How much does an EICR cost in London?

An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) costs £140 inc VAT for a 1-bed flat, £170 for a 2-bed, £200 for a 3-bed, and £250+ for 4-bed properties or licensed HMOs in London. F & A Electrical is NICEIC-approved and issues certificates the same day. Commercial EICRs are quoted per visit and typically £280–£600 inc VAT depending on circuit count.

How much does it cost to replace a fuse board in London?

A fuse board (consumer unit) replacement costs £550–£750 inc VAT for a straightforward swap to a modern 10-way dual-RCD board, £700–£900 inc VAT for an RCBO board with one breaker per circuit, and £800–£1,000 inc VAT for above-shop flats with shared supply or where supply tails need replacing. Every install includes the Electrical Installation Certificate, Part P notification and 6 years' NICEIC warranty.

How long does a house rewire take in London?

A 3-bed Victorian terrace rewire typically takes 2–3 weeks and costs £5,800–£7,500 inc VAT fixed quote. Larger 4-bed+ houses or heritage Georgian properties take 3–6 weeks and cost £10,000–£18,000+. F & A Electrical can stage rewires room-by-room so you don't have to move out, includes all new 18th-edition circuits, modern RCBO board, sockets, switches, bonding, hardwired smoke alarms, EIC, Part P notification and 6 years' NICEIC warranty.

How much does an EV charger installation cost in London?

A standard 7.4kW tethered EV charger install (Hypervolt, Ohme, EO, Wallbox, Tesla Gen 3) costs £950–£1,150 inc VAT fully fitted on off-street properties. Underground car park or sub-metered installs in flats run £1,400–£2,200 inc VAT depending on cable run. The OZEV/EVHS landlord grant of £350 is claimed where eligible. F & A Electrical installs all major brands across London.

Do I legally need an EICR for my rental property in London?

Yes. Under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, every private rented home in England requires a satisfactory EICR every 5 years (annually for HMOs), with a copy given to the tenant within 28 days of inspection. Hackney runs borough-wide selective licensing requiring this for every let. Tower Hamlets, Islington and Southwark have additional and mandatory HMO licensing zones.

Are F & A Electrical NICEIC approved?

Yes — F & A Electrical is an NICEIC Approved Contractor, the UK's top electrical accreditation. Every job is certified, registered and notified to Building Control under Part P. We carry £5m public liability insurance, work to BS 7671 18th edition standards, and offer a 6-year NICEIC warranty on installation work. We have a 9.32/10 rating across 242 Checkatrade reviews and are members of Checkatrade since December 2018.

Do you offer a 24-hour emergency electrician service in London?

Yes — F & A Electrical operates a 24-hour emergency electrician service across all our London service areas. Emergency rate is £60+VAT per half-hour outside 8am–8pm Monday to Friday and £45+VAT per half-hour during normal hours. No call-out fee if we resolve your issue on the phone. We aim to be on site within one hour for urgent work. Call 07407 627542 or 07500 721453.

What areas of London does F & A Electrical cover?

F & A Electrical is based in Tottenham N15 and covers all of inner London including Hackney (Stoke Newington, Dalston, Hackney Central, Clapton, Hackney Wick), Islington (Highbury, Holloway, Angel, Canonbury), Camden, Tower Hamlets (Whitechapel, Brick Lane), Southwark (Bermondsey), Haringey and surrounding boroughs.

Why does my fuse board keep tripping?

Common causes of fuse board tripping include: an overloaded ring final circuit (too many appliances on one socket ring), a faulty appliance with damaged insulation causing earth leakage, water ingress into a bathroom or outdoor circuit, a failing RCD or RCBO, or a damaged kitchen circuit cable. F & A Electrical diagnoses and fixes tripping faults on a 24-hour callout basis. If an RCD trips repeatedly across multiple circuits, the consumer unit itself may need upgrading.

What does C1, C2 or C3 mean on an EICR?

On an EICR, C1 means 'Danger present' — immediate risk of injury, work must be done before the report is satisfactory. C2 means 'Potentially dangerous' — urgent remedial work required, still fails the EICR. C3 means 'Improvement recommended' — does not cause an unsatisfactory result on its own. FI means 'Further investigation required' — also fails the EICR. F & A Electrical can attend the same day to remedy C1 or C2 items and reissue a satisfactory cert for property sales or letting compliance.

EIC vs EICR — The Difference Explained

Short answer: an EIC (Electrical Installation Certificate) is issued when new electrical work is completed — it certifies that the new work is safe. An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is an inspection of an existing installation — it reports on the condition of what’s already there. You get an EIC with work like a rewire or consumer unit change; you commission an EICR periodically, when letting a property, or before buying or selling.

The two get mixed up constantly — by tenants, buyers, even letting agents. Here’s exactly what each covers, which one you need in each situation, and what they cost in London in 2026.

The two certificates side by side

	EIC	EICR
What it is	Certificate for new work	Condition report on an existing installation
When it’s issued	On completion of a rewire, new circuit, consumer unit change	After a periodic inspection you commission
What it tells you	The new work complies with BS 7671	Whether the installation is satisfactory or unsatisfactory (C1/C2/C3/FI codes)
Legally required?	Yes — for notifiable work under Part P	Yes for rented property (every 5 years); optional otherwise
Typical validity	Until the installation is altered; next inspection date stated	5 years (rented) / up to 10 years (owner-occupied)
Cost in London	Included in the price of the work	from £140 labour-only

When you need an EIC

Any notifiable electrical work should end with an EIC handed to you: a full or partial rewire, a new circuit (say for an EV charger or electric shower), or a consumer unit replacement. Smaller jobs get a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC) instead. A registered electrician also triggers the Part P notification, and you receive a Building Regulations compliance certificate. Keep all of it — solicitors ask for these when you sell.

When you need an EICR

Three common triggers. Landlords in England must hold a satisfactory EICR, renewed at least every five years and available to tenants and the council — with fines up to £40,000 for breaches. Home buyers commission one (or ask the seller for one) to find out what the wiring is really like before exchange. And owners simply get one periodically — every ten years or so — as a health check, especially in older North London housing stock. If the report comes back unsatisfactory, here’s what happens next.

Can one replace the other?

Sometimes — in one direction only. A recent EIC covering the whole installation (a full rewire, for example) is usually accepted in place of an EICR until the interval it states runs out. A landlord with a five-year-old full-installation EIC generally doesn’t need a separate EICR yet. But an EICR never substitutes for an EIC: if someone did notifiable work and offers you only an EICR, the work itself was never certified — a red flag worth chasing.

Frequently asked questions

Is an EIC the same as an EICR?

No. An EIC certifies new electrical work at the time it’s done; an EICR reports on the condition of an existing installation. Different documents, different purposes.

Do landlords need an EIC or an EICR?

An EICR, renewed at least every five years. An EIC only arises when new work is done — though a full-installation EIC can stand in for the first EICR until its stated interval expires.

How much does each cost in London in 2026?

An EIC has no separate price — it’s part of any properly quoted job. An EICR starts from £140 labour-only for a one-bed flat; see our EICR cost guide. Our minimum charge on any job is £108 (£90 + VAT).

What about when selling a house?

Neither is legally required to sell, but buyers’ solicitors ask about both on the TA6 form. Full guide: do you need an EICR to sell your house?

Need either one sorted?

F & A Electrical is a NICEIC-approved contractor in Tottenham N15, rated 9.32/10 from 242 reviews. EICRs from £140 with same-day certificates, and every job we do comes with the correct certification included. Call 07407 627 542 or see our coverage areas.

EIC vs EICR: What’s the Difference? (UK 2026)