Living in a property in the UK where it’s not relatively new (50 years +) you may think that ‘the electrics are fine, after all everything works when I switch on my lights or use an appliance’. The issue is that wiring deteriorates slowly and silently, but old houses have often had decades of amateur tweaks, extensions and incomplete refurbishments.

The simple rule of thumb

A basic guide would be every 10 years for most owner-occupied houses, with an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) being provided as the standard.

For example, if your home is older – say 1960s and earlier (or essentially anything you don’t know the wiring history of), being more careful would be to get an EICR every five years or so, especially if you’ve never had one done. For Electrical Testing Cheltenham, visit https://www.blu-fish.co.uk/electrical-services-cheltenham/electrical-testing-cheltenham

When you should test sooner

You should see someone earlier than you are “due” if either of these applies to you:

Renovation (New kitchen, loft conversion, extension rewire of any room)

Your introducing high-load appliances (EV Charger, heat pump, electric shower and induction hob)

You have an old fuse box (e.g., re-wireable fuses) or no RCD protection

If you see signs like buzzing, burning smells, warm power sockets, light flickering frequently or burn marks

Water damage (Leaking pipes, damp around sockets, floods).

There may also be brittle cable insulation, overloaded circuits and older types of earthing or bonding on these homes.

What about rented older homes?

As a landlord in England, you should get an EICR at least every 5 years (or more frequently if the report specifies).

The Reality; An EICR tells you what?

An EICR is not a sales pitch nor a “rewire or else”. It is a comprehensive safety assessment, which checks things such as:

Condition of wiring and connections

Earthing and bonding

Electrical consumer unit safety and RCD protection

Symptoms of overheating, damage or inferior previous work.

You will get a report with priority graded observations to help you decide what needs fixing first.

A practical next step

So if you’ve reached for your diary because you haven’t had an inspection since the Golden Jubilee (or never) then take that as a sign instead to book an EICR now.

This can mean a quick appointment today, averting what could turn into an emergency call down the road and in an older home that peace of mind is worth quite a bit.