The Electrical Installation Certificate

This article will give details of the Electrical Installation Certificate and give details of when it is needed.

The Electrical Installation Certificate is a safety Certificate that is issued by a qualified electrician as confirmation that any electrical installation project has been that complies with the BS 7671 (IEE Wiring Regulations). This kind of electrical testing and certification is legally required on any type of building where electrical installations have been fitted.

Only electricians registered for `Part P` of the Building Regulations, with body like the ECA or NICEIC should undertake this type of electrical testing and certification.

This is how a typical EIC looks like:

The Electrical Installation Certificate will need to be issued any time that there is:

• A newly installed installation
• When any new single circuit or multiple circuits are being added to any installation that already exists.
• When there is any change of distribution board (consumer unit)
• When there has been any alteration to a circuit and that alteration has required a change to the protective device.

Following initial verification, and after a full inspection and testing procedures have been undertaken, the Electrical Installation Certificate has to be completed. This is something that is required by law.

If you are an electrician and need a professional, editable form that you can fill in yourself and give to your clients, you will find one here: Free to use EIC form

Don`t worry it is 100% free and you can use Open Office (a free alternative to MS Word) to edit it.

Validity of the Electrical Installation Certificate is only assured is the certificate has the accompanying documentation:
- A Schedule of Test Results
- A Schedule of Inspections

The original document, when it is issued, must be submitted to the "person who has ordered the work" and the electrician, who has carried out the testing and inspection, must retain a copy of the certificate.