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Electrical15 Jul 2026

EICR in care homes: how often, who can carry it out, and what the certificate must show

Electrical Installation Condition Reports are expected by CQC, HSE and insurers. The accepted standard for care homes is every five years. Here is what the report must contain and how to verify your electrician is qualified.

Why this matters

An EICR with outstanding C1 or C2 findings without documented remediation is direct evidence of an unsafe electrical installation. CQC treats this as a failure of Regulation 12. Insurers may decline claims following electrical incidents where current EICR cannot be produced.

What to do
  • 1Verify your electrician is NICEIC, ECA, NAPIT or ELECSA registered before they carry out EICR work.
  • 2Check the EICR shows an overall condition code -- C1 requires immediate action, C2 requires urgent action before the installation is safe.
  • 3Keep a remediation log for any C1 or C2 findings: what was found, what was done, by whom and when.
  • 4Schedule your next EICR before the recommended date on your current certificate -- do not wait for expiry.
Primary source
IET -- Wiring Regulations BS 7671 and EICR guidance
View source
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