While we tend to take it for granted, electricity is not a force that should be trifled with or ignored. There are rigorous standards in place governing all electrical installations in the UK and the primary means by which the integrity of those installations is verified is the Electrical Installation Condition Report or EICR. In this guide, we will take a look at the EICR and its purpose and explain what the C1, C2 & C3 EICR codes mean.
In July 2020 new regulations came into force mandating that UK landlords validate their electrical installations. That means all electrical installations on all their rental properties. The goal of the legislation was to reduce the number and severity of electrical fires in rental properties and to reduce and hopefully eliminate, the possibility that anyone could be accidentally hurt or even electrocuted due to faulty wiring.
The EICR legislation is very clear regarding what is expected of landlords:
In Part 6 of the EICR report the electrician or electrical engineer conducting the inspection will note the various components of the electrical system they inspected and assign C1, C2 & C3 EICR codes to them if they find any issues. Let’s take a close look at those codes and what they mean.
The EICR C1 code indicates an electrical danger is present. A C1 level danger is considered to pose a threat of injury or worse to anyone coming in contact with the various aspects of the installation. As such, immediate remedial action is required. The electrician will indicate on the EICR precisely what type of action is needed.
Examples of C1 violations include a broken light switch, a socket that is short-circuiting, exposed electrical wires or inadequate or non-existent insulation around some of the wires. It is highly recommended that you have the remedial work performed as soon as possible after being informed of the C1 violation. Failure to perform the necessary repairs endangers everyone who may come in contact with the installation and could lead to significant legal problems down the road should someone get hurt.
The next step down in severity from the C1 is the C2 designation. C2 means that the inspecting electrical professional discovered something that is potentially dangerous. That is, while it may not pose an imminent and obvious danger it could develop into something that does.
While you may be able to use the system even in the presence of a C2 issue, urgent remedial action is required and the entire electrical installation will be considered unsatisfactory until such action is taken.
The EICR C3 designation indicates the electrician believes the landlord should consider upgrading or replacing the electrical component in question. An example of a C3 violation would be outdated wiring that presents no immediate danger but does not comply with recently updated regulations.
If you see a C3 code on your EICR form it does not mean anyone is in imminent danger. It simply means the electrician believes your system would benefit from certain upgrades or changes. If you want to avoid potentially dangerous situations in the future you would do well to heed the electrician’s advice and have your system upgraded.
The FI code is not always mentioned alongside C1, C2 & C3 EICR Codes. FI stands for “further investigation” and is indicated by the electrician if they see something that just doesn’t look right. To be sure, it does not mean that they have found a violation or a dangerous situation, only that they believe the issue warrants a closer look.
An FI code does not typically result in an unsatisfactory EICR, but it could. For example, if several circuits were found to be unverified it may cause the electrician to declare an unsatisfactory EICR simply by weight of the number of circuits involved.
In a best-case scenario, the EICR remains valid for a full 5 years after which time the property will need to be inspected again. Best case scenarios, however, are just that and in reality how often a property will need to have its electrical system inspected will depend on a number of things, most importantly the overall condition of the electrical system in a given building.
If the inspecting electrician gives a building a clean bill of health and does not indicate the need for any type of remedial action the EICR should be valid for the entire 5 years. However, if the electrician is not impressed with the quality of the electrical system they may indicate the building should be inspected again in 6 months, or a year, or every 2 years, even if there are no obvious faults.
The EICR inspection is not a suggestion, it’s the law. If you need to have your building’s electrical system inspected contact the team at Energy Performance Certificates today by calling 0203 397 8220 or complete our online form.
