Question 1

What is an EICR and do I need one?

Accepted Answer

An **Electrical Installation Condition Report** is a formal inspection and test of a property's fixed electrical installation — the wiring, consumer unit, sockets, switches and fixed equipment — assessing whether it is safe for continued use.

**What it involves.** A qualified electrician carries out visual inspection plus **live testing**: insulation resistance, earth continuity, loop impedance, RCD operation and polarity. It requires the power to be off for periods, and it takes several hours for a typical house.

**The classification codes** are the substance of the report:

**C1 — danger present.** Risk of injury, requiring immediate action. The electrician should make it safe before leaving.

**C2 — potentially dangerous.** Urgent remedial action required.

**FI — further investigation** required without delay.

**C3 — improvement recommended.** Not dangerous and does **not** make the report unsatisfactory. Older installations frequently collect C3s simply because standards have changed since.

**The report is "unsatisfactory" if any C1, C2 or FI is present.** A report with only C3 items is satisfactory, and being pressured into work for C3s alone is worth questioning.

**When one is required:**

**Rented property in England.** Landlords must have an EICR at least every **five years**, provide it to tenants and the local authority on request, and complete any C1, C2 or FI remedial work within 28 days. Scotland and Wales have their own requirements.

**Recommended intervals otherwise:** commonly every 10 years for an owner-occupied home, more frequently for other property types, and at **change of occupancy**.

**Before buying**, particularly for an older property — this is where it saves money, since a rewire is a substantial cost.

**After suspected problems** — repeated tripping, scorching, or unknown DIY work.

**Choose the electrician carefully.** Use someone registered with a recognised competent person scheme, and be alert to reports issued by firms who then quote for the remedial work they identified.

Question 2

Does my house need rewiring, and what does it involve?

Accepted Answer

Probably not on age alone. Rewiring is sold on the basis that wiring "expires" after a fixed period, and the honest answer is that condition and safety standards matter, not the calendar. The genuine

Question 3

What is an EPC, and how is the rating calculated?

Accepted Answer

An Energy Performance Certificate rates a property's energy efficiency from A to G, and is legally required when a home is sold or let. It is widely misunderstood: it does not measure how much energy

Question 4

What is involved in installing a home EV charger?

Accepted Answer

A fixed electrical installation, not an appliance — which is why it requires a qualified installer, notification to the network operator, and an assessment of whether your supply can actually take

Question 5

What do the fuse ratings in a plug mean?

Accepted Answer

The fuse in a UK plug protects the appliance's flexible cable, not the appliance itself and not you. Its job is to melt before the flex can overheat and cause a fire. This is a peculiarly British

Question 6

Are damp surveys from damp-proofing companies reliable?

Accepted Answer

Frequently not, and this is one of the clearest conflicts of interest in home maintenance: the company diagnosing the problem sells the treatment, and the treatment they sell is rarely what old

Question 7

What is CDM, and does it apply to domestic projects?

Accepted Answer

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, governing health and safety in construction — and yes, they apply to domestic projects, which surprises almost every homeowner having work done.

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