You may have been told you need an EICR before renting out a property, buying a house or carrying out other electrical work.
But what actually happens during one?
An Electrical Installation Condition Report, or EICR, is essentially a health check for the fixed electrical installation in a property. It is not simply an electrician looking at your fuse box and giving it a quick thumbs-up.
The electrician inspects and tests the installation to identify deterioration, defects and electrical safety risks that may not be obvious during everyday use.
What is included in an EICR?
An EICR focuses on the fixed electrical installation in the building.
That includes the consumer unit, circuits, fixed wiring, sockets, switches, protective devices and the earthing and bonding arrangements.
The electrician is looking for anything that could increase the risk of electric shock, overheating or fire.
Electrical Safety First describes periodic inspection as an assessment against the current UK electrical safety standard, BS 7671, with the resulting EICR recording damage, deterioration, defects, potentially dangerous conditions and relevant non-compliances.
The consumer unit
One of the first areas checked is your consumer unit — sometimes still referred to as the fuse box.
The electrician will consider its overall condition and the protection provided to each circuit.
That can include checking devices such as circuit breakers, RCDs and other protective equipment, as well as looking for signs of overheating, damage or unsuitable alterations.
Having an older consumer unit does not automatically mean it is unsafe. Its condition and the protection available matter more than its age alone.
Earthing and bonding
A safe electrical installation needs an effective route for fault current.
The electrician therefore checks the property’s earthing arrangements and relevant bonding.
These systems help protective devices disconnect the electricity quickly when something goes wrong.
Problems here are particularly important because the installation may appear perfectly normal during everyday use while still offering inadequate protection during a fault.
The condition of your wiring
An EICR also assesses the condition of the fixed wiring.
Depending on the property and accessibility, the electrician may inspect representative accessories and carry out electrical tests on individual circuits.
The aim is to identify problems such as deteriorated insulation, damaged conductors, poor connections, incorrectly modified circuits and other defects that could make the installation unsafe.
This can be especially useful in older Manchester homes where electrical systems may have been modified several times over decades.
A Victorian terrace, for example, might have original alterations from one era, an extension from another and a more recent kitchen renovation all connected to the same installation.
Sockets, switches and accessories
Socket outlets, switches and other electrical accessories are also considered as part of the inspection.
The electrician may look for physical damage, overheating, loose fittings, poor connections and signs that inappropriate DIY work has taken place.
Burn marks, crackling, unusual heat and repeated circuit-breaker operation should never simply be accepted as normal electrical behaviour. Electrical Safety First specifically advises consumers not to ignore these warning signs.
Electrical testing
A large part of an EICR happens through testing rather than visual inspection.
The electrician uses specialist equipment to check whether circuits and protective measures operate as they should.
That testing can reveal faults that cannot be seen from the outside of a socket or consumer unit.
An installation can look neat while still containing problems hidden within the wiring.
That is one of the main reasons an EICR is more useful than a quick visual inspection.
What do C1, C2, C3 and FI mean?
If the electrician finds a problem, it will normally be given a classification code.
C1 means danger is present and there is a risk of injury.
C2 means the condition is potentially dangerous.
FI means further investigation is required without delay.
C3 means improvement is recommended, rather than indicating an immediate or potentially dangerous condition.
An EICR containing C1, C2 or FI observations will normally be considered unsatisfactory until the relevant problems have been dealt with. A C3 alone does not make an EICR unsatisfactory.
That distinction matters.
An EICR is not simply a checklist of everything that differs from a brand-new installation. Older electrical systems can remain serviceable even though newer installations would be designed differently.
The question is whether the existing installation is safe for continued use.
Does an EICR test appliances?
Not normally.
An EICR concentrates on the fixed electrical installation.
Portable appliances such as kettles, televisions, washing machines and computers are a separate issue.
So an EICR should not be confused with PAT testing or appliance inspection.
However, if an electrician is investigating a fault such as an RCD that repeatedly trips, appliances may need to be considered because the fault could be within the appliance rather than the fixed wiring.
How often should you have an EICR?
Electrical Safety First recommends periodic inspection and testing at least every 10 years for an owner-occupied home and every 5 years for a rented home.
For landlords in England, the rules are more specific. Electrical installations in properties covered by the electrical safety regulations must be inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every five years, with the report supplied to tenants as required. The regulations were extended to the social rented sector through changes introduced in 2025 and 2026.
You may also want an EICR sooner if you are buying an older property, preparing a property for letting or have concerns about the condition of the electrics.
What happens after the inspection?
You receive a written report setting out the condition of the installation and any observations made.
If defects are found, you can then see exactly what requires urgent attention, what needs further investigation and what is simply recommended as an improvement.
That is much more useful than being told that your electrics are simply “old”.
Need an EICR in Manchester?
Local Electrician 24-7 carries out electrical inspection and testing for homeowners, landlords and commercial properties across Greater Manchester.
If you are unsure whether you need an EICR — or you already have a report and want the findings explained in plain English — speak directly with an electrician before arranging any remedial work.