If you have been told you need an EICR and you are not sure what that means, this guide will explain it. An EICR is the formal safety check on the fixed wiring in a building, and for landlords it is a legal requirement. Here is what it covers, who needs one, and what booking an EICR in Wigan involves.
What an EICR actually is
EICR stands for Electrical Installation Condition Report. It is an inspection and test of the fixed electrical installation, carried out by a qualified electrician. Fixed means everything wired into the building: the consumer unit, the circuits behind your walls, the sockets, switches and light fittings. You may also hear it called a periodic inspection or an electrical safety certificate.
It is not a repair visit. The electrician records what they find, tests every circuit and issues a report marked satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Remedial work is quoted separately. Read more about our electrical safety certification services, which we carry out as an NICEIC approved contractor.
What the inspection covers
The test covers the whole fixed installation, working outwards from the consumer unit. Your electrician is looking for five things:
- Circuits carrying more load than they were designed for
- Anything that presents a risk of electric shock
- Anything that presents a fire risk, such as loose connections or heat damage
- Defective work, which in older properties usually means additions made by somebody unqualified
- Missing earthing or bonding, the two arrangements that carry a fault safely to ground
Permanently connected items are included, so electric showers, extractor fans and immersion heaters form part of the inspection, along with the circuits feeding solar panels and battery storage.
What an EICR does not cover is anything that plugs into a socket. Kettles, computers and washing machines fall under PAT testing instead. Landlords letting furnished properties often need both.
Who needs an EICR in Wigan, and how often
Private landlords
If you let a property in England, an EICR is not optional. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require the fixed installation to be tested by a qualified person at least every five years. You must give the report to your existing tenant within 28 days, to a new tenant before they move in, and to the council within seven days if it asks. Since November 2025 the same duties apply to social landlords.
Homeowners
There is no law forcing you to have an EICR on the home you live in, but it is worth doing. The usual guidance is every ten years, or sooner if you are buying or selling. A report before you commit to a purchase can save you a five figure surprise.
Business premises
Commercial premises go through the same process, usually called fixed wire testing. Insurers and licensing bodies commonly ask to see the report.
Understanding the report codes: C1, C2, C3 and FI
Every observation on the report is given a code. There are four:
C1, danger present
There is a risk of injury and it needs dealing with immediately. An electrician will normally make a C1 safe before leaving.
C2, potentially dangerous
No immediate danger, but something that could become dangerous. It needs putting right.
C3, improvement recommended
Safe in this respect, but below the current standard. You are not obliged to act on a C3.
FI, further investigation required
Something was found that could not be resolved on the day and needs looking at without delay.
The report is marked unsatisfactory if it contains any C1, C2 or FI. Nothing worse than a C3 means satisfactory.
What happens if your report comes back unsatisfactory
An unsatisfactory result sounds worse than it usually is, and it rarely means rewiring. Most come down to a short list: a consumer unit with no RCD protection, earthing or bonding below the current standard, damaged sockets, or a circuit that was extended badly years ago.
If you are a landlord, timing matters. Remedial or further investigative work must be completed within 28 days of the report, or sooner if it specifies. You then have 28 days from finishing to send the report and written confirmation to your tenant and the council.
Worth knowing
Councils can impose a financial penalty of up to £40,000 for a breach of the electrical safety regulations. That ceiling rose from £30,000 on 1 November 2025, and separate breaches can attract separate penalties.
Where the consumer unit is the cause, a replacement board often clears several observations at once. Ask for remedial work to be quoted line by line against the report.
How long an EICR takes and what affects the price
For a typical three bedroom house, allow two to four hours. A larger property, an older installation with more circuits, or one where the paperwork is lost will take longer. Power goes off circuit by circuit rather than all day, so it is less disruptive than most people expect.
Price follows the same logic. The number of circuits is the main driver, then the size of the property and how easy the consumer unit and sockets are to reach. Rates across the Wigan area vary, and any figure quoted before we have asked about the property is a guess rather than a price. Treat an unusually cheap test with care, as it tends to make its money back on the remedial work that follows.
Booking an EICR with an NICEIC approved contractor in Wigan
Harwood Electrical has been testing and certifying electrical installations across Wigan and the North West since 2017. We are an NICEIC approved contractor, listed on the Wigan Council Good Trader scheme and on Checkatrade. Read more about our team and our approvals. We test homes, rental properties, offices, shops and industrial units, and we work around tenant access and opening hours.
Frequently asked questions
How long is an EICR valid for?
There is no expiry date on the document. The report sets the date of the next inspection, and that is the date that counts. For a rented home it will be no more than five years away.
Do I need a new EICR when a tenant changes?
No, provided the existing report is less than five years old and does not call for remedial work. You do have to give the new tenant a copy before they move in.
What is the penalty for not having a valid EICR?
Councils can impose a financial penalty of up to £40,000, and more than one penalty where there is more than one breach.
Do I need to be at the property during the inspection?
Not for the whole visit, but we need access to every room and to the consumer unit. For a tenanted property, arranging access in advance keeps the appointment on schedule.
Does an EICR cover appliances such as kettles and washing machines?
No. An EICR covers the fixed installation. Anything with a plug falls under PAT testing, which is a separate service.
Need an EICR for your home or rental property?
Call Harwood Electrical on 01695 371030 for a no obligation quote, or send us a message. We will book an electrical safety inspection around you.