Why Regular EICRs Are a Smart Move for Your Home in Brighton & Hove

If you’ve ever wondered whether your home’s electrics are truly safe, an EICR is how you find out. It stands for Electrical Installation Condition Report — essentially a full health check of your fixed wiring, carried out by a qualified electrician to BS 7671 (IET Wiring Regulations). As someone who spends most days fault-finding and making homes safer around Brighton, Hove, Fiveways, and Preston Park, I can tell you: a good EICR is worth its weight in gold.

In this post I’ll cover why regular EICRs are a good idea, the signs you might need one, and what actually happens during the inspection so there are no surprises.

 

What is an EICR?

An EICR is a formal document you receive after a detailed inspection and testing of your property’s fixed electrical installation — that’s your consumer unit (fuse board), wiring, sockets, switches, lights, bonding and earthing, and any fixed equipment circuits. The goal is to identify damage, defects, wear-and-tear, poor workmanship or non-compliance that could lead to electric shock or fire.

Results are recorded using standard observation codes:

  • C1 – Danger present (requires immediate action)
  • C2 – Potentially dangerous (urgent remedial work recommended)
  • C3 – Improvement recommended (not dangerous, but could be better)
  • FI – Further Investigation required (something needs deeper checking)

 

Why get regular EICRs?

1) Safety for you and your family

Electrical faults can smoulder for years before showing themselves. An EICR spots the little things early — overheated connections, damaged cables, loose terminations, missing RCD protection — before they become a shock or fire risk.

2) Peace of mind when buying or selling

If you’re moving home in Brighton or Hove, an EICR is a clean way to show the electrics are sound. Buyers like evidence. Sellers avoid last-minute renegotiations.

3) Lower long-term costs

Catching minor faults early (C3s) usually means simple, inexpensive fixes. Leave it, and you could be looking at damaged accessories, tripped circuits, or a call-out at the worst possible time.

4) Insurance and compliance

Many insurers expect you to maintain your electrics. For landlords, periodic inspection is typically every 5 years or at change of tenancy. For owner-occupied homes, the usual guidance is every 10 years or change of occupancy, or sooner if recommended by your last report.

5) A plan for upgrades

An EICR doesn’t just say what’s wrong; it gives you a prioritised list. You can plan consumer unit upgrades, RCD/RCBO protection, better bonding, or rewiring on your timeline and budget.

 

Signs you might need an EICR sooner

Even if you’re not due on the calendar, book an EICR if you notice any of the following:

  • Tripping electrics (especially when using the kettle, heater, shower, or garden kit)
  • Buzzing, crackling, or a hot/plastic smell from sockets, switches, or the consumer unit
  • Brown scorch marks or discoloured accessories
  • Loose sockets/switches, broken faceplates, or brittle/cracked cables
  • Old-style fuse board with rewirable fuses, no RCD protection, or obvious signs of heat
  • Frequent lamp failures or flickering that isn’t just a bulb issue
  • DIY electrical work done historically with no paperwork
  • Extensions and outbuildings added over the years with unknown wiring routes
  • Property age — 25+ years since the last rewire or major upgrade
  • Change of use — new kitchen, high-load appliances, home office gear, or EV charging

If any of those ring a bell, it’s time to get things checked properly.

 

What’s involved in an EICR? (Step by step)

Here’s what I actually do on site, so you know what to expect:

  1. Initial chat & visual checks
    A quick walk-through to understand any issues you’ve noticed. I’ll look at the consumer unit, meter tails, earthing/bonding, and a sample of sockets, switches, and lighting. I’m checking for damage, overheating, missing grommets, poor terminations, and obvious non-compliance.
  2. Dead testing (power off for short periods)
    I’ll carry out insulation resistance tests, continuity tests, and polarity checks on circuits. This tells me if conductors are healthy, correctly connected, and not leaking current where they shouldn’t.
  3. RCD/RCBO testing (power on/off momentarily)
    If you’ve got RCD protection, I’ll verify trip times and sensitivity. RCDs save lives; they need to trip fast enough under fault conditions.
  4. Earth fault loop impedance
    Measures how quickly your protective devices (MCBs/RCDs/RCBOs) would operate in a fault. Too high and disconnection might be delayed — that becomes at least a C2.
  5. Functional checks
    Do accessories work as intended? Are smoke/heat alarms present and positioned sensibly (where fitted)? Are bathroom and outdoor circuits RCD-protected?
  6. Labelling & identification
    Is the board labelled clearly? Are circuits identifiable? Clear labelling helps you (and any future electrician) when isolating or fault-finding.
  7. Report & recommendations
    I’ll produce the formal EICR document listing observations with the C1, C2, C3 or FI codes, plus a summary saying if the installation is Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. You’ll also get plain-English recommendations and a fixed-price quote for any remedials.

How long does it take?
For a typical 2–3 bedroom house, allow 3–5 hours depending on access and complexity. I keep disruption to a minimum and let you know when I need to briefly isolate power for tests.

 

Common observations I find locally

  • No RCD protection on sockets or bathroom circuits (often a C2)
  • Overheating in older consumer units or at high-load sockets (e.g., heaters)
  • Loose terminations on showers/cookers
  • Undersized bonding to gas/water services
  • DIY spurs and junction boxes hidden under floors or behind cabinets
  • Aging rubber or VIR cabling in parts of older properties around Brighton & Hove

None of these are reasons to panic — they’re exactly what an EICR is designed to uncover so we can put them right safely.

 

How to prepare for an EICR

  • Clear access to the consumer unit, meters, and key sockets/switches
  • Pets in a separate room so doors can be left open while I move around
  • List any known issues (tripping, dead sockets, flicker) — it speeds things up
  • If you work from home, I’ll agree short testing windows so your Wi-Fi downtime is minimal

 

What happens after the EICR?

You’ll receive:

  • The formal EICR certificate (PDF)
  • A prioritised list of remedial items with fixed pricing
  • Photos of any key findings for clarity
  • A suggested retest interval (often 5 or 10 years, or sooner if there were issues)

If the report is Unsatisfactory due to C1/C2/FI items, I’ll give you a clear, itemised remedial plan. Once fixed, I can issue Electrical Installation Certificates or Minor Works Certificates as appropriate and, if needed, retest to provide a Satisfactory EICR.

 

Final thought

An EICR isn’t about catching you out; it’s about keeping your home safe and giving you a sensible plan for upgrades. Whether you’re a homeowner in Fiveways, a landlord with a flat in Hove, or you’ve just moved to Brighton, a periodic inspection is one of the simplest, most cost-effective ways to protect your property.

 

Need an EICR in Brighton & Hove?

I’m Aaron at ANG Electrical — friendly, punctual, and tidy. I carry out EICRs across Brighton, Hove, Hollingdean, Preston Park, Shoreham, Southwick, and beyond.

  • Fixed, upfront pricing
  • Clear, plain-English reports
  • Quick turnarounds and evening slots available

Message me to book your EICR or ask a question — happy to help.


 

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