Midlands Landlords: How to Source an NICEIC-Accredited Electrician

If you’re a Midlands-based landlord, you may well remember our previous post about Electrical Inspection Condition Reports (EICR) - Since July 2020 private landlords must demonstrate to all new specified tenancies that they have had a qualified electrical expert inspect their property.  From 1 April 2021, this legislation extends to all new tenancies too.

What Your EICR Will Entail
So what does an EICR entail, and how can you find a qualified professional electrician to undertake the work?

With electrical faults being responsible for almost half of all domestic fires, approximately 70 people are killed, and 350,000 people injured every year due to electrical accidents at home, according to the Evening Standard.  So it’s little wonder that the government is pushing through the requirement for landlords to provide Electrical Inspection Condition Reports (EICR).

Your EICR report needs to assess the competency of your property’s electrics by three different stages: C1 - indicating that danger exists and will need immediate attention; C2 - indicating that there is a potential danger that requires urgent attention, and C3 - indicating that your property’s electrics pose no danger, but will still recommend improvements of the electrical system.

How to Source an NICEIC-Accredited Electrician
Selecting the right electrician is imperative.  To ensure that your EICR is 100 per cent legitimate, you must source an accredited electrician through the National Inspection Council for Electrical Contracting (NICEIC) website.

As an NICEIC-accredited business, Definitive Electrical Solutions will test your fuse boards, switches, sockets, and fixtures and fittings.  We will also undertake polarity checks and carry-out protective device testing.  On completion, we will then provide you with a certificate of compliance, enabling you to demonstrate to tenants, authorities and insurers that you have fully considered the safety of your tenants.

Failure to source an accredited Electrician invalidates your EICR.  Failing to demonstrate you’ve had an EICR undertaken, even for new tenancies after April 1 means you could face a fine of up to £30,000.  As well as avoiding hefty penalties, prove to your tenants that you have their health, wellbeing and best interests at heart.  Make sure you source your NICEIC-accredited electrician to undertake your property’s EICR before the April deadline.

How Much Will an EICR Electrical Inspection Condition Report Cost?
Once you’ve sourced your NICEIC-accredited Electrician, besides his or her expertise, you will be paying for their time. Definitive Electrical Solutions charges £60 plus VAT per Consumer Unit (also known as a distribution board), and then £20 plus VAT for each circuit.  As a guide, most households tend to feature six to ten circuits per distribution board.
 

To learn more about EICR Electrical Inspection Condition Reports, click here to speak to an expert now.