What do I need to know about these inspections before you turn up?

Electrical Installation Condition Report

The power will need to be isolated (switched off) while the inspection is taking place. Although it will not be off the entire time please don’t be reliant on electricity while it is taking place; close down any computers beforehand.

All relevant parts of the property will need to be accessed (this usually means every room). If any previous records of electrical installation/inspection are available please have them ready.

PA-Testing

The appliance(s) being tested will need to be switched of and disconnected form the mains to be tested.

Energy Performance Certificate

Every room will have to be accessible and also the loft if possible. Please make sure any paperwork you have on new windows and doors fitted are available and also details of any renewable energy initiatives that are in use. (Solar and wind power)

How long do the inspections take?

(It is very hard to put exact timings on these inspections as all properties are different and there are many factors that will affect how the inspections are carried out; please use the timings below as a guide only)

Electrical Installation Condition Report

This is dependent on the size of the property, the amount of circuits within the installation and other factors.

Smaller properties might take between 60-90 minutes and larger properties can take up to 3 hours. Occasionally certain factors can mean that the inspection will take even longer.

PA-Testing

Up to 5 minutes per appliance.

Energy Performance Certificate

Again, this will depend on the property size; an average 3 bed house should be less than 1 hour.

How long are the certificates valid for?

Electrical Installation Condition Report

This is generally 5 years.

The date for the next inspection will be on the certificate issued and will be depend on the outcome of the inspection. The age/condition of the installation and property and the type of property.

Rented properties should be tested and inspected at each change of occupancy.

 PA-Testing

There is no recommendation on how regularly PAT testing is carried out, just that appliances should be maintained. As a minimum for rented property, change of occupancy is fairly typical.

Energy Performance Certificate

An EPC is currently valid for 10 years.

Will these inspections cause any damage to my property?

Electrical Installation Condition Report

Although this is a test and inspection of an existing installation there is some dismantling involved. Electrical outlets and lights will have to be opened for inspection and testing purposes and this may create some small amounts of dust and debris. We will always seek to keep this to a minimum and this is very rarely a problem. If we think that disturbing a particular part of the installation may cause unnecessary inconvenience we would always try to avoid that. Any debris will be contained and cleaned up.

PA-Testing

No, although sometimes large appliances will need to be moved.

Energy Performance Certificate

No, this is totally non-invasive.

Why do you need to take pictures of my home to carry out an EPC?

These need to be taken for auditing purposes. As an EPC can affect the sale of a property we are expected to prove that our findings are correct. The pictures taken inside the home are things like heating controls, windows and loft insulation; they will not be an invasion of your privacy.

Can I have paper copies of the certificates instead of them being emailed?

Yes, we can send you paper copies in the post for a small processing fee. This is currently £10.

My property is an HMO (house of multiple occupancy), what checks do I need to comply with my council?

HMO’s are quite distinctive in the way they are expected to comply. We would always suggest that a Risk Assessment is carried out to determine the exact liabilities that lie upon the responsible person (usually the Landlord).

In our experience all councils have different ways of going about regulating HMO’s and you should check with them as to what certificates you should hold; you will usually need an HMO license.

Typically you will need:

Electrical Installation Condition Report - Every 5 years.

PA-Testing -                                                                   Every 1 year.

Energy Performance Certificate -                            

If your HMO has a separate tenancy for each room then technically an EPC is not required. Interesting!

What parts of London do you cover?

We generally try to cover every N postcode.