Cardiff is the centre of commerce and development in Wales. The coastal city is home to more than 350,000 people and is expected to grow to over 400,000 in only 20 years. Such growth has to be accompanied by new infrastructure and ensuring that existing buildings are safe to live and do business in.
Energy Performance Certificates helps you ensure that the hard wiring of your commercial or residential property meets safety standards. We accomplish this with our electrical installation condition reports or EICRs.
What is EICR?
An electrical installation condition report is a formal document that is the result of an expert’s assessment of all electrical installation in a given property.
Only a qualified electrician with relevant experience or a contractor with official approval can perform the assessment and file the EICR. This means they need to have taken a course about periodic electrical inspection and are registered with an organisation, like the Joint Industry Board. Furthermore, this expert should have practical knowledge and working experience with electrical appliances and installations.
Getting a professional to assess and file an EICR has multiple benefits for residential and commercial property owners. If you belong to the former or own properties of both types, you have a legal obligation to have an EICR performed.
Private landlords throughout the United Kingdom are required by law to perform electrical installation conditions reports on their rental property every 5 years. Business owners are currently not specifically obligated to perform EICRs, but they are beholden to watch out for the health and safety of their workers. Homeowners should protect themselves, their families and their property from faulty electrical installations.
If you own a number or properties or are a letting agent, consider setting up an account with our sister company Prop Cert.
Why is this necessary? The primary reason for an EICR to make sure that the electrical wiring and appliances in the building will not cause an accident or even a fire. The older the property and its electrical installation, the more often and crucial an EICR becomes. This means that instead of the common frequency of every 5 years, an electrician may determine the need for EICRs every 3 years.
Time and the elements can deteriorate electrical wiring and its components enough to make them unsafe. For example, Cardiff is a coastal city, and constant exposure to salty air can damage your property’s electrical installations quicker. Snow, rain and even animals could all affect electric components as well.
Without an EICR, your home or business runs the risk of a sudden power outage, or worse, an electrical fire. At the very least, faulty wirings can damage sensitive or expensive appliances like refrigerators and computers.
When an electrician from Energy Performance Certificates conducts the EICR, they will check multiple components on your property. There are two distinct phases: inspection and testing. These procedures will be done on all electrical installation and will include:
The point of an EICR is to determine the following:
During the inspection, our personnel will catalogue any damage or condition using specialised status codes for ease of reading. Once the report is complete, you can act on their recommendations to make your Cardiff property safer and more energy-efficient
Frequency of EICRs
How often you should check the efficiency and safety of your property’s electrical installations depends on the nature of the property in question.
Generally speaking, the more at-risk a property is of damage, the more often it is recommended to have an EICR. Older houses and properties located in places that increase their exposure, such as seaside communities like Cardiff, are more prone to electrical damage.
How Much DO EICRs Cost?
Many factors affect how much you are going to be charged for an EICR. A few of these include:
Aside from these considerations, the complexity of the job can also affect the price. A computing firm in downtown Cardiff will be more difficult to check than a single bedroom house in the suburbs.
An EICR is an investment, much like a rental flat or a good car. Partnering with an established company to perform an EICR ensures the continued safety of your workers, tenants and family.
Why Choose Energy Performance Certificates?
Energy Performance Certificates provides coverage over the entire United Kingdom, with prompt, professional and courteous service at competitive prices. Aside from domestic and commercial EICRs, our company also provides energy assessments to homes and businesses.
Call us today and begin making your properties safer and more energy-efficient.
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