8.11.1. Electrical installations
Electrical installations are made up of the wires, cables, sockets, switches, consumer units, plant and machinery, and all the things built into a property which are part of the wiring for electricity, lighting, etc.
You must ensure electrical installation and regular testing are:
- Undertaken by a suitably qualified person
- Certified as completed with an electrical safety certificate
If you are about to take property you should ensure that you ask for copies of the owner or landlord’s electrical safety certificate for the building.
Certificate details ought to form part of the information database about your property, and will be needed to be made available to your landlordLandlord: The person or organisation which grants a lease of property to a tenant., tenantsTenant: The person or organisation to whom a lease is granted. or any future occupierOccupier: Any person or organisation which occupies property..
Critically the database will advise when electrical installations need to be inspected for safety in the future.
Although there is no defined interval for electrical testing, government guidelines state:
| “Electrical installations should be tested often enough that there is little chance of deterioration leading to danger” |
General good practice / guidelines are:
- Every five years
- More often if there is heavy usage
- In accordance with any previous test recommendations
For example, the older that electrical installations become, or if the number of faults found starts to increase, they will need to be checked more often.
It is good practice to ask a qualified electrician for specific guidance.
See also:
Weston Property Manual: 8.21. Resources and Links [Link: Electrical FAQs: Managing it safely]