Oh I agree. The regulations are not retrospective, which was the point I was attempting to make, and therein lies the rats nest for endless arguments between lawyers, insurance companies et al. An installation which complied in all respects to say, the 15th ed will have been failed numerous times for no good reason other than ignorance of the requirements of the earlier editions.Hence my point about a claim being refused due to a lack of RCD protection. What grounds would a insurance company have for refusing to pay out for such a reason?

It's not a matter of the regs not being retrospective - the current regs still permit the use of BS 3036 fuses for most situations. Additional protection by RCD is to my mind a separate issue - really not any different from having an all-MCB CU. There's no reason why separate RCDs can't be used where necessary in conjunction with BS 3036 CUs - a separate 30mA RCCB before a CU was common practice, and where multiple CUs are used hardly any different in effect from split-CUs common today. Others have put RCCBs downstream of CUs on the circuits that need them. Such solutions may not be popular, aesthetically pleasing, convenient or economic, but that's not the same as saying they don't comply with BS 7671 or should be flagged up on an EICR.

   - Andy.

I understand all of that Andy, but you know how insurance companies work - any excuse not to pay out. I was just attempting to explore what grounds they may choose to use in the event of a claim refusal.

So in that case, should the homeowner be expected to rush out and buy a new consumer unit every time the wiring regulations change?

I would say that such a requirement would be wholly unreasonable.

mapj1 said:

Domestic Premises (Electrical Safety Certificate) Bill

Is there any update on this? 

well the lords gave it the nod, or more accurately discharged it - i.e agreed it was OK with no changes and no debate - last year actually, and it is now nominally in the queue for consideration by the commons, but there it seems to be stuck for months. At this rate there will be an election first and then all bets will be off, but the lack of interest is telling. The idea may well end up being  pushed into the long grass to die.

Mike

for reference of the process

https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/laws/bills/private/private-stages/

- this is slightly unusual in starting off in the Lords - in which case it goes to the Commons and then back to the Lords and then to the king. Or stops at any stage in between

Need to print off a copy and keep it on standby at Savoy place for when HRH pays a visit.  Then it is just a case of ask for an autograph.  I am sure the King will visit soon.

But as it stands, that bill is unenforceable, firstly being ambulatory (refers to 'latest regs' instead of a specific edition) as well as having the rather gaping hole that an EICR fail is also accepted. It first  needs some intelligent revision, then an autograph ;-)
On second thoughts, what is actually (not really) happening may be for the best.

Mike.