Electrical safety – Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR)

Colchester Borough Homes ensure that all properties have an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) completed at least every five years. An EICR is a formal, documented safety check of the fixed wiring within a property, to ensure wiring is in a safe condition. EICRs are free of charge for all Colchester Borough Homes residents.

EICR’s are undertaken by Whitehall Electrical Limited.

What does an EICR mean?

• An EICR will either be recorded as ‘satisfactory’ or ‘unsatisfactory’.
• A ‘satisfactory’ report means the electrical installation within the property meets the current safety standard.
• An ‘unsatisfactory’ means remedial works are required. Following the remedial works, a second EICR will be carried out to ensure the work is ‘satisfactory’.

What happens when an EICR is due at my property?

When an EICR is due at your property, Whitehall Electrical Limited will contact you to book an appointment. Whitehall will try to contact you by phone call, but if they are not able to reach you a letter will be sent. Appointments can be booked AM or PM, Monday to Friday and can be fit around the school run. It is important you make an appointment with Whitehall Electrical to allow for this safety check to go ahead.

What happens on the day of the EICR?

An EICR takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete and involves the Electrician undertaking several tests on the fixed wiring. Most testing is completed at the fuse board, but access will be required to all areas during the test. all plug sockets must be accessible to the electrician. Whilst the testing takes between 2 – 3 hours, the power will not be off the whole time. The heating system will also be checked following the test to confirm that it is functioning correctly.

You will be told on the day whether the electrical installations are satisfactory or if remedial works are required and Whitehall Electrical will need to return to your property. If minor issues are identified during the test, they will be addressed to avoid a second visit to your home. A further visit will be arranged if there isn’t an immediate solution.

If the EICR is unsatisfactory, remedials MUST be completed within 28 days.

Whitehall Electrical further information

More information about Whitehall Electrical Limited can be found on their website Whitehall Electrical | Electrical Contractors | Electrician Colchester

Appointments that do not go ahead

At Colchester Borough Homes, we are committed to making sure every home is electrically safe. We rely on our customers keeping to their scheduled appointments so we can meet legislation.

Unfortunately, our contractor, Whitehall Electrical has experienced a high volume of appointments that are not able to go ahead, because they are not able to access the property. These missed appointments not only delay vital safety checks — they also mean that other residents who could have used those time slots missed out.

Please help us keep your homes safe by keeping your appointments or giving us as much notice as possible if you need to rearrange.

Due to the number of appointments that are not able to go ahead, a charge may apply to residents for EICR and remedial appointments that are cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice, or where our contractor, Whitehall Electrical cannot get into the property at the time of the scheduled appointment.