What an EICR Actually Is
An Electrical Installation Condition Report is a formal inspection and test of the fixed wiring installation in a building. That means the consumer unit, wiring circuits, earthing and bonding, sockets, light fittings, switches, and any other fixed electrical infrastructure. It does not cover portable appliances plugged into those sockets. The result of an EICR is a graded report using codes C1 (danger present), C2 (potentially dangerous), C3 (improvement recommended), and FI (further investigation required). An unsatisfactory EICR is one containing a C1 or C2 observation.
The technical standard underpinning every EICR is BS 7671:2018 Amendment 2:2022, which is the 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations. Every observation you record must be assessed against the edition of BS 7671 in force at the time the installation was built, then compared against current requirements. You are not automatically requiring a rewire just because a 1980s installation was wired to the 15th Edition. You are assessing whether the existing installation presents a danger or is at significant risk of causing injury.
The legal weight behind EICRs in rented residential property comes from the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. Regulation 3 requires landlords to ensure the electrical installation is inspected and tested at intervals of no more than five years, and that a report is obtained. Regulation 4 requires a copy of the report to be given to each existing tenant within 28 days of the inspection, and to any new tenant before they occupy. Breaching these duties can result in a local authority serving a remedial notice, and if the landlord fails to comply, the council can arrange the work itself and recover the cost. Civil penalties under Regulation 8 can reach £30,000.
What PAT Testing Actually Is
Portable Appliance Testing is a visual inspection and, where appropriate, an electrical test of individual items of electrical equipment that are not part of the fixed installation. A kettle, a floor lamp, a power tool, a computer monitor, a portable heater: these are all candidates for PAT. The testing itself typically involves a combination of an earth continuity test, an insulation resistance test, and a functional check. The specific tests required depend on the class of appliance, whether it is Class I (earthed) or Class II (double insulated).
The first thing to understand about PAT testing is that there is no single UK law that mandates it by that name. Instead, the legal requirement derives from a cluster of workplace health and safety legislation. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, specifically Section 2, places a general duty on employers to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of employees. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Regulation 4, require that all electrical systems are maintained to prevent danger. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) similarly require work equipment to be maintained in an efficient state. PAT testing is simply one widely accepted method of demonstrating compliance with these duties.
The frequency of PAT testing is not set in statute. The HSE guidance document INDG236 and the IET Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment provide risk-based recommended intervals. A handheld power tool on a construction site might need testing every three months. Office IT equipment in a low-risk environment might be tested every two to four years. The decision should be based on the type of equipment, the environment it operates in, and whether it has been subject to damage or repair. Recording the outcome in a PAT register is good practice and provides evidence of compliance if an incident occurs.
Key Differences at a Glance
The confusion between these two types of inspection is understandable because both involve electricity, both result in documentation, and both are often requested by the same clients. However, they operate in entirely different spheres. Setting them side by side makes the distinction straightforward.
- •Scope: EICR covers the fixed wiring installation. PAT covers portable and moveable electrical appliances.
- •Legal basis for residential landlords: EICR is mandatory under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. PAT has no equivalent mandatory residential tenancy law.
- •Legal basis for commercial premises: Neither is specifically mandated by name, but Regulation 4 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 requires maintenance of electrical systems, which is met by a combination of EICR and PAT depending on what is present.
- •Technical standard: EICR is assessed against BS 7671:2018 Amendment 2:2022. PAT is assessed against the IET Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment.
- •Outcome document: EICR produces a formal condition report with coded observations. PAT produces an asset register or PAT record with pass or fail per item.
- •Who can carry it out: EICRs in rented residential property must be carried out by a qualified person, typically a registered electrician. PAT testing can be carried out by a competent person, which does not require an electrical qualification, though in practice most PAT is done by electricians or specialist PAT testers.
- •Frequency: EICR maximum interval is five years for private rented residential under the 2020 Regulations. PAT interval is risk-based with no statutory maximum.
- •Cost range: An EICR for a two-bedroom flat typically costs £150 to £250. PAT testing is usually priced per item, commonly £1 to £3 per appliance, with a minimum visit charge.
When You Need an EICR: UK Legal Scenarios
For private rented residential property in England, the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 make an EICR compulsory. The requirement applies to all tenancies, including Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), which also have additional requirements under their own licensing conditions. The five-year maximum interval applies, or at the interval stated in the report if the competent person specifies a shorter period. Scotland has its own equivalent under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 and the Private Residential Tenancies (Scotland) Act 2016, which require an Electrical Installation Condition Report at change of tenancy or every five years.
For commercial premises, the requirement is less prescriptive but no less real. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 Regulation 4, employers must maintain electrical installations in a safe condition. A periodic inspection and test, producing an EICR, is the standard method of demonstrating this. The recommended maximum interval for commercial premises under normal conditions is five years, though higher-risk environments such as industrial sites, swimming pools, or agricultural premises have shorter recommended intervals under the IET guidance.
Part P of the Building Regulations 2010 is relevant when new electrical work is carried out in a dwelling. Notifiable work includes the installation of a new circuit, consumer unit replacement, or electrical work in a bathroom or kitchen. When a Part P notifiable job is completed, a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate (not an EICR) is issued. However, an EICR may still be required independently of any notifiable work, and it is worth being clear with clients that a new consumer unit certificate under Part P does not replace a five-yearly EICR.
Mortgage lenders and conveyancers increasingly request EICRs as part of property transactions, though there is no statutory requirement for this in a sale or purchase context. In practice, if you are asked to produce an EICR for a property sale, your duties under BS 7671 and the professional standards set by your competent persons scheme remain exactly the same.
When You Need PAT Testing: UK Legal Scenarios
PAT testing is primarily a commercial and workplace obligation, not a residential tenancy one. If your client is a business with employees using portable electrical equipment, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 Regulation 4, combined with PUWER 1998 Regulation 5, create an obligation to maintain that equipment. A documented PAT programme is the standard way of satisfying both. The HSE has not mandated specific frequencies, but failure to have any maintenance regime at all would be difficult to defend in the event of an electrical incident.
HMO landlords occupy a grey area. While the 2020 Regulations focus on the fixed installation, HMO licensing conditions imposed by local authorities frequently include requirements for PAT testing of landlord-supplied appliances, such as washing machines, fridges, and televisions. Check the specific licence conditions for the local authority in question, because conditions vary. A landlord in Manchester might face stricter appliance testing obligations than one in Bristol under their respective HMO licensing schemes.
Construction sites are a specific area where PAT-style testing is genuinely important. The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 together create a clear duty to maintain portable tools in a safe condition. The IET recommends 110V site tools be tested every three months if used daily on site. Failure to maintain records of testing could expose a sole trader or their principal contractor to enforcement action under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Section 33, which carries potential unlimited fines and up to two years imprisonment for the most serious breaches.
Common Points of Confusion
The most common misunderstanding is the landlord who believes a PAT test replaces or supplements the EICR, or vice versa. They do not overlap. An EICR tells you the wiring in the walls is safe. A PAT test tells you the toaster on the counter is safe. A landlord in England with a rented flat who provides a washing machine and a microwave technically needs both: an EICR under the 2020 Regulations for the fixed installation, and a PAT record for any appliances they supply if their local authority HMO licence or tenancy management policy requires it.
Another persistent confusion is around who can sign off each document. For an EICR in a privately rented property, the 2020 Regulations require a qualified person, defined in the guidance as someone who is competent by virtue of their training, experience, and where applicable registration with a competent persons scheme such as NICEIC, NAPIT, or SELECT. A PAT tester, by contrast, needs only to be a competent person in the HSE sense: someone with the technical knowledge and experience to carry out the task safely. Some PAT testers have no electrical qualification at all and operate entirely lawfully.
There is also regular confusion around what happens after an unsatisfactory EICR. Regulation 5 of the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 requires landlords to carry out any work identified in a C1 or C2 observation, or any FI requiring further investigation, within 28 days of the inspection or such shorter period as specified in the report. The landlord must then obtain written confirmation from a qualified person that the remedial work has been carried out to the standard in BS 7671. An EICR showing a C1 for a missing earth on the consumer unit is not something that can be papered over with a PAT test on the appliances.
Contractual and Payment Obligations When Carrying Out Either
Whether you are carrying out an EICR or a PAT testing visit, you are entering a contract for services with your client. If that client is a consumer (a private individual, including a residential landlord), the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies. Section 49 requires that the service is performed with reasonable care and skill. Section 50 means any verbal representations you make about the service become binding terms. Section 51 applies where no price is agreed in advance: the client pays a reasonable price. And Section 52 requires the service to be carried out within a reasonable time if no specific date is agreed.
For commercial clients, if your payment terms are not met, the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 entitles you to statutory interest at 8% above the Bank of England base rate from the date the debt falls due, without needing to have stated this in your invoice. You are also entitled to fixed compensation of £40 for debts up to £999.99, £70 for debts between £1,000 and £9,999.99, and £100 for debts of £10,000 or more. This applies automatically under the Act; you do not need a contractual clause.
If a dispute arises over whether your inspection work was done to a sufficient standard, the Limitation Act 1980 gives either party six years from the date of breach to bring a contract claim in the county court. This is worth knowing if a landlord comes back two years later claiming your EICR missed something. Keep your inspection records, photographs, and signed reports for at least six years. The same six-year window applies whether the dispute is over an EICR or a PAT testing contract.
Worked Example: A Landlord With a Two-Bedroom Flat
Take a landlord who owns a two-bedroom flat in Birmingham. The flat has been rented continuously since 2019 and the last EICR was carried out in March 2020, returning a satisfactory result with a recommended reinspection period of five years. The landlord also provides a washing machine, a fridge-freezer, and a microwave. They call you in February 2025 asking whether they need both an EICR and a PAT test before the current tenant leaves in April 2025.
The five-year EICR interval expires in March 2025 under Regulation 3 of the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. The landlord therefore needs a new EICR before or at the point of the next tenancy, and in any event before March 2025 passes. Your inspection fee is £180. You carry out the EICR in mid-February. You find a C2 observation: the consumer unit lacks adequate fault protection on one circuit. Under Regulation 5 of the 2020 Regulations, the landlord has 28 days from 15 February 2025, that is until 15 March 2025, to have the remedial work done. You quote £140 to fit a new RCBO. The landlord agrees. You carry out the work, issue a minor works certificate, and confirm in writing that the installation now meets BS 7671:2018 Amendment 2:2022.
As for the appliances: the local authority in Birmingham does not currently impose PAT testing requirements through its standard tenancy conditions for non-HMO residential lets. The landlord is not legally required to PAT test the washing machine, fridge, or microwave under any statute. However, given the washing machine is seven years old and has never been tested, you recommend a PAT inspection as good practice under the general duty of care principles in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the implied duty of care in tort. You price this at £45 for the three appliances including the visit charge. The landlord agrees. Total job value: £365. Your invoice is due within 14 days under the terms you stated at the outset. If the landlord does not pay by that date and they are a business entity, the 1998 Act interest and compensation provisions kick in automatically.
Documentation Standards You Should Be Meeting
An EICR must be produced on a form that captures all the information required by BS 7671:2018 Amendment 2:2022. The standard form is included in Guidance Note 3: Inspection and Testing published by the IET. Your report must record the details of the installation, the extent and limitations of the inspection, the results of every test, and each observation with its appropriate code. A report that simply says 'satisfactory' without test results attached is not a compliant document and could expose you to a negligence claim if something later goes wrong.
For PAT testing, your documentation should include a numbered asset register identifying each item tested, its description and serial number where available, the date of test, the tests performed, the result (pass or fail), and the date of the next recommended test. This register is the evidence your commercial clients need to satisfy an HSE inspector or their own insurance requirements. Issuing a PAT certificate that simply lists a total number of items tested and a blanket pass is not sufficient.
Both types of documentation involve certificates or reports that carry your name and, if applicable, your competent persons scheme registration number. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, these documents form part of the service contract. If they are inaccurate or incomplete, the client has potential remedies under the Act. Keep copies of every report and register you issue. Store them securely for at least six years to cover the Limitation Act 1980 window.
Generating Your EICR or PAT Documentation Quickly
If you are spending more time formatting reports than you are on the tools, TradeDoc AI at tradedoc.co.uk lets you generate correctly structured EICR condition reports and PAT testing records in around two minutes. You input the job details, observations, and test results, and the platform produces a professional, client-ready document. It is built specifically for UK sole-trader tradespeople and understands the documentation requirements that matter to letting agents, landlords, and commercial clients.
There is no substitute for doing the inspection properly and applying your own professional judgement. But once the work is done, the paperwork should not take half an hour. TradeDoc handles the formatting so you can invoice and move on to the next job.
