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PRS Remedial works statement

jbrameld

My daughter is in the process of moving into a rented flat and I am looking over the associated documentation for her and advising.  I am having a hard time getting the letting agent to understand the need for certification following remedial work on a rented property though.

The back story is that an EICR was done on the property in November 2020 showing an unsatisfactory result - mostly C2 relating to no RCD on anything and a C1 relating to an L-E swap on a cooker circuit.  Not sure how that didn't go bang or actually fry somebody but we'll leave that to one side.  We asked the agent for certificates relating to the remedial work, or an updated satisfactory EICR.  They responded with a copy of the quote for the remedial work - which was a board change to fix the missing RCD issues, and they had managed to fix the C1 at the time of the test anyway.

We challenged this and they responded with a copy of the invoice for the remedial work.

We asked for copies of the EIC following the board change (the quotation included this specifically) and the agent clearly doesn't have this, and they are refusing to accept the need for it (or a written confirmation from a qualified person that the electrical safety standards are met), despite having had this pointed out to them in terms of both the requirements in BS7671 and the text of the ESSPRS Regulations 2020. They maintain there is no need to re-test after remedial works and 'all that is needed is a quote and proof the works have been carried out'.

We asked them to approach the electrician who carried out the remedial works and they are refusing because 'the electrician might not work for that company any more'! A quick search shows that company to still look active and likely to be a one-man type operation so I have approached them directly for a copy of the EIC for the board change.  Will see what I get back.

The ESSPRS regs say the following in relation to remedial works:

(5) Where paragraph (4) applies, a private landlord must—

(a)obtain written confirmation from a qualified person that the further investigative or remedial work has been carried out and that—

(i)the electrical safety standards are met; or

(ii)further investigative or remedial work is required;

My question to the learned body is would you consider a simple invoice for remedial works, with no associated certificate, and no written confirmation as required by the ESSPRS to be compliant?

I would happily accept an EIC as this confirmation, or a clearly worded statement stating that the standards are met but in this case we have neither.  Is it accepted practice to just accept an invoice as the confirmation required under the ESSPRS Regs?

Provided the electrician did issue an EIC then I don't think they did anything wrong and the property is probably fine so they will move in, but I am considering taking this further with the agent once they are in.

Thanks in advance,

Jason.

  • 0
    jbrameld said:
    They maintain there is no need to re-test after remedial works and 'all that is needed is a quote and proof the works have been carried out'.

    Whether a complete EIC with full testing is required or not depends upon the circumstances. I assume that the DB was fitted soon (say within a month) of the EICR.

    Clearly the function of the RCD(s) in the new DB needs to be confirmed. I think also a check on maximum Zs - the far points should be known to the electrician. An EIC would confirm that the electrical safety standards have been met, but anything on paper would do at a pinch.

    In this case, the real issue is not so much compliance, but lawfulness. On the evidence described, it falls short.

    The local council may be willing to help - it is they who enforce the statute.

  • 0 in reply to Chris Pearson

    Thanks Chris.

    I believe BS7671 requires an EIC to be issued on a board change - although of course some values could be copied from a recent EICR.  The EICR did mention that they couldn't test earth continuity on the ring final circuits at the time as the cables were tightly twisted and very short, and that this would be tested on the board change, so I would expect something more than an invoice as a record.  

    The original electrician has replied to me saying he can't issue a copy to of the EIC to me for data protection reasons, but he would re-issue it to the agent if they asked (and he still had it).  He was a NAPIT member at the time of the original work so I would hope he still had it.

    I'll likely press on with this next week after they are checked in to try and 'educate' the agent a bit further regarding the gaps in their process.

  • 0 in reply to jbrameld

    Agree on both counts - you, well the occupant, have a right to see the paperwork, and BS7671 requires testing. It does not have to be on the EIC model form, it could be in any suitable format, but there has to have been adequate testing to ensure the installation is safe, and that will be most of the things on the form - there may be odd concessions, like insulation tested all at once rather than circuit by circuit, but a 'global' pass means all circuits pass, and that does demonstrate an equivalent level of safety.
    M.

  • 0 in reply to mapj1

    Thanks Mike.

    In this case as a board change was involved, 644.1 says that a  '...certificate based on the model given in appendix 6 shall be issued....'.  I have pointed this out to the agent but they are refusing to budge.  I would happily accept a different form, or indeed a written statement of compliance as required in the ESSPRS Regs, but to my mind an invoice alone is not sufficient to meet the legal requirement.

  • 0 in reply to jbrameld

    What about a Part P certificate for the new consumer unit? Did you receive one ? 

  • 0 in reply to AMK

    Nope - but as a tenant I wouldn't necessarily expect them to get the building regs cert.  The electrician's quote/invoice did say it included notification to building control - but again we would expect the EIC for the works as they would have needed that to submit to BC.

  • 0 in reply to jbrameld

    sorry - not what  7671 requires, but building regs and the law...

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