How Much Does an Electrical Safety Check Cost?

With many of the house fires in the UK being caused by faulty wiring, the impact of not having regular safety checks done can be perilous. An electrical safety check can avoid fires like these, but most people are not even aware that they should be having them completed. Something so simple can save so many lives. And the cost involved compared to the impact a fire can have, is miniscule. In fact, the cost is probably a lot lower than you think. So, how much does an electrical safety check cost?

Who can Carry out an Electrical Safety Check?

If you’re thinking of trying to get one of the “Handymen” known to you to carry out the check, think again. Even the most gifted hand person, unless certified as an electrician, can’t complete the check and issue you with the certificate showing the check has been completed. There are certain electrical checks you can complete on your own. However, a Safety Check and Certificate is only to be completed by an Electrician.  

Be on the lookout for “cowboys” claiming to be electricians. These cowboys more often than not will underquote you. And then they will take the money but carry out the work illegally and you won’t be issued with a certificate. You can search for a reputable tradesperson online. Check the reviews out before you commit to the engineer you choose, and make sure all certifications are up to date.

When Should I have an Electrical Safety Check Done?

It’s recommended to have an electrical safety check carried out every 5-10 years. This is depending on whether you have any cause for concern, you may want to bring this date forward. If you’ve recently purchased a home, it’s wise to have a safety check done as soon as you move in, to make sure there are no issues. If however you are a landlord, it is a legal requirement for you to have an up to date Electrical Installation Condition Report, or EICR as it’s known. It is vital that these are kept up to date to keep your tenants safe, but also to avoid legal fines of up to £30,000.

How Much does it Cost?

Probably a lot less than you’re expecting. The cost will vary depending on several factors such as: 

• The size of your home and how many bedrooms you have
• Your electrical circuit board and how complex it is
• How many appliances there are in your home that will need to be tested
• How accessible your electrics are
• And of course the rate your electrician charges. The more qualified the electrician, the more likely the higher the rate

The best thing to do when you’re looking to have this safety check done, is to obtain quotes from more than one engineer. Look into the engineer and/or company and see what accreditations they have. 

Do they come recommended? Are there reviews you can check? Do they have the correct accreditations? Recommended tradespeople are helpful, but it’s also wise to do your own investigating before you decide.

What is Involved in an Electrical Safety Check?

An engineer will visit you in your home and carry out the safety check. It should take 2-4 hours depending on the size of your home and other factors. It can increase to a whole day. However, your engineer should visit you at home to quote you to get an idea of timings and what will be involved on the day they carry out the safety check.

They’ll discuss with you things like any past issues you know of and the age of your home at the time they come to do the quotation. Feel free to ask any and all questions, so you are well informed about what is going to take place.

The Day of Your Check

When the Safety Check is actually carried out, the engineer will test all of the required appliances. This includes your lighting fixtures, your power sockets and any other fixings. This is to make sure they work to a satisfactory safe standard for use.

The engineer will test your fuse board. And if they’re thorough they’ll also check your fire alarms to make sure they’re in working order and are safe.  The engineer will find any circuit hazards or faulty electrical connections. And appliances that are not working properly, or outlets that are overloaded.

At the end of the Safety Check, a written summary will be submitted to the relevant body. If there are any repairs that are needed or recommended, these will be discussed with you at the end. No repairs should be carried out proper to discussion. It’s important to note that the price of the safety check does not include the costs for any repairs or replacements that are needed.

To Conclude: How Much Does an Electrical Safety Check Cost?

So whether you’re looking to have an Electrical Safety Check carried out, you’d like some more information, or you’d like to book a quote. Feel free to contact us. 

Our team experienced engineers are on hand to give expert advice, and we operate a transparent fixed pricing model. So when we work with our customers, we present all costs prior to any work commencing at your home.

Should I get an Electrical Check When Buying a House?

When you are about to buy a new home, electrical safety inspections can help you to make the right decision. Electricity has now become the most important tool because it is the energy source of every appliance at home, i.e. lights, heaters, entertainment, etc. In this article we discuss if you should get an electrical safety check when buying a house.

However, neglecting it can be more dangerous than useful. Remember the last time you checked your home or office electrical system to make sure everything is safe and according to the latest regulations and standards. 

Why Should You Get an Electrical Check?

Have you ever had an electrical inspection? Is your house old or newly built? Or maybe you are buying a new house. It may be time to do a test to protect yourself, your family and your home.

Many electrical problems in the home are undetectable by the inexperienced eye. That is why it is so important that the electrical safety of your home is tested to ensure your safety and those living there.

What Happens During An Electrical Check?

During an inspection, the electrician will visually examine your home electrical system, assuring that all wiring, electrical system, and parts meet the appropriate legal standards.

Some components of the inspection will be solely a basic visual audit with recommendations about non-compliant components. Others will be an in-depth audit assuring continuity of the electrical system and protection switches are tested. As well as the polarity of the sockets.

Unluckily, as most of the electrical system is unavailable in wall cavities, a thorough visual inspection with testing of the electrical system is the extent that can be carried out without perforating the wall.

It is essential to ensure that the person who completes the electrical inspection at home or work are qualified to do so. By guaranteeing this, you can be rest assured that they know the issues they need to pay attention to, and can provide you with suggestions to help them troubleshoot when they find a problem.

Why Do You Require an Electrical Safety Check?

In some cases, houses are ageing, wires have become hotter and hotter over the years, and loose and rusty connections have begun to appear.

However, the bigger problem turned out to be the trend of DIY house improvements in the past decade. Many people can make small changes, such as adding fans or replacing sockets, but some people chew more than they can.

In the inspection process, it is usually found that the wires are loose or the panel box is overloaded. Regular home inspections do not always see these conditions. These conditions may cause shortages and worsen the situation, but may also cause fires on the roads.

Your electrical system must be large enough to power your home and leave room for future expansion. The wiring must be grounded and in good working condition. Switches and sockets should be checked to make sure they are functioning properly and of the correct type. Below are some electrical components of the electrical system that need to be checked.

Receptacles

Sockets, commonly called outlets, are grounded, have no cracks and physical defects. And they have enough tension to hold the connected wires in the right place. The sockets will need to be examined to ensure they are correctly installed.

The specific areas that need attention are bathrooms, kitchens, outdoor shops, and garages. The kitchen needs many sockets and circuits to power a large number of kitchen appliances in it. It is important that you get them checked by a qualified electrician and ensure that they are safe.

Common Mistakes

People make many common electrical mistakes, and you may want to know if the old wiring is safe or if your home has aluminium wiring. You can check if the electrical wiring is incorrect and if the former owner overloaded the circuit.

Service Panel

You can run a maintenance panel checklist to check the electrical system further and in more depth. It will take time to perform all of these steps, but it is worth it. You will be able to identify any issues and get them resolved before your electric system breaks or overloads.

After all, you do not buy a sunken ship with holes or a faulty house. If you know the flaws in advance and accept the price to make up for the flaws, you can get your dream home at an affordable price.

Wiring Lifespan

Wires have a specific safe life, and the standards have changed over the years. Knob and tube wiring was the most advanced at the time, but they are now outdated. The wiring needs to be updated as needed, just as electrical switches and sockets wear out and require to be fixed from time to time.

Future expansion

The electrical system in the house will be large enough for the current size of the house and requires spare space in case of future expansion. Even if you don’t plan to add it right away, you should consider having extra space for any future additions.

At the same time, you can check the safety of lighting. Look at areas like stairways, hallways, and garages. These areas require sufficient lighting to ensure safety as you pass through each room. Also, check your outdoor lighting fixtures to see if they are enough to get in and out of your home.

How Long Does the Electrical Check Take?

Based on the dimension of the house, the age of the home, and the number of circuits in the home, a professional home inspection usually takes 1 to 3 hours. When buying a home, be sure to do a full electrical inspection.

To Conclude: Should I get an Electrical Check When Buying a House?

When buying a new house, we understand that there are a lot of things to consider. The most important thing to carry out is an electrical check on the new property you want to purchase.

At IPF Electrical we have a team of qualified electricians that can carry out your electrical check for your new house. You can contact us for a free no obiligation quote.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or queries.

How Long Does an Electrical Safety Check Take?

Are you a homeowner? Did you know that it is recommended that your electrics are tested once every 10 years? But how long does an electrical safety check take? At IPF Electrical, safety checks are a speciality of ours and this article is designed to explain more about them. 

Why Should I Get an Electrical Safety Check?

In the same way that you get an MOT for your car, or your boiler serviced, it’s important to remember to get your electrics checked. For homeowners, these tests determine the safety and conditioning of the wiring within your home. 

As well as the 10 year rule, if you find your home is showing signs of wear and tear you should consider having an electrical test. These signs might include burning smells, sparking, flickering lights or irregularities with sockets. If this is the case, you should have a test done. 

Perhaps you own a business or you’re a landlord, subsequently you have  a legal obligation to have your electrics maintained.  Therefore, if you fail to comply, insurance companies could use this as a reason to refute any claims. 

In 2020, the legal requirements changed therefore landlords must get a new electrical safety report every 5 years or sooner if recommended. It’s essential to stay safe when using electricity and safety checks are very important. 

Preparing For The Visit

If you decide to get the safety test done, there are a few ways you can help by preparing your property before an electrician arrives. 

1. Your electrician needs to turn the power off before working on the wiring. Therefore you won’t be able to use any electrical gadgets whilst the work takes place. Consequently, if you work from home, it’s probably better to go out for a while and work somewhere else if you can. 

2. Your electrician needs easy access to all lights, sockets and light switches, along with the consumer unit or fuse board. Therefore please clear the areas where they will need to work before they arrive. 

3. If you have a prepayment electric meter, you must ensure there is enough credit on it for a safety check to be completed. 

4. Unplug as many appliances as possible including your TV and fridge. Remember, it is your responsibility to plug them back in after the electrics have been tested. 

How Long Will It Take?

An electrical safety check takes between 3-4 hours to complete. Nevertheless, this depends on the size of the property and the number of circuits that need testing. 

It’s worth noting that if you own a business it is your responsibility to ensure that the electrical system is constructed in such a way that prevents danger. Equally important is to ensure that the electrical systems are maintained. This includes a fixed inspection every five years. 

Failure to comply could lead to prosecution or a fine. Subsequently, it is in your interest to get a safety check completed which only takes between 3-4 hours. 

What Will The Check Tell Me?

The electrician working on your safety test produces a report known as the electrical installation condition report or EICR. 

This report identifies any damage, deterioration, defects or conditions which may be dangerous. It determines whether or not the electrics comply with the current British Standard for electrical safety. Finally, it will also include recommendations for improvements. 

The purpose of a report is to determine whether the installation is safe to continue using. An electrician checks the wiring, the fuse board, earth bonding and all the other parts that you can’t see. It’s not just about whether your lights come on or not. 

Electrical Safety Check Certificate

Once the EICR is complete, the contractor provides you with a certificate outlining the overall condition of the electrical installation. 

Homeowners, for example, may request a condition report as part of a house sale. It’s always worthwhile having a check done if you are moving into a new home, to see if any work needs to be done. Landlords need to get homes regularly tested to comply with the law. 

The EICR information is a more detailed report than a visual check which we will look at next. 

Visual Inspection

To begin with, your electrician will visit your property and make a visual inspection. They will then carry out a series of checks on your electrical systems. 

If a switch or socket is found to be an immediate danger, that’s a ‘code one’ problem. The electrician must fix it there and then or at least make it safe before returning. 

‘Code two’ problems are potentially dangerous and ‘code three’ problems are recommendations for improvements to appliances not deemed unsafe. Essentially, you will know about any dangerous electrics on the very first visit. 

How You Can Make Your Electrics Safer

Moreover, there are many things you can do to make your home or business safer. These include:

• Making sure any bulbs are the correct wattage for the fitting on lamps or lights.
• Ensuring any portable heaters are stable and at least 90 cm away from curtains and other combustible materials.
• Checking the leads on your kettle, iron and other portable appliances to make sure they haven’t frayed.
• Checking that only the outer sheath of cables are showing on plugs.
• Wherever possible, unplugging appliances if not in use or turning lights and appliances off. This saves wear and tear of your equipment.
• Making sure that appliance leads do not come in contact with hot or wet surfaces at any time. 

To Conclude: How Long Does An Electrical Safety Check Take?

So, to answer the question, how long does an electrical safety check take;   it’s between 3-4 hours. This may inconvenience you for a short time as you will need to unplug various appliances before the electrician arrives. However, the few hours it takes to complete a test far outweighs any risks to your property and the people inside. 

Even with all these safety methods in place, it is still important to get a complete electrical safety check on your property therefore giving you peace of mind. If you’re a landlord it’s a legal requirement to have it tested every 5 years. If you’re a homeowner, it’s in your best interest to have a regular electrical safety check. 

At IPF Electrical we have a number of years experience in the world of electrical testing among other services. For more information on how we can help, please feel free to contact us.