What is an EIC?

An Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) is a legal document confirming that new electrical work has been designed, constructed, inspected, and tested in line with BS 7671, the UK wiring regulations. It is the official document that certifies new work is safe to put into service and records the details of the installation, the test results, and the electrician who carried out the work.

An EIC is a structured document with three main sections. The design section confirms who designed the installation and that it complies with BS 7671. The installation section confirms who carried out the physical work. The inspection and testing section records all test results on an accompanying Schedule of Test Results and Schedule of Inspections.

An EIC requires three signatures: one for design, one for installation, and one for inspection and testing. If the same electrician performed all three roles, they sign all three sections. An EIC without all three signatures is not valid.

When is an EIC required?

An EIC is needed after specific types of new electrical work, including:

• Full or partial rewires
• New circuit installations
• Consumer unit (fuse board) replacements
• New builds

A Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate is used instead for smaller additions and alterations that do not extend to a new circuit, such as adding socket outlets or lighting points to an existing circuit, or replacing accessories.

What is an EICR?

An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is used to assess the condition of an existing electrical installation. Unlike an EIC, which certifies new work, an EICR reports on the safety and condition of an installation that is already in use. Each finding is assigned a code to indicate how serious it is.

The four classification codes used in an EICR are:

• C1: danger present, immediate risk of injury
• C2: potentially dangerous, urgent remedial work required
• C3: improvement recommended, does not make the report unsatisfactory
• FI (Further Investigation): further investigation required without delay

If the report shows that remedial work or further investigation is required, landlords must complete this work within 28 days or any shorter period specified in the report.

When is an EICR required?

How often you need an EICR depends on the type of property:

• Rental properties (England): at least every five years, under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020
• Owner-occupied homes: every ten years, recommended but not legally required
• Commercial premises: intervals vary, often shorter depending on the business type

Landlords must also have an EICR carried out more frequently if the previous report recommends an earlier re-inspection date.

EIC vs EICR: key differences at a glance

The clearest way to separate the two is by timing. An EIC is issued once, when new work is finished. An EICR is carried out repeatedly, to check that an existing installation remains safe over time. The two are not interchangeable.

There is no single "EIC licence," but only a competent person should issue either document. For most domestic and commercial jobs, that means an electrician who holds relevant technical qualifications, such as a Level 3 NVQ in Electrical Installations and the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations. Both documents require registration with a government-approved scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT.

Which electrical certificate do you need?

The right certificate depends on whether you are completing new work or checking what is already installed. If you have just had a rewire, a new circuit, or a consumer unit replaced, you need an EIC. If you want to confirm that your existing wiring is safe, you need an EICR.

For landlords, the obligations under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 are clear. You must:

• Have the fixed electrical installation inspected at least every five years
• Obtain an EICR from a qualified inspector
• Carry out any remedial work within 28 days if the report is unsatisfactory
• Provide the EICR to each tenant before or at the start of their tenancy
• Supply a copy to the local authority within seven days if requested

New builds come with an EIC issued at completion, which is accepted in place of an EICR for the first five years. After five years, a full EICR must be obtained before the property can continue to be let. It is also worth knowing that an EICR is a separate document from an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). An EICR covers electrical safety; an EPC rates the energy efficiency of the building.

How to manage EIC and EICR records with field service software

For electrical contractors and facilities managers working across multiple sites, tracking certificates and renewal dates manually creates real compliance risk. A missed renewal leaves a property exposed and a landlord legally liable.

This is a common pressure point for contractors running planned preventative maintenance (PPM) contracts. When you are managing recurring inspection visits across dozens of properties, it is easy for renewal dates to slip through the gaps, particularly if certificate records are held in spreadsheets or email threads rather than linked to each asset or site.

Joblogic addresses this with Asset Management and Planned Maintenance Software. Certificates and renewal dates sit against each property or asset, with automated reminders ahead of upcoming EICR renewals. Engineers get mobile access to previous inspection reports on site through the Job Sheet App, and completed records are ready to pull for a client or local authority the moment they're requested. For ad-hoc callouts where a landlord needs an urgent inspection, having the site history and previous certificate details immediately accessible means your engineer arrives prepared rather than starting from scratch.

If you want to see how Joblogic can help your team manage electrical compliance across every site, book a demo and speak with a specialist who can walk you through the platform.

Frequently asked questions

After covering the core differences, a few practical questions tend to come up. Here are the most common ones.

Is an EICR a legal requirement for landlords in England?

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 turned five-yearly electrical inspections from good practice into a legal duty. The rules covered new tenancies from 1 July 2020 and existing tenancies from 1 April 2021, meaning letting a home without a current EICR almost always means breaking the law. For owner-occupied homes, an EICR is strongly recommended but not currently mandatory.

Can an EIC replace an EICR for a rental property?

Only in one specific case: a new build. The EIC issued at completion stands in for an EICR for the first five years, after which a full EICR becomes necessary. Outside of that scenario, an EIC only certifies the specific work it was issued for, it doesn't extend to cover the rest of the installation, so it can't stand in for a periodic inspection.

How long is an EICR valid for?

An EICR is normally valid for five years. However, the inspecting engineer may recommend a shorter period if the installation is older or showing signs of wear. Always follow the re-inspection date stated on the report itself rather than assuming a fixed interval.

What should a landlord do if an EICR result is unsatisfactory?

You have 28 days to complete the remedial work, or less if the report specifies a shorter deadline. The electrician who carries out the repairs must give you written confirmation that the work is done. You then send this confirmation and the original unsatisfactory report to your tenants and the local housing authority within 28 days of finishing the repairs.

What is the difference between an EICR and an EPC?

An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) assesses the safety of the fixed electrical installation in a building. An EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rates how energy-efficient the building is. The two cover entirely different things and are each required in their own right.

Does an EIC need to be renewed?

The original certificate should be retained in a safe place and shown to any person inspecting or undertaking further work on the electrical installation. If you later vacate the property, the certificate demonstrates to the new owner that the electrical installation complied with the requirements of BS 7671 at the time it was issued. If you carry out further notifiable work at a later date, a new EIC is issued to cover that specific work only.