How to Check an Electrician's Registration and Your EICR
Check the registered identity, review the complete report, and know what to ask if details are missing or unclear.
By EICR Certificates London · Updated 31 October 2026
Check an electrician’s claimed registration with the named scheme, then check your EICR’s property details, declarations and attached schedules separately.
These checks help London landlords, agents, homeowners and businesses ask clear questions. Missing information calls for clarification, not an accusation. The legal explanations below apply to England.
Check the Electrician’s Claimed Registration Before You Book
Ask for the exact registered name and scheme, then match those details against the scheme’s own register.
- Obtain the registered identity. Request the name used for registration and the registration number where available. The person answering your enquiry may use a different trading name.
- Open the official scheme search. NICEIC and NAPIT are examples of organisations with public searches. Use the organisation whose registration the electrician actually claims.
- Use the supported search fields. Enter the requested name, location or membership details. Follow that search tool’s instructions rather than assuming every register works identically.
- Compare the listing. Match its trading name, address and contact information with the details supplied. Ask about discrepancies before relying on the result.
- Confirm who and what it covers. Establish which registered identity covers the attending person and the proposed periodic inspection and testing. Ask what the listed scope means; directory categories do not necessarily represent separate competence assessments.
What If the Name Does Not Appear on the Register?
A missing search result is a reason to clarify the registered identity and contact the scheme. It does not establish fraud or lack of competence.
- Check spelling, the trading name and postcode, then request the precise identity used on the register.
- If the mismatch remains, contact the named scheme using independently obtained contact details.
- For older paperwork, distinguish today’s membership from registration when the inspection happened. Ask whether the scheme can confirm that historical position; past records may not be available.
Who Can Carry Out an EICR?
An EICR should be carried out by someone qualified and competent to inspect and test the particular electrical installation. Relevant knowledge, practical inspection experience and familiarity with that installation type all matter. An 18th Edition qualification alone does not demonstrate inspection competence.
GOV.UK rented-sector guidance requires a qualified and competent person. Scheme membership provides useful evidence, but NICEIC is not the only route. City & Guilds 2391 or equivalent training is one relevant example, rather than an exclusive statutory requirement. Ask:
- Who will attend and undertake the inspection and testing?
- What inspection qualifications and experience do they have with premises like mine?
- Who will authorise the completed report?
Competence includes applying BS 7671 to the installation being assessed. For the visit itself, read what the electrician checks during an EICR.
What Does “Part P Electrician” Mean?
A ‘Part P electrician’ usually means an installer registered with a competent person scheme to self-certify relevant domestic electrical work. In England, Part P concerns installation work and Building Regulations compliance. The phrase is informal: it is neither a standalone qualification nor an EICR authentication status.
- Installation work: relevant notification leads to a separate Building Regulations Compliance Certificate.
- Periodic inspection: assessment of existing wiring produces a condition report.
Check the scheme’s applicable scope and ask separately about the inspector’s testing competence.
Can You Check an EICR Certificate Online?
You can check claimed registration online, but a registration or Building Regulations notification search does not authenticate an individual EICR.
| Check | What it establishes | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Registration search | The registered identity and information shown by that scheme. | Whether a particular report was issued by that person or correctly completed. |
| Notification search | A record of notified installation work and its Building Regulations compliance document. | The contents of an EICR or an Electrical Installation Certificate. |
| EICR review | What the supplied report records, supported by clarification from its issuer. | Technical correctness merely because the paperwork looks complete. |
NICEIC householder guidance distinguishes notification searches from requests to contractors for electrical reports. A report reference helps the issuer locate its record; the number alone is not independent authentication. Do not assume an address search will produce a publicly accessible EICR or a downloadable replacement.
What Should a Complete EICR Contain?
A complete EICR includes the installation details, inspection scope, assessment, declarations and the schedules referenced by the report.
This checklist follows the IET model forms for BS 7671:2018+A4:2026. Layouts and page counts vary.
| Report item | What to check | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Client and property identification | Commissioning details and the inspected address, including the correct flat or unit. | Can you clarify any identity or address mismatch? |
| Report reference and inspection dates | Consistent references and dates matching the inspection visit. | Can you confirm these against your records? |
| Reason and installation description | The stated purpose, premises type and description of the installation. | Does this describe the inspection commissioned? |
| Extent and limitations | Areas covered, agreed restrictions and operational limitations, with reasons. | What was excluded, why, and with whose agreement? |
| Summary and overall assessment | A clear condition summary and satisfactory or unsatisfactory assessment. | Can you explain any unclear conclusion? |
| Observations and classifications | Identifiable findings, their locations and assigned codes. | What action does each observation require? |
| Next-inspection recommendation | A stated date or interval for the next assessment. | What recommendation applies here? |
| Inspector and authorising declarations | Completed names, signatures and dates for the relevant responsibilities. | Who inspected, tested and authorised the document? |
| Installation particulars and schedules | Supply details, distribution boards, inspection schedule, circuit details, test results and applicable continuation sheets. | Can you supply every referenced attachment? |
Who we are: EICR Certificates London is the trading brand of Always Electricians LTD.
A front page is insufficient when attachments are listed. Complete paperwork alone establishes neither authenticity nor electrical safety; interpreting measurements requires technical competence.
How to Retrieve a Missing EICR Copy
Start with your saved documents, then request the complete EICR from the contractor who issued it or the landlord or agent holding the property records.
- Search your files. Check email attachments, property folders and any landlord compliance pack for the report and supporting pages.
- Ask the record holder. Tenants can approach their landlord or managing agent; business occupiers can ask the responsible duty holder.
- Contact the issuing contractor. Provide the property address, approximate inspection date, commissioning name and any report reference. Request all schedules and continuation pages.
- If contact fails, seek help. Ask the record holder and relevant scheme what assistance is available. Establish whether a usable report exists before discussing another inspection.
What to Ask the Electrician About an Unclear Report
Ask the issuer to explain the exact missing item or inconsistency and provide the supporting pages or clarification.
- Can you send every schedule listed?
- Which areas or circuits were excluded, and why?
- Who inspected, tested and authorised this report?
- Can you confirm the address and inspection dates?
- Can you explain this observation and its recommended action?
- Can you confirm the report reference against your records?
Keep the original alongside the response. Do not amend signatures, classifications or measurements yourself. An explanation or correction is not an admission of wrongdoing.
Red Flags That Need Clarification or Further Advice
Unexplained identity mismatches, missing schedules and an issuer who cannot confirm a report are reasons to investigate further.
| Concern | Next action |
|---|---|
| Wrong property or inspection dates | Request clarification from the issuer. |
| Missing declarations or attachments | Request the complete issued version. |
| Unreconciled registration claim | Contact the named scheme directly. |
| Contradictory scope or unclear assessment | Seek a competent technical explanation. |
| Concerns remain unresolved | Ask about the relevant complaints process or an independent assessment. |
Price, visit length, unfamiliar formatting, an older standard reference or one failed search does not prove fraud. For rental safety concerns, the local housing authority may be the appropriate next contact. Immediate danger needs prompt professional attention and must not wait for a paperwork dispute.
Book an EICR in London
Your EICR is carried out by a NICEIC-registered engineer. You can book an EICR carried out by a NICEIC-registered engineer with qualified, insured electricians. Your report emailed as a PDF. A fixed price for your EICR, confirmed before we attend, covers inspection and testing; remedial work is quoted separately. Have the property address, property type and access information ready. Open 8am to 10pm, seven days a week.
Electrician Registration and EICR Questions
The document you need depends on whether you are recording an installation’s condition, certifying new work or checking a landlord’s records.
Do I Need a NICEIC Certificate?
You need the appropriate electrical document for the work or inspection; ‘NICEIC certificate’ alone does not identify it. People use this phrase for an EICR, an installation certificate or a Building Regulations notification document. Check the document title, its purpose and who issued it. A scheme logo does not define the document’s function, and competent EICR inspectors are not limited to NICEIC registrants.
What Happens If an Electrician Does Not Provide a Certificate?
Ask in writing for the document appropriate to the work, including any schedules, and keep a record of the request. Non-delivery differs from losing an existing copy.
First, confirm what you commissioned and identify the outstanding paperwork. Second, request the complete document, including relevant test-result schedules. Third, if unresolved, ask the applicable scheme about its complaint procedure. Tenants should also raise absent inspection records with their landlord or agent.
Does an EICR Check Every Socket?
Socket circuits and accessible outlets form part of an EICR, but checking them does not mean every accessory is dismantled. Visual inspection, electrical testing and internal examination are different activities. Ring final circuit checks and polarity testing provide information beyond appearance. Ask how the inspector determined the extent of testing, and read the recorded limitations. There is no universal sampling percentage for every installation.
What Is the Difference Between an EICR and an Electrical Installation Certificate?
An EICR records the condition of an existing installation; an Electrical Installation Certificate records the certification of new installation work. When requesting copies, identify whether the event was an inspection or new work. A Building Regulations compliance document is separate. For the full comparison, see EICR, EIC and Minor Works certificates explained.
How Much Does an EICR Cost?
The price depends on the property and inspection scope; our EICR price is confirmed before attendance. Circuit numbers, layout and access help define that scope. Inspection and testing are separate from any remedial work subsequently required. HMO and commercial inspections are quoted. For residential pricing and quotation considerations, see London EICR prices and quote factors.
Does a Landlord Have to Provide an Electrical Safety Report?
For tenancies covered by England’s electrical safety regulations, the landlord must provide the tenant with the inspection report. Existing tenants receive it within 28 days of inspection and testing; new tenants receive it before occupation. The amended framework covers private and social renting. Request all report pages from your landlord or managing agent. These supply deadlines are separate from remedial deadlines. See EICR renewal and landlord duties in England.