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

Beaver

13:52 PM, 4th August 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Andrew at 04/08/2020 - 13:40
So what qualifications should we be looking for to check *online* and *before* employing the services of an electrician qualified to undertake an EICR?

Andrew

14:22 PM, 4th August 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 04/08/2020 - 13:52
So look for someone part of NAPIT, NICEIC, Benchmark, OFTEC, STROMA, BESCA, ELECSA and APHC

Quite a wide choice of bodies who all work to the same British Standard

Beaver

14:45 PM, 4th August 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Andrew at 04/08/2020 - 14:22
Looks like there needs to be a trade-organisation-for-the-trade-organisations 🙂

Why are there so many and what's the "British Standard" that they are working to?

Andrew

17:03 PM, 4th August 2020, About 4 years ago

I cant answer why so many trade bodies but its BS7671 that they will be working to so you can look that up for the detail

Tim C

18:23 PM, 5th August 2020, About 4 years ago

Much is being made of the test fee but surely the real costs are with the upgrades that these certs are throwing up to be compliant! My tests so far are around the £120 mark but was quoted 3k of upgrades on 2 props and most of my props have been totally rewired over the years I have owned. Any C1 or C2 faults will render the property unlettable so surely this is the real issue?

UKPN

19:07 PM, 5th August 2020, About 4 years ago

I am on a couple of forums Tim and this new law, is being seriously misinterpreted by many "inspectors". Some taking advantage, some don't understand the rules so "covering their backs" I am really getting into this now, for my self and also friends who are L/Ls I don't want them to be stitched up. I want them to be able to call me for advice which I can back up with the written law. But for now, Tim, even if an electrical installation was wired to an edition previous to the 18th, as long as its safe, it complies. The problem of course, its down to the inspectors interpretation, but they should be able to back up their results with facts. I think as we become wiser, and more questions are asked on here, things will improve.

Denise G

21:43 PM, 5th August 2020, About 4 years ago

does anyone know if a plastic Consumer Box must have an RCD to avoid its being coded at a C2?

UKPN

22:41 PM, 5th August 2020, About 4 years ago

Depends on the age, If plastic it's probably a, split board, ie 2 rcds, 1 for lighting, 1 for cooker, sockets etc. So no problem there. You may get a, "C3" but it's not really an improvement. If there really are no rcd/s you could install one upfront of the board, or worst case, new board with rcds/rcbos, but a bit pricey. Best regards.

Bill Stiles

22:50 PM, 5th August 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Denise G at 05/08/2020 - 21:43
to answer the question in brief .You need a 30 Ma RCD on your socket circuit if there is a chance of a extension lead being plugged into a socket and taken out the house. Also a RCD will be required for a electric shower and any circuits in a bathroom that don't have supplementary bonding ( a earth bonding cable linking lights copper water pipes ) .So it is unlikely that any of things will not apply to a installation so I would advise to get your fuse board up graded .I hope this has been helpful

Bill Stiles

22:54 PM, 5th August 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 04/08/2020 - 13:52
look for some one who has a city and guilds testing and inspection qualification .If you employ a napit registered contractor they have to have one to join that trade body.

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