New build properties not installed to regs at the time of construction

When the developer placed the contract, what did it actually say  in terms of versions of standards to be applied ?

To follow '7671 is not a legal requirement. A few (different dated) versions are referred to in various statutes (*), but generally what version to build to is a matter agreed at contract time - I'd be the first to suggest that normally 'the latest' or the one current at time of signature are both examples of sensible approaches the latter more for multi year projects. , and most unlikely to not meet the needs of any back issue as well,  but there is no legal lever to enforce that.

Mike.

Examples

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations 2020 refers to  "BS7671 2018"

The ESCQR however requires the "2008 IEE Wiring Regulations 17th Edition"

Part P such as the actual legally binding act is concerned only needs 

P1. Reasonable provision shall be made in the design
and installation of electrical installations in order to
protect persons operating, maintaining or altering the
installations from fire or injury.installations from fire or injury

But the approved document (which is only advisory) recommends BS7671 as the best way to do this.

It is as they say a muddle.. 

mapj1 said:

The ESCQR however requires the "2008 IEE Wiring Regulations 17th Edition"

Maybe the ESCQR needs to be updated as 2008 was close to 2 decades ago?

mapj1 said:

The ESCQR however requires the "2008 IEE Wiring Regulations 17th Edition"

Maybe the ESCQR needs to be updated as 2008 was close to 2 decades ago?

Is having a reference to  20 year old regulations really significantly more dangerous ? As I mentioned in another thread, when something first comes out there tends to be a flurry of chaotic activity - look at the weird looking cars in the museums from pre about 1910, or early computers.  Then things settle down - cars have 4 cylinders, forward facing door hinges and burn petrol ignited with electricity, and have done since about 1930.

There are then only more and more nice to have trifling improvements, unless like electric cars there is a discontinuity in the way things are done, then we get a burst of chaos again. 

The big issues got bottomed out quite early with the wiring regs - earthing of socket circuits from 1939 onwards, lights from about 1970 (plenty of those 2 core lights are still giving good service still though !  )

The ESCQR references are as follows 

For new connections

A distributor shall not give his consent ..., where he has reasonable grounds for believing that—

(a)the consumer’s installation, street electrical fixture or other distributor’s network fails to comply with British Standard Requirements or these Regulations; or

(b)the connection itself will not be so constructed, installed, protected and used or arranged for use, so as to prevent as far as is reasonably practicable, danger or interruption of supply.

and for parallel and switched alternative generators

where the source of energy is part of a low voltage consumer’s installation, that installation shall comply with British Standard Requirements. 

So a new connection may be refused, if the thing to be connected is not compliant, and a local generator also.

So, I'm not sure, for the purposes of the ESCQR, if much would actually change in practice if thee referred regs were up-issued.Sure it looks tidier, but what is the actual technical issue ?
We would still not permit CNE load-side of metering, we'd still allow a veritable alphabet soup of permissible supply earthing arrangements, we'd still permit but decry BS3036 fuses in basements.  

Perhaps a few corner case Zs values, but for a company fuse having a 6 seconds blow time instead of 5 is not as serious as an MCB not instant tripping..
But  if you are worrying for example about solar panels (as an example of a source of energy), there are other regs that mean it  already should be installed to the current regs anyway.
And until the dust settles on RCD types and PEN break detection, there is very little point in introducing something that is likely to change again, into permanent  statute, when we are likely to be stuck with it until 2040 something if you want a 20 year update cycle.

I'd quite like to see 3 phase supplies more common in homes or perhaps some sites supplied at either 400/690 or even 690/1k3 instead of 230/400 first to handle the likely higher loads of heat pumps and vehicle charging.

But again, nothing to trouble Parliament with.

Mike.

PS To some of us, 20 years feels really not all that long ;-)