Electrical Testing

Part P is a building control requirement additional to the BS 7671 wiring regulations. Combined they set requirements for design, installation, inspection, testing, verification and certification of the following types of electrical work:

• Electrics in or attached to a dwelling
• Electrics in the common parts of buildings serving one or more dwellings, but excluding power supplies to lifts
• Electrics in a building that receives its electricity from a source located within or shared with a dwelling, and
• Electrics in a garden or in or on land associated with a building where the electricity supply is from a source located within or shared with a dwelling

The term dwelling includes electrical installations in business premises that share an electricity supply with dwellings, such as shops and public houses with a flat above.

• Part P applies to electrical installations located in outbuildings such as detached garages, sheds and greenhouses.
• Part P applies to parts of electrical installations located on land around dwellings such as garden lighting.
• Part P applies to electrical installations that operate at voltages not exceeding 1000 V a.c.
• Notifiable work includes new installations, house re-wires, and the installation of new circuits. Notifiable work also includes additions/ alterations to existing circuits in bathrooms, outdoors and other special locations.

The following types of work are non-notifiable:

• Replacing socket-outlets, control switches and ceiling roses
• Replacing the cable for a single circuit only, where damaged, by fire, rodent or impact
• Re-fixing or replacing the enclosures of existing installation components
• Providing mechanical protection to existing fixed installations
• Installing or upgrading main or supplementary equipotential bonding
• Work that is not in a special location as identified in section 7 of BS7671 and consists of – adding lighting points (light fittings and switches) to an existing circuit  or adding socket-outlets and fused spurs to an existing ring or radial circuit

There is a big difference between an Electrical contractor who is NICEIC approved and one who is not. Whether you are hiring an electrician for your business, or for your home, it might be useful to know what the difference is…

NATIONAL INSPECTION COUNCIL for ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION CONTRACTING or N.I.C.E.I.C. is the main recognised professional body for all electricians in the UK.

It means the Electrical contractor has attained specific professional standards and gives their official seal of approval that their work will be performed to the current standards.

It covers industrial, commercial and domestic electrics and includes everything from installing a light switch to designing and installing a commercial electrical system and searching for faults.

There are many different regulations to comply with for wiring, consumer boards, lighting, and commercial electrics and the NICEIC exists as the overarching professional regulatory body to ensure that the company who is working on your electrics, is in full compliance.

NICEIC guarantees that your Contractor works to safe practices and should anything go wrong, you can rely on this UK wide organisation to resolve the problem for you.

Insurance Claims prefer NICEIC Companies

Most Insurance Companies will be more likely to pay out following any damaged property or goods if you used an accredited NICEIC Contractor than if you didn’t. It may give them an excuse not to pay out on a claim.

This means it is good business practice to use a contractor who has NICEIC accreditation, especially if you have a business premises with employees and expensive stock.

All Landlords need a current EICR or Electrical Installation Condition Report when looking for a new domestic tenant.

It is a professional inspection and appraisal of the condition of the electrical installation in the property and sometimes referred to as a Domestic Electrical Safety Report.

During the inspection, the electrician will assess the safety of the electrics and will also establish whether any new laws and regulations mean that you might have a non-complying consumer unit, unsafe cabling or outdated fixtures & fittings.

This is especially necessary if you have had a long-term tenant living in the property, and not just for a one or two-year tenancy or student let.

There are specific times when it is necessary to have a qualified NICEIC electrician carry out an electrical inspection in your home to get an up to date Certificate:

If You Are Selling Your Property

A Certificate will be needed by the Estate Agent and by the buyers Solicitor, to prove that your electrics are safe and do not require any major expenditure for the new buyer. Small repairs are expected, but the Consumer Unit should meet current standards.

This includes its position, and if it is located by either exit door or under the stairs, it must be made of or contained in a metal enclosure.

To Get Cheaper Home Insurance

Some Insurance companies will give you a much lower quote for home insurance if you provide them with a current NICEIC Electrical Certificate. Current means inside 2 years and this proves that your home should have a much lower risk of fire.

Some Insurance Policies state in their small print, that you must have a new Certificate every so many years and if you do need to claim for an electrical fault, or fire, you may find that your insurance is invalid without a current Certificate. So, it is worth checking your Policy.

If You Have Major Works

If you install a new bathroom, build an extension, swap over the Kitchen and Utility room, have a loft conversion, a garage conversion or anything which falls under Part P Compliance. All these will need Building Regulations Approval and part of this will be the Electrical Safety Certificate. This should be taken care of by your builder or electrician, but if you are project managing it yourself, it is certainly worth making sure this is provided before handover – and payment!

Every Homeowner, Tenant and Property Manager – If you own a property, or rent a residential home or business premises, you need to know when to call in a qualified NICEIC Electrician or Electrical Contractor.

You may have elderly relatives or neighbours who have lived in the same house for more than 20 years. The NICEIC tell us that faulty wiring causes over 2,000 electric shocks and 12,500 unexpected fires in UK homes every year.

Here is what to look out for, the tell-tale signs and symptoms that there is – or might be – an electrical problem:

Fuse Box (now called a Consumer Unit):

• Is made of wood or a brown/cream plastic like material (Bakelite)
• Has cast iron, bakelite or ceramic switches
• Does not have any written labels on it
• Has fuses that can be re-wired
• Has black rubber, Cloth coated or Lead Sheathed cable going into the box

Plugs, Switches & Sockets:

• The inside of the switch or socket is visible
• Has any broken plastic front panel
• Blackened switches
• They are fitted into skirting boards
• Plugs get hot
• Switches with wooden pattresses or made of bakelite

Lights and light fittings:

• Have round switches
• Any braided flex, cord or rope hanging from a ceiling rose (fitting)
• Lights that flicker or go off and on with vibration or movement
• Where bulbs keep blowing for no apparent reason

If you are buying or selling any property, you will need a current EIC Report or Electrical Installation Condition Report. This is a professional inspection and appraisal of the condition of the electrical installation in the property and sometimes referred to as a Domestic Electrical Safety Report.

Buying a property

Your Mortgage Company may request an EIC Report before they agree to your Mortgage and if you book an independent Survey for your own peace of mind; any Surveyor worth his salt, will certainly request this document to make sure you have no impending serious electrical problems.

Selling a property

Before you put your property on the market, call in a qualified NICEIC accredited Electrical Contractor and have your home tested properly so that you can supply a glowing test certificate to any prospective new buyers. If they are choosing between two properties, it could be a deal breaker if you don’t have one.

What happens if it doesn’t pass?

Of course, not all properties will get a good report, and most issues are usually from age related wear, but some will be because laws and regulations have changed and you may have an illegal consumer unit or wiring system.

You can then choose to carry out the work yourself to get the glowing EIC report, or just to point it out to the vendors and perhaps make an adjustment to the selling price to take account of any electrical works needed to comply.

If you own any kind of premises, that has an electricity supply and people in it, then you certainly do, whether it’s a business, a private home, a rented home, a caravan or even a swimming pool! So here are the reasons why, how often you need it, and what should happen:

How often:

• Every business premises should have one every 3-5 years
• Rented properties every 5 years – unless it changes tenancy meanwhile
• Owner occupied homes need one every 5 years – unless it changes ownership
• Caravans should be done every 3 years
• Swimming Pools need one every year because of the higher risks of water and electricity.

Why do I need a Periodic Electrical Inspection?

Electrical installations will slowly deteriorate with age and use. You may have added extra machines or sockets into the original circuit, or you may have damaged a fitting or socket without realising it.

They should be inspected and tested at regular intervals to make sure everything is working properly and it is in a satisfactory condition for continued use. These safety checks are known in the trade as ‘periodic inspection and testing’.

What will a periodic inspection reveal?

• If there is any overloading of electrical circuits or equipment
• If there are any potential Fire hazards or electric shock risks
• If there are any defective electrical parts, not earthed or bonded
• If any wiring or fixed electrical equipment is unsafe by testing it.

What Will I Get After the Inspection?

After the inspection, you will receive an Electrical Condition Report (EICR) along with a schedule of circuits, which is invaluable for any property.

Who should carry out the periodic inspection and what happens?

Periodic inspection and testing should be carried out only by electrically competent persons, and ideally by an electrical contractor who is accredited by the NIC EIC Then you can be sure that the inspection will meet the criteria for the UK standard for the safety of electrical installations, BS 7671 – Requirements for Electrical Installations (IEE Wiring Regulations).

If anything dangerous or potentially dangerous is found, the overall condition of the electrical installation will be declared to be ‘unsatisfactory’, meaning that remedial action is required without delay to remove the risks to those in the premises.