Myth-busting – Electrical Safety installations Act 2020

Myth-busting – Electrical Safety installations Act 2020

11:19 AM, 3rd August 2020, About 4 years ago 129

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The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 came into force on 1 June 2020 and will apply to all new tenancies in England from 1 July 2020.

Thanks to Bill Stiles from Adept Electrical – http://www.adeptelectrical.co.uk/ for this simple myth-busting session on the new electrical standards. If your electrician has told you that you need a new fuse board then watch this video first.

This is especially important for HMO’s as councils are now asking for these reports when applying for a licence and if the person is not qualified they are rejecting inspection reports leading to the landlord having to pay for a second report.

These new regulations require landlords to have the electrical installations in their properties inspected at least every 5 years and tested by a person who is qualified and competent. Landlords will also have to provide a copy of the electrical safety report to their tenants as well as to the local authority if requested. For most landlords in the private rented sector, this will not require a change in behaviour. The majority of landlords already check their installations regularly, so they can provide the safest homes possible. However, to ensure every landlord can comply with these regulations, NAPIT have produced the following guidance on the requirements.

The regulations say: Private landlords must ensure every electrical installation in their residential premises is inspected and tested at intervals of no more than 5 years by a qualified and competent person. So look for someone part of NAPIT, NICEIC, Benchmark, OFTEC, STROMA, BESCA, ELECSA and APHC

The regulations apply in England to all new specified tenancies from 1 July 2020 and all existing specified tenancies from 1 April 2021. Following the inspection and testing, a private landlord must: obtain a report from the person conducting that inspection and test, which gives the results of the inspection and test and the date of the next inspection and test supply a copy of that report to each existing tenant of the residential premises within 28 days of the inspection and test supply a copy of that report to the local housing authority within 7 days of receiving a request in writing for it from that authority retain a copy of that report until the next inspection and test is due and supply a copy to the person carrying out the next inspection and test supply a copy of the most recent report to any new tenant of the specified tenancy to which the report relates before that tenant occupies those premises; and any prospective tenant within 28 days of receiving a request in writing for it from that prospective tenant

What ‘report’ should I be asking for?

The regulations just refer to a report being obtained by the person conducting the inspection and test. Typically, an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is used within the industry for this purpose. An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is a report carried out to assess the safety of the existing electrical installation within a property and is used to describe its condition. Parts of the system that are reported on include consumer units, protective bonding, lighting, switches and sockets etc. Its purpose is to confirm as far as possible whether or not the electrical installation is in a safe condition for continued service. The EICR will show whether the electrical installation is in a ‘satisfactory’ or ‘unsatisfactory’ condition and will detail a list of observations affecting the safety or requiring improvements. These observations will be supported by codes.

Unsatisfactory Codes are: C1 – Danger present, risk of injury, immediate remedial action required

C2 – Potentially Dangerous, urgent remedial action required

FI – Further investigation required

A Satisfactory Code is:

C3 – Improvement recommended

Does my electrical installation need to comply with the 18th edition of the Wiring Regulations?

No- not if it is still deemed to be safe. The 18th edition of the Wiring Regulations states: “existing installations that have been installed in accordance with earlier editions of the regulations may not comply with this edition in every respect. This does not necessarily mean that they are unsafe for continued use or require upgrading”.


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Comments

Andrew

10:03 AM, 1st September 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Porky at 28/08/2020 - 22:22
Agree with the sentiment but would add a C3 although an advisory like say tyres on an MOT are low but not yet a fail, its to advise of a recommended improvement to enhance safety and reduce landlord liability. its a matter of judgement on a C3

Andrew

10:06 AM, 1st September 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Epping John at 28/08/2020 - 13:55
As above

Seek a break down of costs decide what on C3's should be done and get alternate quotes from other contractors and perhaps even a second opinion if you think the tester is chancing it for extra work

This is something I would always do especially if in doubt

Andrew

10:08 AM, 1st September 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Jireh Homes at 15/08/2020 - 09:48
Bill certainly knows his stuff. someone Id highly recommend and know will always do the best work out there

Andrew

10:10 AM, 1st September 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 27/08/2020 - 17:48
Good advice to Beaver I agree with you

Andrew

10:13 AM, 1st September 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 27/08/2020 - 17:38
Check how the consumer unit has been coded and the reason for that coding if not a C3

IE shower Cooker has no RCD and cannot be added

Beaver

10:20 AM, 1st September 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 27/08/2020 - 17:48
I had 3 C2s (all relating to lighting circuits) and a recommendation to fix within 28 days. Cost for the consumer unit looks high and I'm guessing they bumped the price up a bit because they had recommended fixing within 28 days.

So whether it needs to be done or not according to the letter of the law I don't know, but the cost of getting a second opinion and then still having to do something will probably be similar to the quote I've got now. So I bit the bullet and said go-ahead assuming that's me done for the next five years. Even if it's high its not as much of a rip-off as the first time I had an EICR done (and when I definitely did get a second opinion).

Seething Landlord

10:29 AM, 1st September 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 01/09/2020 - 10:20
Do not forget that you need to send a copy of the EICR and confirmation that the C2 work has been completed within the 28 day timescale to the Local Authority in accordance with the Regulations.

Beaver

10:56 AM, 1st September 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 01/09/2020 - 10:29
Which local authority?

Martin

11:25 AM, 1st September 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 01/09/2020 - 10:29
Can you point me to the regulation?

Seething Landlord

12:34 PM, 1st September 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Martin at 01/09/2020 - 11:25
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, regulation 3 (5) (c) - see below, other bits quoted for context but best to read the regulations as a whole, (also the guidance at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector-guidance-for-landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities/guide-for-landlords-electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector )

(4) Where a report under sub-paragraph (3)(a) indicates that a private landlord is or is potentially in breach of the duty under sub-paragraph (1)(a) and the report requires the private landlord to undertake further investigative or remedial work, the private landlord must ensure that further investigative or remedial work is carried out by a qualified person within—

(a)28 days; or
(b)the period specified in the report if less than 28 days,
starting with the date of the inspection and testing.

(5) Where paragraph (4) applies, a private landlord must—

(a)obtain written confirmation from a qualified person that the further investigative or remedial work has been carried out and that—
(i)the electrical safety standards are met; or
(ii)further investigative or remedial work is required;
(b)supply that written confirmation, together with a copy of the report under sub-paragraph (3)(a) which required the further investigative or remedial work to each existing tenant of the residential premises within 28 days of completion of the further investigative or remedial work; and
(c)supply that written confirmation, together with a copy of the report under sub-paragraph (3)(a) which required the further investigative or remedial work to the local housing authority within 28 days of completion of the further investigative or remedial work.

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