Should I Get My Electrics Tested?

The short answer is yes. Getting your electrics tested is one of the most important things you can do to keep your home, rental property or business safe. Electrical faults are one of the leading causes of domestic fires in the UK, and the vast majority of those faults are invisible until they cause a problem. By that point, it can be too late.

This guide covers why electrical testing matters, how often you need it done, what the law says for landlords and businesses, what an EICR actually involves, and what to look for in Aberdeen, Peterhead and across Aberdeenshire.

Why Testing Your Electrics Matters

Electrical installations age, wear down and deteriorate over time — the same as any other part of a building. Wiring, sockets, switches and consumer units are under continuous load every day, and small weaknesses develop gradually. The problem is that most of those weaknesses are completely hidden. You cannot see inside a wall cavity, inside a junction box buried under plasterboard, or inside a consumer unit where connections can work loose over years of thermal expansion and contraction.

Without testing, you may never discover a terminal that is overheating at the back of a socket, insulation that has broken down inside a wall, corrosion in an outdoor junction box, or an earth connection that has failed. Each of those faults can cause a fire or electric shock — and none of them will announce themselves before they do.

Testing also produces documentation. A current Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is proof that your wiring has been inspected by a qualified electrician and meets an acceptable standard. That documentation matters when you come to sell your home, when your insurer investigates a claim, or when a local authority inspects a rental property.

How Often Should You Get Your Electrics Tested?

Homeowners

The recommended interval for owner-occupied homes is every ten years. That is the guidance from Electrical Safety First and the general industry standard based on BS 7671. However, ten years is a maximum, not a target. If your home is older, has been extended, has had work done by various tradespeople over the years, or has any signs of electrical issues — flickering lights, tripping RCDs, burning smells, discoloured sockets — you should not wait for the ten-year mark.

Older properties in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire often have wiring from the 1960s, 1970s or 1980s that has never been fully updated. In those cases, testing sooner rather than later is always the right call. Properties with rubber or fabric-insulated wiring should be inspected as a priority regardless of when they were last tested.

Landlords

In Scotland, landlords are legally required to ensure a satisfactory EICR is in place for every rented property, renewed at least every five years or at change of tenancy if the existing certificate has expired. This applies to all private landlords and HMO licence holders. The EICR must be carried out by a registered electrician and a copy provided to tenants. Non-compliance can result in enforcement action by the local authority and potential fines.

A landlord EICR is not the same as a homeowner inspection. Rental properties see more occupant turnover, more varied use of appliances and circuits, and often more wear on accessories such as sockets and switches. Five years is the right interval for a reason — it reflects the higher rate of use and wear in a tenanted property compared to an owner-occupied home.

Read our full guide on landlord electrical obligations in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire for more detail on what the law requires.

Businesses

Under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, all businesses have a legal duty to maintain electrical systems in a safe condition. The recommended inspection interval for commercial premises is every three to five years, though the right frequency depends on the type of use. High-risk environments — commercial kitchens, workshops, healthcare facilities, premises with high footfall — should be inspected more frequently. Some premises types have specific recommended intervals set out in BS 7671.

A business that cannot produce a current commercial EICR when asked by an insurer, a health and safety inspector or a client may face serious consequences — from voided insurance to enforcement action.

When Should You Book an Electrical Test?

Beyond routine intervals, certain situations should always trigger an inspection regardless of when the last one took place:

• When buying or selling a property — a current EICR gives both buyer and seller confidence in the condition of the installation
• Before renting out a property for the first time
• After flooding, fire, or storm damage — water and heat both cause hidden damage to wiring
• If RCDs are tripping regularly — this indicates a fault on the circuit
• If you notice burning smells, buzzing from sockets or switches, or discolouration around accessories
• After significant building work, an extension, or a loft conversion — new work must integrate safely with the existing installation
• If you move into a property with no record of previous testing
• If your consumer unit is older than 15 to 20 years and has not been upgraded

What Is an EICR?

An Electrical Installation Condition Report is the formal document produced at the end of an electrical inspection and test. It records the condition of your entire electrical installation — wiring, accessories, consumer unit, earthing and bonding — along with the results of a series of tests carried out on every circuit.

Those tests include continuity testing to verify the integrity of protective conductors, insulation resistance testing to check for breakdown in wiring insulation, earth fault loop impedance testing to confirm protective devices will operate correctly in a fault, and RCD operation testing to confirm residual current devices trip within safe limits. Every circuit receives its own set of test results, recorded in a schedule of test results that forms part of the EICR.

Any observations — items that do not meet current BS 7671 standards or require attention — are recorded and classified by severity:

• C1 — Danger present. Immediate risk of injury. The electrician makes the installation safe before leaving. The EICR is Unsatisfactory.
• C2 — Potentially dangerous. Requires urgent remedial work. The EICR is Unsatisfactory.
• C3 — Improvement recommended. Does not meet current standards but not immediately dangerous. The EICR can still be Satisfactory.
• FI — Further investigation required. Something that cannot be fully assessed during the inspection.

A Satisfactory EICR means the installation is in acceptable condition with no C1 or C2 observations. An Unsatisfactory EICR means remedial work is required before the installation can be certified as safe. See our guide on EICR C1, C2 and C3 codes explained for full detail on what each classification means and what remedial work involves.

Common Hidden Electrical Faults Found During Testing

The faults that testing most commonly uncovers are the ones you would never find by looking around your property. Read our full guide on the most common faults found during EICRs in the North East, but the key ones include:

• Loose connections — terminals at sockets, switches and junction boxes work loose over time due to thermal cycling. A loose terminal arcs and generates heat, which can ignite surrounding materials.
• Deteriorated insulation — older rubber or PVC insulation breaks down over decades, particularly in areas exposed to heat such as near light fittings or in roof spaces. Insulation resistance testing identifies where breakdown has occurred.
• Missing or inadequate RCD protection — older installations frequently lack RCD protection on socket circuits, which is now a requirement under BS 7671. An EICR will flag this as a C3 recommendation or higher depending on the risk.
• Incorrect earthing or bonding — earth fault loop impedance testing verifies that the earth path is intact and that protective devices will operate within the time limits required by BS 7671. A failed earth connection can leave exposed metalwork live during a fault.
• Overloaded circuits — circuits carrying more load than they were designed for generate heat and stress wiring insulation over time.
• Outdated consumer units — older fuse boards without RCBOs or RCDs provide inadequate protection by current standards. A consumer unit upgrade is often the most impactful single improvement to an older installation.

Electrical Testing in Aberdeen, Peterhead and Aberdeenshire

Properties across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire present some specific challenges when it comes to electrical testing. Aberdeen’s granite tenement buildings — many built in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras — have thick walls that make cable routes difficult to access and inspect. Original wiring in these properties is sometimes still in place beneath layers of subsequent decoration. EICR work in a tenement requires experience with the specific construction type to inspect thoroughly within the constraints of what is accessible.

In coastal areas including Peterhead, Fraserburgh and parts of the Aberdeenshire coastline, salt air accelerates corrosion in outdoor wiring, fittings and junction boxes. External circuits, outbuildings and anything exposed to the elements deteriorate faster in a coastal environment than inland, and testing should account for that.

Across the wider Aberdeenshire area — Ellon, Inverurie, Westhill, Stonehaven and surrounding towns — a mix of newer housing and older rural properties means the range of installations varies considerably. Newer properties may need less frequent testing, but many rural and older properties have installations dating back decades that have never been formally inspected.

Faithful Spark Electricians is a NICEIC Approved Contractor based in Peterhead, covering the full Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire area. Our qualified inspectors hold City and Guilds 2391-52 — the qualification that becomes individually mandatory for all EICR work from October 2026 under the updated Electrotechnical Assessment Specification. EICRs start from £150. Call 07304 027013 to book.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I get my electrics tested if my house is new?

New builds are issued with an Electrical Installation Certificate on completion, which covers the installation as built. After ten years, you should arrange an EICR to assess the condition of the installation since handover. If you buy a new build second-hand without a recent EICR, it is worth getting one regardless of the age of the property.

How much does an EICR cost in Aberdeen?

EICRs with Faithful Spark Electricians start from £150. The final price depends on the size of the property and the number of circuits to be tested. A one-bedroom flat will cost less than a four-bedroom house with multiple outbuildings. Call us for a fixed quote before booking.

Can I do electrical testing myself?

No. Electrical testing requires calibrated specialist test equipment — a multifunction tester capable of insulation resistance, earth fault loop impedance and RCD testing — and a thorough understanding of BS 7671 to interpret the results correctly. Testing carried out without the right equipment and qualifications is not valid and will not produce a legally recognised EICR.

What if faults are found during my EICR?

You will receive a clear written report explaining every observation, its classification and what remedial work is required. We will provide a quote for any remedial work needed. For landlords, C1 and C2 faults must be remedied within 28 days of the inspection report being issued — sooner if the fault presents an immediate danger. Once remedial work is complete, a minor works certificate is issued and the installation can be certified as satisfactory.

How long does an EICR take?

The time on site depends on the size and condition of the property and how accessible the installation is. A straightforward modern flat may take less time than a large older house with an installation that has been extended multiple times. We aim to minimise disruption on site and complete the test results documentation efficiently.

Does an EICR need to be done at every tenancy change?

In Scotland, a new EICR is required at tenancy change if the existing certificate has expired — that is, if it is more than five years old. If a valid EICR is already in place with more than a year remaining, it can carry over to the new tenancy. The certificate must be provided to the new tenant before they move in.

Book an Electrical Test in Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire

If you are asking whether you should get your electrics tested and you are based in Aberdeen, Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Ellon, Inverurie, Westhill or anywhere across Aberdeenshire — the answer is yes. Call 07304 027013, email info@faithfulsparkelectricians.co.uk, or read more about our electrical inspection and safety check services. EICRs start from £150.