How to Read and Understand Your EICR Certificate

If you have received an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) and are unsure how to make sense of it, you are not alone. Many duty holders, facilities managers, and building supervisors find electrical certificates difficult to interpret. Yet understanding your EICR is essential for keeping your site compliant with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and BS 7671.

In this guide, we explain how to read an EICR, what each section means, how to interpret the codes, and what steps to take if your report lists defects or hazards.

What an EICR Is and Why It Matters

An Electrical Installation Condition Report is a formal document that assesses the safety and condition of your fixed electrical installation. This includes wiring, distribution boards, sockets, lighting circuits, and protective devices.

The purpose of an EICR is to:

• Identify any electrical hazards.

• Confirm compliance with BS 7671.

• Highlight deterioration or damage.

• Recommend improvements and immediate actions where required.

You can learn more about the inspection process on our Fixed Wire Testing page.

Where to Start When Reading Your EICR

Your EICR is typically divided into several main sections. Understanding each part helps you clearly identify what is safe, what needs attention, and what requires urgent repair.

1. Client and Installation Details

This section confirms basic information:

• Site address and responsible person

• Purpose of the inspection

• Extent and limitations of testing

• Date of inspection and next recommended date

If any of this information is missing or incorrect, ask your contractor to amend it. Accurate details are essential for audit trails and insurance validation.

2. Supply Characteristics

This part outlines the type of electrical supply entering the building. It can look highly technical but the key points are:

• Supply type such as TN-S, TN-C-S or TT

• Earthing arrangements

• Voltage, frequency and short circuit capacity

These details help assess whether the system has appropriate protection and safe disconnection times.

3. Schedule of Circuit Details

This is one of the most important parts of the report. It lists each electrical circuit and includes:

• Circuit number and description

• Cable type and size

• Protective device type and rating

• Presence of RCD or RCBO protection

• Maximum measured values such as Zs or R1 R2

If a circuit has inadequate protection or does not meet expected values, it will often be linked to a coded observation later in the report.

4. The Observation Codes (C1, C2, C3, FI)

Every EICR uses a coding system to indicate risk level. Understanding these codes is essential.

Code	Meaning	What You Must Do
C1	Danger present	Must be made safe immediately
C2	Potentially dangerous	Urgent remedial work required
C3	Improvement recommended	Does not fail the EICR but should be addressed
FI	Further investigation needed	Must be investigated promptly

If the report includes any C1, C2 or FI codes, the overall conclusion will be unsatisfactory.

You can read more about how these codes affect compliance in our article What Causes an Unsatisfactory EICR and How to Fix It.

5. The Observations and Recommendations Section

This section lists each issue found during inspection and assigns the relevant code. It explains what has caused the problem, for example:

• Broken or damaged sockets

• Exposed live parts

• Lack of RCD protection

• Overloaded circuits

• Loose connections

• Incorrect cable sizing

• Inadequate earthing or bonding

• Signs of overheating

Each entry here corresponds with a specific circuit or location, helping you understand where remedial work is needed.

If you see multiple FI entries, this usually means the installation has underlying issues that cannot be assessed without further testing or inspection.

6. Test Results for Circuits

This part includes technical information that proves whether each circuit operates within safe limits. The key values include:

• Insulation resistance

• Continuity of protective conductors

• Zs readings for disconnection times

• RCD test results

Your contractor should explain anything that falls outside expected values. Unsafe test results are usually linked to a C2 or FI observation.

7. Summary and Final Verdict

At the end of the EICR, you will see one of two outcomes:

Satisfactory

Your installation meets the requirements of BS 7671. C3 recommendations may still be present but these do not affect compliance.

Unsatisfactory

One or more C1, C2 or FI issues have been identified. Remedial works must be completed and the affected circuits retested before the installation can be declared compliant.

If your report is unsatisfactory, visit our Electrical Remedial Repairs page for guidance on how to resolve the issues safely.

How to Know What to Fix

The simplest method is:

• Fix all C1 and C2 observations immediately.

• Investigate all FI observations with urgency.

• Plan C3 improvements to align with best practices and reduce future risk.

Once completed, a re-test is required to confirm compliance.

Why Understanding Your EICR Matters

Reading your EICR correctly helps you:

• Maintain compliance with UK electrical safety law.

• Avoid enforcement action under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.

• Protect insurance validity.

• Reduce risk of electrical fire or shock.

• Keep accurate maintenance records for audits.

Proactive review of EICR findings also helps plan budgets, schedule works logically, and prevent sudden electrical failures that disrupt operations.

When to Seek Additional Testing

You may want to arrange further tests if:

• Your report contains FI codes.

• You have frequent nuisance tripping.

• You suspect overloading due to office expansion.

• Your building contains old wiring or outdated distribution boards.

• You recently experienced water ingress.

Additional checks like Thermal Imaging or EET Testing help give a complete safety picture.

Conclusion

Your EICR certificate is more than a formality; it is a critical document that protects people, property, and legal compliance. Understanding each section helps you identify hazards early, plan remedial works, and maintain a safer workplace.

If you need help interpreting your EICR or completing remedial repairs, contact Protest ES Ltd for expert, NICEIC approved support.