landlords, homeowners and businesses in all of these towns.

All areas we cover

Book an EICR

Tell us the type and size of the property, whether it is rented and when the last report was done. We will come back with a clear price and a time that suits.

10% off for blue light and care sector workers. Just mention it.

For example: three-bed semi, old fuse box, looking at a full rewire. Or: kitchen being fitted next month, need a new cooker circuit and spotlights.
A photo of your fuse board or the job helps us give you a closer price.

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