EICR, EIC, Minor Works or PAT: which do you need?

The short answer: an EICR reports on the condition of the wiring you already have; an EIC certifies new electrical work; a Minor Works certificate covers small additions and alterations; and PAT testing checks portable appliances. Landlords need an EICR by law — the others depend on what work is done and what you supply.

At a glance

EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report

An EICR is a periodic inspection and test of an existing installation: the consumer unit, wiring, sockets, switches, fittings and the circuits to fixed equipment. It says whether the installation is satisfactory or unsatisfactory and records any problems with a code — C1, C2, C3 or FI (see EICR codes explained).

Landlords in England need one at least every five years, and IET guidance recommends one every ten years for a home you own — see how often you need an EICR and EICR for landlords.

EIC — Electrical Installation Certificate

An EIC is issued when new electrical work is installed — a full rewire, a new circuit or a new consumer unit. It confirms the work was designed, installed, inspected and tested to BS 7671, the UK wiring regulations.

Much of this work is also notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations: a new circuit, a consumer-unit replacement, and additions or alterations in a special location such as a bath or shower zone. Notifiable work is signed off by one of three routes — self-certification by a registered competent person, a registered third-party certifier, or a building notice to Building Control before the work starts. Keep the building regulations confirmation with the EIC. See when an EICR says the consumer unit must go.

An EIC certifies the new work only. It isn’t a condition report on the rest of the installation, and it doesn’t replace the periodic EICR later on.

Minor Works certificate

A Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate covers small jobs that don’t add a new circuit — such as adding a socket to an existing circuit, moving a light switch or replacing a light fitting. It’s a shorter form than an EIC but still records the tests carried out. Remember that even a small job in a bath or shower zone can be notifiable.

PAT testing — portable appliance testing

PAT testing — properly called in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment — checks plug-in equipment such as kettles, toasters, lamps and extension leads, rather than the fixed wiring. The IET Code of Practice (5th edition, 2020) sets out how it’s done.

For private landlords, the electrical safety regulations cover the fixed installation, not appliances, so they don’t require PAT testing. But if you supply appliances in a let property, it’s a practical way to show they are safe. HMO licences go further: every licence requires the holder to keep the electrical appliances they supply safe and to give the council a declaration about their safety on request — PAT records make that easy. Social housing providers have separate duties for the appliances they supply. We offer PAT testing alongside an EICR.

Which one do you need?

Worked examples

A landlord letting a furnished two-bed flat. They need a valid EICR before the tenancy starts — an existing report under five years old with nothing outstanding will do. PAT testing the kettle, toaster and washing machine they supply is a sensible extra. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are a separate legal duty.

A homeowner who has just had a new consumer unit fitted. They should receive an EIC for the work and confirmation that it has been signed off under the building regulations. The work doesn’t mean they need a new EICR.

A café owner. An EICR covers the fixed wiring, lighting and the circuits to fixed equipment; PAT testing covers the plug-in coffee machine, till and other equipment. See our commercial EICR service.

Other checks you may hear about

• Fire alarms and emergency lighting. An EICR covers the circuits that supply them, but the systems themselves are tested under their own standards. Businesses, HMOs and blocks of flats often need emergency lighting testing as well as an EICR.
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Landlords must have a smoke alarm on every storey with living accommodation and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (except a gas cooker). That’s a separate duty with no certificate of its own — you check the alarms work on the first day of each tenancy.

What each reader should ask for

Landlords: ask for an EICR, and PAT testing if you supply appliances. After any remedial work, ask for the certificate for the work and written confirmation for your tenants and the council.

Homeowners: after any new electrical work, ask for the EIC or Minor Works certificate — and, for notifiable work, the building regulations confirmation. Keep them for when you sell.

Tenants: you’re entitled to a copy of your landlord’s EICR. Other certificates are for the landlord’s records, though many landlords share them.

Common mistakes

• Asking for “an electrical certificate” without saying which. Say what the work or check is for.
• Thinking PAT testing covers the wiring. It doesn’t — only the appliances.
• Treating an EIC for one job as a report on the whole home. It only certifies the new work.
• Forgetting the building regulations sign-off for a new consumer unit or circuit.

Key points

• EICR: the condition of existing wiring — required for landlords.
• EIC: new installations, new circuits and consumer-unit replacements.
• Minor Works: small jobs with no new circuit.
• PAT: plug-in appliances — not required for private landlords, but a sensible extra.

Book the right check

Not sure which you need? Send us a message or call us on 07301 010244 and we’ll point you in the right direction. If it’s an EICR, see your price — including VAT — before you book.