The IET is carrying out some important updates between 17-30 April and all of our websites will be view only. For more information, read this Announcement

Rules and Guidelines
Want to participate in the discussions? Please read our Community Rules and Guidelines. Need some help? Visit Support and Answers.

  • State Not Answered
  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 53 replies
  • Subscribers 31 subscribers
  • Views 6616 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
You may also be interested in
This discussion is locked.
You cannot post a reply to this discussion. If you have a question start a new discussion

EICR Valid?

Former Community Member
Former Community Member

Hello,

I recieved an EICR for my Private Rented property from the landord. However, the post code of the address is wrong. Is the EICR still valid? It was done over a year ago, so Is it allowed to be corrected via just changing the post code or do the whole electrics need to be retested/inspected?

  • 0

    Presumably, the Address is correct, in which case adding the correct postcode would be fine. Do not change anything else!

  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member

    Thanks for the response - but how do I know for certain if the electrics have been done correctly at the correct address if the postcode is wrong? I had a British Gas engineer tell me the certificate would become void, he also seemed concerned at my electrics tripping and suggested they could have been installed incorrectly - when I told my landlord this, they cancelled British Gas and involved the electrician who did the EICR despite them having a care package with British Gas, which includes EICR. I am struggling to find any concrete legislation on the specific issue.

  • 0

    I would be more inclined to listen to a qualified electrician than a gas engineer. If the guy was given an incorrect post code get him to change when he is there.  A lot can happen in a year, it could be tripping out for many reasons that weren't there before you moved in.  It could well be one of your appliances or a bit of damp in an outside light

    Gary

  • 0
    Interesting question but the answer is that the postcode is for the post office to use and is an addition to your address. If you look at the deeds to an older property you will not find a postcode, but this does not change the property identification. A postcode covers around 20 properties, it is not specific to your house, even the post office still uses the number. Some other countries do have postcodes that identify single properties, this may happen here for large buildings, but not usually domestics.
  • 0

    Do British Gas technicians involve themselves with electrical installation condition reports these days?

    Although, I have known them to get rather twitchy when checking the main equipotential bonding.

    Legh

  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    Hello, 


    thanks for the reply and sorry for the confusion, British Gas is just the name of the company - they do both gas and electric and are one of the biggest power companies in the U.K.. I contacted British Gas as instructed by landlord (after weeks of reporting the issue I might add, which they consistently tried to imply I was making up the issue with electrics) due to British Gas being their emergency contact for electrical repairs. They sent around an electrician to investigate a faulty plug socket and my electrics tripping - they rendered the plug socket unsafe and unusable as well as arranging a date for them to return to carry out their investigation into the electrics properly. They suspected the electrics to be installed incorrectly.


    As soon as I told my landlord this, they suddenly deemed my issue as “urgent” and involved this other electrician, despite having a care plan with British Gas and the appointment already being made.


    I have to admit I do not trust this electrician and would rather them stick to using the independent British Gas company as I have had constant problems with them. For example, my electric hob stopped turning off, which I reported on 02/09 and they left me for well over a week without disconnecting it or replacing it. The new hob they sent still doesn’t work, probably due to them not using a qualified electrician to install it either. As well as them refusing to carry out repairs on a cupboard that is falling to pieces (due to wear and tear), a thread bare carpet, disconnected wooden floors, a broken fire door - the list goes on.
  • 0

    In law in general, typos and slips of the pen do not invalidate a document and they can be corrected, so if the postcode is nearly right and the rest of the address is correct, the EICR remains valid.

    I too would be concerned by your tripping electrics - something is wrong there.

    I am a bit confused about the BG “care package”, which is a type of insurance. I would be very surprised if it included an EICR although a technician might very well test something and tell you that it does not comply with the Wiring Regulations.

  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    Hello,


    I am not sure what exactly the British Gas Care Package thing includes precisely as I am not a landlord. However, the engineer did definitely say that EICR is a service the company offers.


    As I have said in another response, I would rather the landlord use British Gas as they are a trustworthy company. And I have had numerous problems with my landlords - as I stated I reported my problem with the electrics weeks before they finally gave me a number to British Gas to get it investigated in the first place. They also heavily tried to suggest I was making up the issues with the electrics as well. I fear that there is something dodgy going on myself, I used the Competent Electric Checker (an officially government website) and the electrician they used for the EICR, which is the same one they’ve decided to involved for the electrics now, was listed as not being qualified to do inspections. When I enquired about this, they became cagey and said I was being “inappropriate” for asking to check if he is qualified.


    They have also been reluctant to do many other major repairs such as a broken fire door, a faulty electric hob (which has been well over a month now), thread bare carpets (which weren’t shown to me prior to moving in), broken and mouldy cupboards, mouldy washer machines, mould in the bedroom, blocked drains, disconnected floor boards. All these problems existed prior to me moving in and I have only lived there since July as well. And most of these problems they have flat out told me they won’t fixed despite being responsible for them.
  • 0

    davezawadi (David Stone): 
    Interesting question but the answer is that the postcode is for the post office to use and is an addition to your address. If you look at the deeds to an older property you will not find a postcode, but this does not change the property identification.

    Good point! Our house has not only changed its name, but its address too.

  • 0

    I'm afraid that if you consider British Gas to be a “trustworthy company” then you are bordering on the delusional.

    I have been on the sharp end watching BG “engineers” sic try to fix a boiler problem and I wouldn't let those muppets loose on electrical fault finding. They'd have your gaff rewired in a flash!

Join us to get the best from IET EngX.

Joining EngX lets you personalise your experience so you stay up to date on the topics that interest you, plus you’ll be able to make connections who are looking to collaborate, exchange ideas and more.

Join us Not now

Community Rules & Guidelines