In this article we will go over everything you should learn about electrical certificate.
What is an Electrical Installation Certificate?
The electrical certificate for installation of electrical equipment are forms of test certificate issued by a certified and experienced electrician or other competent person who is legally required to prove that the electrical wiring, installation, and fuses meet the BS 7671 standards.
What is the reason you require an electrical installation certification?
A Electrical Safety Certificate is issued following the Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) was completed on the property.
Electric installation Certificates aren’t the sole required document These certificates also go along with Building Regulations Approval Document named Part P. Part P regulations were added to the Building Regulations to ensure the security of electrical work and to minimize the possibility of fires or deaths due to inadequate electrical conformity in residential or investment properties.
What is considered to be notifiable work?
Notifiable work is an instance of electrical work which must be reported through any of the Government Self-Certified Schemes. These schemes permit electricians to verify to prove that their work is fully in line to Part P standards. If you’re not a licensed and skilled person, you’ll have submit plans or notify the Building Control Body (BCB).
“Notifiable” work covers the following situations:
The setting up of a new circuit either in a complete or partial reconfiguration
Modification or addition on an existing circuit
Repair of the fuse box
What is the reason the importance of an Electrical Safety Certificate so important?
Electrical faults pose a significant issue as they could cause fires and put life at risk. If electrical equipment is not regularly checked and maintained the risk of a serious incident is significantly increased.
How do you get an Electrical Installation Certificate?
The only method to obtain an electrical Installation Certificate is from registered electricians. They must verify the current or new installation or any work that impacts electrical circuits. Otherwise the electrical certificate won’t be accepted by estate agents, insurance companies or councils.
The various types of Electrical Installation Certificate:
It is essential to note that the type of certificate you receive will be according to the kind of inspection or installation required to be carried out.
The EIC certificate informs us about the state of the installation during inspection and whether it’s satisfactory or not. If the electrician thinks that the installation is satisfactory, they need to provide a list of all possible improvements needed to get it to the standards of being satisfactory. The codes used to back these assertions are as the following:
Unsatisfactory Codes are:
C1: Danger is present and risk of injury immediate remedial action is required
C2 – Possibly dangerous, urgent remedial action needed
FI – More investigation is required
A Satisfactory Code means:
C3 – Improvements recommended
If the certificate has any of the codes that are not satisfactory that are listed above, then action must be initiated by the electrician in order to make a temporary change to ensure that the installation is secure.
Electrical Certificates for Landlords:
These regulations apply to all tenancies that were created at or after this date in England starting on July 1, 2020. They can be read in complete here.
In law, landlords are required to ensure that all new electrical installations examined at least once every five times by an electrician. Furthermore landlords are required to give a copy of the report on the condition of electrical installations for their rental property to landlords or local government authorities. NAPIT has issued these guidelines for landlords that all is required to follow.
After an inspection the private landlord is required to:
Get a written statement from the one who conducted the test and inspection that will provide the results of the test and inspection and the date for the next inspection and test.
Send a copy this report to each resident of the residence within 28 days from the date of the test and inspection
Provide a copy the report to your council within seven days after receiving a written request for it from the authority.
Save a copy this record until the following inspection or test is due. Also, give one to the person responsible for the following inspection and test.
Send a copy the latest version of this report each new tenant in the tenant to whom the report refers prior to the time that tenant occupy the premises; and to anyone who is a prospective tenant in the 28-day period following receiving a written request for it from the prospective tenant
What do you do if receive a negative report?
In the event that an Electrical Installation Condition Report lists improvements or “further investigation,” the electrical installation work is to be completed by an electrician who is registered within 28 days, unless specified otherwise.
The landlord then has to:
Get an official written confirmation from a certified person that further investigation or remedial work is being carried out and that electrical safety standards have been in place, or that additional investigation or remedial work is necessary.
Send that written confirmation, along with an original copy of the report that required further investigation or corrective work to every tenant in the residential property within 28 days after the completion of the additional investigation or remedial work as well as to officials of the local area within 28 days after the completion of the additional investigative or remedial work
What happens if you choose to not act on an unsatisfactory Electrical Safety Report?
Landlords may be penalized as high as the amount of PS30, 000 from their local authorities in the event that they fail to meet the legal standards. The local authority may also issue the landlord a redressed notice and, with the consent of the tenant may perform remedial work. If no action is taken within 28 days the local authority can seek to recover cost from the tenant.
What happens when a claims is filed?
In the event of an electrical fire, or a personal injury that is thought to be caused by unsafe electrical work The Electrical Installation Certificate will be used to prove the claim. It is the Electrical reliant energy phone number can also clarify the location where any additional testing of electrical equipment or actions need take place in the near future that could cost a lot of money.
The importance of having an Electrical Safety Certificate:
In the end it is important to note that the Electrical Safety Certificate firstly proves that the new installation has been installed in a way that meets the standards required. Furthermore, periodic tests every 3 to 5 years has to be conducted to ensure that the installation is still in compliance with the requirements. It is crucial that the regulations are adhered to in order to reduce the chance of electrical fires, malfunctions or even injuries.