I need to install a new consumer box in a property and the Electrician will supply a Domestic Electrical Installation Certificate for changing this. He says as the consumer box is new he automatically has to check the electrics in all the property, and put right any potential faults.
And that the DEIC will cover exactly the same as the EICR, so I don’t need a separate EICR which cost £150 more.
Does anyone know if this is right, and if not where could I find out if the DEIC is acceptable or not?
You cannot serve an DEIC on a tenant unless is it a full rewire in new build.
By law you need to serve an EICR. You have to demonstrate that there are no C1, C2 and C3 issues and you cannot do that on a DEIC. Your LA will not accept a DEIC unless it is as the government states. Your are in breach of legislation with your tenant if you do not serve an EICR.
As @David 122 has written in another post make sure that it is for 5 years not for renewal at change of tenancy.
It does not cost £150 more. It’s a piece of paper. Your electrician is ripping you off. He may not be registered to serve and EICR. You need to look on the NICEIC register and find an electrician that can serve this certificate. They all have different qualifications of what they can do.
This is like a gas certificate. They rectify the issues and give you a satisfactory report.
Get another electrician
It is not mandatory to remedy C3 items on an EICR - they are recommendations only. C1 and C2 you must get sorted. The electrician who performs the EICR is under no obligation to make the certificate valid for the full 5 years. In fact IET recommend that the the EICR is renewed for each new tenancy. I asked NICEIC about this and they said that the cert should be valid for 5 years unless the electrician offers reason for less (any). My electrician would only give a 3 year certificate even though the installation is 18th Edition regs (latest) compliant. The reason given was the installation is approx 25 years old. The EICR rules are massively open to abuse by those doing the testing. The industry associations know this.
Thanks for your responses. I do think that EICR is completely open to exploitation. I have found electricians who are happy to do the EICRs but not up for the remedial work for it to pass.
I have looked at the previous DEIC from this electrician and one page is an EICR, so I am probably going to use him again because he is available to do the work I require, when I require it done.