Electrical problem guide
EICR has come back unsatisfactory with C1, C2 or FI codes in London
EICR has come back unsatisfactory with C1, C2 or FI codes? Here's what it usually means — and how we help across London.
Unsatisfactory Report? Talk to a London EICR Electrician
You've opened the report and there's a row of codes you didn't expect. C1, C2, maybe an FI. Perhaps your landlord EICR failed, or the inspector's verdict just says "unsatisfactory" and leaves you wondering what happens next. People tell us the same things: "what now?", "how long will the faults take to fix?", "does C2 really mean fail?"
Short answer on that last one: yes. A C1 or C2 on an electrical installation condition report makes it unsatisfactory. So does an FI, which just means further investigation is needed before anyone can say what's going on. A C3 is only a recommended improvement and doesn't fail the report on its own.
What it might mean
Nobody can diagnose your wiring from a code. But some patterns turn up again and again in London stock, so here's what could sit behind a failed report.
Missing RCD protection, inadequate bonding or ageing wiring are the most common coded departures - they often show up together in the observation schedule. An old fuse board with rewireable fuses and no earth-leakage protection can anchor several observations at once, especially in unmodernised conversions. Then there's the DIY factor. Alterations made over the decades that never met the regulations can turn up as a cluster of codes, though that's less certain until the circuits are looked at.
And occasionally - not often - a code is more cautious than it needs to be. A second opinion against industry coding guidance can sometimes soften it. Don't count on that, though.
How urgent is it?
It depends on two things: the code, and who lives there.
If any observation is a C1, danger is present right now. Not at some future point. Treat that installation as dangerous today.
For a rented property, the clock matters. The landlord has 28 days from the inspection - or less if the report says so - to complete the remedial work and send written confirmation to tenants and the council. Council civil penalties of up to £40,000 per breach can follow for non-compliance under the 2020 Regulations. An unresolved report can also hold up lettings, licence applications and sales.
So: C1 means act today. Rented and C2 or FI means the deadline is already running. Otherwise, you've got time to compare quotes properly - just don't let it drift.
What you can safely check
Keep the full report. Not just the summary page - the observation schedule and the test results too. The codes define exactly what needs doing, and without them nobody can price the work properly.
Look for any C1. If there is one, don't wait on paperwork. Note the report date as well, because for a rental the 28 days runs from the inspection, not from the day you read it.
What not to do? Don't open the board and poke about, and don't have a mate swap a fuse board "to tidy it up". Testing and certifying an installation is a job for a competent, insured electrician, and DIY fixes are exactly how some of these codes got there in the first place.
What we check
We don't just work from the paper. Each coded observation gets checked against the actual installation.
That lets us separate the genuine C2s from anything that's arguably a C3 under industry coding guidance - and if a code looks harsh, we'll say so. Then we price the remedial scope item by item against your observation schedule, so you can see what each line costs and why. That quote is free for any remedial work your report flags, and there's no obligation attached.
Once the works are done we re-test, then issue the certification and the written confirmation the regulations require. Your EICR is carried out by a NICEIC-registered engineer, and the report comes to you as a PDF by email.
How it's fixed
What's needed depends on what the report says. Usually it's itemised eicr remedial work to clear every C1, C2 and FI. Sometimes that's adding the missing RCD protection or correcting missing or undersized main bonding.
Where an ageing board anchors the failure, a consumer unit upgrade can clear a whole run of observations. Where the wiring itself is the problem, it may mean a partial or full rewire - we'd only say that after testing. When it's all finished, a re-inspection gives you a satisfactory report to show your agent, council or buyer.
Call now if there's a C1 on your report, or if you're renting the property out and the 28 days are ticking. Otherwise, take the report, compare what you're offered, and get the codes dealt with properly before they cost you more.
Want to Know Where Your Installation Stands?
You've read how coded reports work and what the fixes involve. The sensible next step is to book an EICR and have your report emailed to you as a PDF. EICRs are fixed-price, confirmed before we attend. And if the report flags remedial work, a clear written quote comes with it, free and without obligation.
Ready to Book Your EICR?
Booking the test is the straightforward way to replace worry with facts. We're open 8am to 10pm, seven days a week, and a qualified, insured engineer carries out the inspection. You'll get the coded report by email, then a written quote for anything it flags. Compare it however you like - there's no pressure from our end.