How to prepare for an EICR

Clear access to the consumer unit and every room, let the occupiers know the power will be off for short periods, and tell the electrician about anything that must stay powered. That’s most of it. The better the access, the more of the installation can be inspected — and the fewer limitations end up on your report.

The checklist

Access

• Clear the area in front of the consumer unit (fuse board) and the electricity meter.
• Make sure every room can be opened — including cupboards, lofts, garages and outbuildings with electrics.
• Move light furniture away from sockets and switches where you can.
• Find the keys for meter cupboards, lofts and outbuildings. In a block of flats, check whether the meter room is locked and who holds the key.
• Tell us about anything hard to reach, such as a consumer unit in a locked cupboard or a shared meter room.
• Let us know about parking and building access — a concierge desk, entry codes or a controlled parking zone.

People

• Tell anyone living there that the power will be off for short periods during the testing.
• Landlords: give your tenant plenty of notice in writing and confirm access — we can speak to them or your agent directly.
• Keep pets away from the work area.

Things that must stay on

• Tell us about medical equipment, alarms, fridges and freezers, aquariums, servers or anything else that mustn’t lose power, so we can plan around it.
• Save work on computers, and charge laptops and phones before the visit.
• If you have a monitored burglar alarm, it may send an alert when the power goes off — let your alarm company know.

Paperwork

• Have the previous EICR to hand if there is one. It helps the electrician compare results.
• Gather certificates for any recent electrical work — a new consumer unit, a new circuit or a rewire.
• Make a note of any problems: tripping, flickering lights, warm sockets or burning smells.

A preparation timeline

On the day

The electrician starts with a walk round and a look at the consumer unit, then inspects the installation and tests it section by section, turning circuits off and on as they go. A small flat usually takes a few hours; larger homes take longer — see how long an EICR takes.

If they find something immediately dangerous — a C1 — they’ll explain it and, with your agreement, make it safe before they leave, usually by switching off the affected circuit.

If something can’t be reached

Anything the electrician can’t get to — a locked room, a board behind fitted furniture, a loft with no safe access — is recorded on the report as a limitation. That part of the installation hasn’t been checked, so it may need a return visit. Good preparation keeps limitations to a minimum.

Landlords and agents

• Book early, so there’s time to arrange access before the current report runs out.
• Give tenants written notice of the date, and explain that the power will be off for short periods.
• Keep a record of every request. If a tenant refuses access, the regulations give you a defence if you can show you took all reasonable steps to comply.
• Once you have the report, give each existing tenant a copy within 28 days of the inspection.

We arrange access with your tenant or agent directly. See our landlord EICR and HMO EICR services, and EICR for landlords for your duties in full.

Tenants: what to expect

Your landlord is required by law to have the electrics inspected at least every five years, and the check is for your safety. On the day, the electrician needs access to every room and the consumer unit, and the power goes off for short periods. Tell them about anything you’ve noticed — a socket that gets warm, lights that flicker, a breaker that keeps tripping. You should receive a copy of the report within 28 days of the inspection.

Homeowners

If you’re selling or buying, book early enough that the report is ready before the solicitors need it. If you’re planning a renovation, have the inspection before the work starts, so any problems can be fixed while walls and floors are open.

Special cases

• Empty properties. Some tests need the power on, so make sure the supply is connected — and, with a prepayment meter, that there’s enough credit to last the visit. Leave keys with an agent or neighbour and tell us who to call.
• Flats in a block. Your EICR covers your flat’s own installation. Communal hallways and stair lighting are usually on a separate supply looked after by the freeholder or managing agent, but you may still need their help to reach a meter room.
• Properties with a second consumer unit — in a garage, outbuilding or loft conversion. Tell us when you book, and make sure it can be reached.

A worked example

A landlord is preparing a rented two-bed flat. The tenant works from home, the consumer unit is in a hallway cupboard full of boxes, and the meter is in a locked room on the ground floor.

1. When booking, the landlord mentions the locked meter room and the tenant’s working hours.
2. A week before, they confirm the date with the tenant in writing and ask them to clear the hallway cupboard.
3. They arrange the meter-room key with the building’s managing agent.
4. The tenant plans calls around the visit and charges their laptop.

On the day, everything can be reached, nothing is left uninspected, and the tenant gets their copy of the report well within the 28 days.

Common mistakes

• A consumer unit buried behind stored boxes.
• No key for the meter cupboard, loft or outbuilding.
• Tenants who weren’t told the power would go off.
• Forgetting the previous report.
• Locked bedrooms in shared houses.

Key points

• Clear access to the consumer unit, the meter and every room.
• Warn occupiers about short power cuts and flag anything that must stay on.
• Have the previous report and any recent certificates ready.
• Anything that can’t be reached is noted as a limitation on the report.

After the visit

You’ll receive the report by email as a PDF, with every code explained in plain English. If it’s unsatisfactory, see what happens next. You can see what a report looks like on our sample report page.

Ready to book?

See your price, including VAT, and choose a preferred date and a morning or afternoon slot — nothing is booked until we call to confirm. Or call us on 07301 010244.