A thorough electrical safety check looks at the fixed electrical installation in a property: the consumer unit and its protective devices, earthing and bonding, the wiring and circuits, and the sockets, switches and fittings connected to them. It combines a visual inspection with instrument testing to find anything that’s damaged, overloaded, deteriorating or unsafe. It doesn’t usually cover plug-in appliances, and it isn’t the same thing as fixing a fault that’s happening right now.
The difficulty is that “electrical safety check” gets used for very different things, from a quick look round to a formal report on the whole installation. Knowing which one you need, and what each one actually examines, saves you paying for the wrong thing or ending up without the paperwork you were expecting.
Three things people mean by a safety check
| Type | What it involves | What you normally get afterwards |
|---|---|---|
| Visual check | Looking for obvious damage, overheating, missing covers and unsafe alterations, without testing circuits | Verbal or written findings. Not a formal condition report |
| Periodic inspection and testing | A structured inspection of the installation plus electrical tests on its circuits and protective devices | An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) |
| Testing after new work | Tests on new or altered circuits to confirm the work is safe before it’s used | An Electrical Installation Certificate or Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate |
A homeowner asking for “a safety check” might be happy with a visual check to put their mind at rest. A landlord almost always needs periodic inspection and testing, because the law asks for a report. When you arrange one, make sure you agree which type it is.
What gets inspected and tested
Electrical Safety First describes periodic inspection as a way to find overloaded circuits, potential shock risks and fire hazards, defective electrical work, and missing earthing or bonding (Electrical Safety First). In practical terms, that usually means looking at:
The consumer unit
Whether the board is in sound condition, whether circuits are correctly labelled, whether the protective devices suit the circuits they protect, and whether RCDs cut the power within the expected time when tested. Signs of heat damage, loose connections or past alterations are noted here. For more on the difference between older and newer boards, see our explainer on consumer units vs fuse boxes.
Earthing and bonding
Earthing gives fault current a safe route away, so protective devices can operate. Main protective bonding links incoming metal services, such as water and gas pipes, to the main earthing terminal. Missing or inadequate earthing or bonding is one of the more serious findings, because other protection relies on it.
Circuits and wiring
Tests on each circuit check continuity, insulation resistance and earth fault loop impedance, which show whether cables are intact, whether insulation is breaking down and whether a fault would be cleared quickly enough. The inspector also looks for overloaded circuits, signs of overheating and cable types that are well past their best.
Sockets, switches and fittings
Accessories are checked for damage, scorching, loose fixings and correct polarity. Rooms with extra risk, such as bathrooms, and outdoor circuits get particular attention, because water and electricity together make faults more dangerous.
Changes since the last check
Extensions, kitchen refits and DIY additions are where non-standard work tends to turn up. A good inspection compares the installation with the previous report, if there is one, and records what has changed.
What a check usually doesn’t cover
- Plug-in appliances. Kettles, extension leads, washing machines and similar items fall under portable appliance testing, which is separate. A landlord’s portable appliance checks are a different exercise from the installation report.
- Gas appliances. Gas safety is a separate check carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- Everything hidden. Floors aren’t routinely lifted and walls aren’t opened. Areas that couldn’t be reached, such as a boarded loft or a locked room, should be listed as limitations rather than quietly skipped. Read that section of any report, because it tells you what wasn’t looked at.
- Repairs. An inspection identifies problems. Putting them right is separate work, quoted once the findings are known.
Reading the results
A condition report gives an overall verdict, either satisfactory or unsatisfactory, plus coded observations. GOV.UK’s guidance for rented homes sets out what the codes mean (GOV.UK):
- C1: danger present, with a risk of injury. This needs immediate action.
- C2: potentially dangerous.
- C3: improvement recommended.
- FI: further investigation required without delay.
A C3 against an older but serviceable board is very different from a C2 for missing earthing. Ask the inspector to explain any code you don’t understand before agreeing to remedial work, and ask which items are urgent and which can be planned.
How often should the electrics be checked?
Electrical Safety First recommends inspection and testing at least every 10 years for an owner-occupied home, and every 5 years or at each change of occupancy, whichever is sooner, for a tenanted property (Electrical Safety First).
For landlords in England this is a legal duty. Electrical installations in rented homes must be inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at least every 5 years. Tenants must be given a copy of the report within 28 days, and any remedial work the report requires must be completed within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so. These rules have also been extended to the social rented sector. Check the current GOV.UK guidance linked above for the detail that applies to you.
It’s also worth arranging a check sooner than the routine interval when:
- you’ve bought or moved into a property and don’t know the history of its electrics;
- you’re planning a renovation, extension or kitchen refit and want to know what you’re building on;
- the property has had a leak or flood that reached electrical fittings;
- you’ve noticed warning signs such as warm or discoloured sockets, buzzing, a burning smell, or breakers that trip now and then.
If something is actively going wrong, for example a breaker that won’t reset or a circuit that’s dead, finding that specific fault comes first. Electrical fault finding is the better starting point than a general inspection, and our guide to a circuit breaker that keeps tripping explains what to note down first.
Getting ready for an inspection
A few things make the visit quicker and the findings more complete:
- clear access to the consumer unit, the meter and any loft or under-stairs areas;
- expect the power to be off for periods while circuits are tested. Plan around fridges, freezers, home working and anything that needs resetting afterwards;
- have previous certificates or condition reports to hand if you have them;
- make a short list of anything that’s been bothering you, such as a socket that gets warm or a light that flickers, so it can be checked specifically.
Arranging a check
Voltify Contractors’ electrical testing, inspection and safety checks page explains the assessments available and what affects their scope. If you need a formal condition report specifically, for example as a landlord, say so when you get in touch, so it’s confirmed before booking whether that report can be provided for your property. Our wider electrical services cover the repairs that sometimes follow an inspection.
Common questions
Is an electrical safety check the same as an EICR?
Not always. An EICR is the formal report produced after periodic inspection and testing. “Safety check” is a looser term that can also mean a visual inspection with no formal report. If you need an EICR, ask for one by name.
How long does an electrical safety check take?
It depends on the size of the property, the number of circuits and how easy everything is to get to. A visual check is much quicker than full inspection and testing of every circuit. Your electrician should give you an idea once they know the property.
Will I be told to replace my consumer unit?
Only if the findings justify it. An older board in good condition with suitable protection may be coded as an improvement rather than a danger. A recommendation to replace should come with a clear reason linked to a specific observation.
