You have received an EICR and there are codes on it you don’t recognise. Perhaps the report says Unsatisfactory and you’re not sure what that means in practice. Perhaps it contains a C2 and your letting agent has told you remedial work is required within 28 days. Perhaps it’s Satisfactory but shows several C3 observations and you’re wondering whether you need to do anything about them.
This guide explains every code on the report, what it means, what it requires you to do, and what happens if those obligations are not met.
What Is the EICR Coding System and Where Does It Come From?
An EICR is a report on the condition of an electrical installation at the time of inspection. It is not a simple pass or fail certificate. It is a detailed technical document that records every observation made during the inspection and test, with each observation classified using a standard code that indicates its severity and the urgency of any required action.
The coding system is standardised across the UK electrical industry. It is set out in BS 7671 Regulation 653.2 and detailed in Electrical Safety First’s Best Practice Guide 4, Classification Codes for Domestic and Similar Electrical Installations, Issue 7.1. BPG4 is supported by NAPIT, the IET, NICEIC, and all the major industry bodies. It exists to ensure that observations are communicated consistently, so that the code on a report has the same meaning regardless of which qualified electrician carried out the inspection.
There are four standard classification codes: C1, C2, C3, and FI. There are also two additional designations, Obs and NC only, which are used for items that don’t warrant a classification code but are worth noting. Understanding what each of these means, and what it does not mean, is essential for anyone who has received an EICR.
The Overall Verdict: Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory
Before looking at the individual codes, it is worth understanding how they determine the overall verdict on the report.
A report is classified as Satisfactory if it contains no C1, C2, or FI codes. It may contain C3 observations and still be Satisfactory. A Satisfactory report means the installation is considered safe for continued use until the next recommended inspection date.
A report is classified as Unsatisfactory if it contains at least one C1, C2, or FI code. An Unsatisfactory report does not mean the property is uninhabitable or must be immediately vacated. It means specific issues have been identified that require remedial action or further investigation. Until that action is completed and confirmed, the compliance position is outstanding.
This is one of the most important points to understand: the overall verdict is determined solely by whether C1, C2, or FI codes are present. A report with twenty C3 observations is still Satisfactory. A report with a single C2 is Unsatisfactory. The number of codes matters far less than their type.
C1: Danger Present
A C1 code means danger is present and there is an immediate risk of injury to anyone using the installation. This is the most serious classification and requires the most urgent response.
Where a C1 is identified, the inspecting electrician is required to advise the client immediately, not to wait until the report is formally issued. BPG4 is explicit on this: the person ordering the report must be advised without delay that immediate remedial action is required. In practice, a good electrician will often take steps to make the C1 hazard safe before leaving the premises, such as isolating a circuit, removing a component, or fitting a temporary barrier over accessible live parts. However, even if the hazard is temporarily made safe, the C1 observation must still appear on the report and be properly resolved by a permanent remedial fix.
Real-world examples of C1 observations include: live conductors exposed or accessible to touch due to missing circuit protective devices or blanks in the consumer unit; badly damaged accessories where live parts are accessible; conductors with no or severely damaged insulation; incorrect polarity at the origin of the installation; and conductive parts that have become live as the result of a fault.
For homeowners: a C1 observation means you should not use the affected part of the installation until the fault is properly rectified. Arrange remedial work as a matter of urgency, ideally the same day or within days. Do not simply reset breakers or attempt to work around the fault.
For landlords: a C1 observation makes the EICR Unsatisfactory and triggers the 28-day remedial window under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. However, the urgency of a C1 means you should not wait 28 days. A C1 represents an immediate risk of injury to your tenant. The GOV.UK guidance on electrical safety in the private rented sector is clear that where urgent remedial action is required, local authorities can arrange for that action to be carried out at any time with the tenant’s consent, and the costs recovered from the landlord. If you cannot get a qualified electrician to address a C1 observation immediately, the hazard must be made safe by other means, such as isolating the affected circuit, until proper repairs are carried out. A property with an unresolved C1 observation should not be occupied.
C2: Potentially Dangerous
A C2 code means the observation is not causing immediate danger at the time of inspection, but would become dangerous if a further fault or a foreseeable event were to occur. C2 is potentially dangerous, not imminently dangerous. The distinction from C1 is real, but C2 is not something that can be safely ignored or deferred indefinitely.
A C2 observation makes the report Unsatisfactory. Remedial action is required as a matter of urgency.
Real-world examples of C2 observations include: absence of effective earthing for the installation; absence of an RCD where BS 7671 requires one, such as on socket circuits or bathroom circuits; incorrect polarity at a final circuit, equipment, or accessory; circuits with inadequate overcurrent protection; a ring final circuit with a discontinuous conductor; loose connections showing signs of overheating; absence of adequate supplementary bonding in a bathroom where required; and socket outlets installed within prohibited zones in a bathroom.
For homeowners: a C2 requires remedial work to be arranged with a qualified electrician as soon as reasonably practicable. It is not an emergency in the same sense as a C1, but it should not be left for months. The fault represents a real risk of danger if conditions change.
For landlords: a C2 triggers the same 28-day remedial window as any other code that makes the report Unsatisfactory. Under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, you must complete the required remedial work within 28 days of the date of the inspection, or within any shorter period if specified in the report. The NRLA’s guidance for landlords on electrical safety inspections confirms that where an EICR identifies urgent remedial work, the private landlord must ensure the work is carried out by a qualified and competent person within 28 days, or the period specified in the report if it is less than 28 days.
The 28-day window is measured from the date of the inspection, not from when you read the report or received it by email. If you receive an EICR several days after the inspection, the clock has already been running. Act promptly.
Once remedial work is completed, you must obtain written confirmation from the electrician. For landlords, this confirmation, together with the original Unsatisfactory EICR, must be provided to the tenant and to the local housing authority within 28 days of the work being completed.
C3: Improvement Recommended
A C3 code means an improvement would enhance the safety of the installation, but the observation does not represent a current or potential danger. A C3 alone does not make the report Unsatisfactory. A report with only C3 observations is still classified as Satisfactory.
This is the most frequently misunderstood code. Many homeowners and landlords assume that C3 observations require immediate action. Legally, they do not. The GOV.UK guidance on electrical safety standards in the private rented sector explicitly states that further remedial work is not required for a report with C3 observations to be deemed satisfactory. C3 is a recommendation, not a legal instruction.
However, it is important not to dismiss C3 observations as trivial. A qualified electrician does not flag things for no reason. If something has been recorded as a C3, the inspector has made a professional judgement that the installation would genuinely be safer if it were addressed. The fact that it is not immediately dangerous does not mean it is unimportant. C3 observations represent real opportunities to improve the safety of the installation, and in many cases they can be addressed relatively simply and inexpensively.
When you receive a C3 observation, the right approach is to discuss it with the inspecting electrician. Ask what the observation means in plain terms, what the risk would be if it remains unaddressed, and what addressing it would involve. In many cases the answer will be straightforward and the cost modest. In others, the C3 may relate to something that would require significant work to fully resolve and can reasonably be deferred until planned work is being carried out anyway.
Common examples of C3 observations include: absence of additional RCD protection on an AC lighting circuit in a domestic property, which is required under BS 7671:2018+A3:2024 for new installations but is not mandatory to retrofit in existing installations where the overall installation is otherwise satisfactory; some bonding arrangements that don’t fully meet current best practice; a Type AC RCD installed where a Type A is now required; absence of circuit identification on the consumer unit; and in certain circumstances, an older consumer unit made of combustible material not located in an escape route.
The practical advice for C3 observations is to treat them as a professional recommendation worth taking seriously, discuss them with your electrician, and where the cost and disruption is proportionate, consider having them addressed. Where the work required is substantial, factor it into future planned maintenance or a rewire.
The important nuance for landlords: a Satisfactory report with C3 observations fully meets the legal requirement under the Regulations 2020. There is no obligation to carry out C3 remedial work. However, a C3 observation that deteriorates, or that a future inspector assesses more seriously in light of changed circumstances or updated standards, may be reclassified as a C2 on the next inspection. The fact that a C3 was flagged and not addressed will be visible to the next inspector. Addressing C3 observations between inspection cycles is good practice for the long-term condition of the installation and avoids the risk of a future Unsatisfactory report on the same grounds.
FI: Further Investigation Required
An FI code means that during the inspection, something has been identified that cannot be definitively assessed within the agreed scope or limitations of the inspection. The result is indeterminate: it may represent a danger, or it may not. Until the further investigation is carried out and a verdict can be reached, the report must be classified as Unsatisfactory.
BPG4 notes that in domestic and similar installations, it should generally be possible to attribute a definitive classification code to each observation without the need for further investigation. FI should not be used as a catch-all for observations where the inspector simply wants more information. It should be reserved for situations where a potential danger has been identified but genuinely cannot be assessed without opening up concealed work, carrying out additional testing outside the agreed scope, or investigating something that was inaccessible at the time of inspection.
Examples of legitimate FI use include: suspected concealed wiring damage that cannot be confirmed without opening up; testing that identifies a result outside acceptable limits but where the cause cannot be determined from the agreed scope; or inaccessible sections of installation where the condition is genuinely unknown and the unknown condition could represent a hazard.
For homeowners and landlords: an FI observation requires the further investigation to be commissioned promptly. Once the investigation is complete, the finding will be classified with the appropriate code: C1 or C2 if a danger or potential danger is confirmed, or the report can be revised to Satisfactory if the investigation finds no issue. Until the FI is resolved, the installation has an outstanding compliance issue.
The Recommended Next Inspection Date: Why It Matters More Than Most People Realise
Every EICR includes a recommended date for the next inspection. For most properties in standard use, this will be set at five years from the date of the current inspection. But this is not always the case, and understanding when and why the interval is shortened is important.
The inspecting electrician’s assessment of the overall condition, age, and safety of the installation directly influences the recommended next inspection interval. An older installation showing multiple C3 observations, signs of general deterioration, non-standard wiring methods, or a history of modifications of uncertain quality may receive a recommendation for reinspection in three years, or even two, rather than five. A property in a harsh environment, such as an agricultural building, a garage with workshop equipment, or a property near the coast where corrosion is a factor, may also attract a shorter interval.
This matters because for landlords, the recommended next inspection date on the face of the EICR is the legal compliance deadline, not an assumed five-year anniversary. A landlord who obtains an EICR in 2023, assumes it is valid until 2028, but does not notice that the inspector has recommended reinspection in 2026 due to the age of the wiring, is already in breach by 2026. Always read the recommended next inspection date. Set a diary reminder well in advance. Do not simply count five years from the inspection date and assume that is correct.
The interval can also be shortened if the installation contains specific features that warrant more frequent monitoring. A property with older rubber-insulated wiring that was given a Satisfactory result due to the overall condition being adequate for continued use may be recommended for reinspection in two or three years, giving the electrician an opportunity to monitor the rate of deterioration before it reaches the point where C2 codes are warranted. This is a professional judgement by the inspecting electrician, and it is one of the reasons the quality and experience of the inspector matters.
Obs, NC Only, and Myths: The Other Designations
Beyond the four main codes, BPG4 identifies several other categories that may appear on a well-produced EICR.
Observations (Obs) are items that are worthy of note but are not non-compliances with BS 7671 and do not warrant a classification code. An example might be combustible materials stored close to the consumer unit, or a consumer unit that is accessible but located at height. These are flagged as a courtesy but do not affect the overall verdict.
NC only refers to non-conformities with the current edition of BS 7671 that do not give rise to danger and are not required to be recorded on the EICR. Older wiring colours complying with a previous edition of BS 7671 are an example. Old cable colours, such as the pre-2006 red and black, do not need to be recorded as a code-bearing observation where they are otherwise safe.
Myths are items that some electricians incorrectly record as observations when they are not non-compliances with BS 7671 at all. BPG4 specifically lists these to help ensure inspectors do not over-report. Examples include the absence of switches on socket outlets and fused connection units, and the absence of bonding to metallic sinks and baths where those items are not extraneous conductive parts. A well-qualified electrician applying BPG4 correctly will not code things that BPG4 identifies as myths.
This is one of the practical reasons why using a NAPIT-registered electrician matters. NAPIT provides ongoing guidance to its members on correct coding practice, and scheme membership involves periodic assessment of work quality. An inspector who is over-coding, under-coding, or applying the codes inconsistently is not serving the client well. If you receive an EICR that codes items you believe are myths, or that fails to code something that appears obviously hazardous, you have the right to seek a second opinion from another qualified electrician.
How to Read Your EICR: A Practical Guide
When your EICR arrives, there are several things to check immediately.
The first is the overall verdict on the front page. Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. This tells you immediately whether action is required.
The second is the recommended next inspection date. This appears on the front page or in the summary section. Make a note of it and do not assume it is five years from today.
The third is any C1 observations. If there are C1 codes, read them immediately and contact a qualified electrician without delay. Do not wait.
The fourth is C2 and FI observations. If present, the 28-day clock is running for landlords. Homeowners should arrange remedial work promptly.
The fifth is the observations section, which details every finding made during the inspection. Each entry should state what the issue is, where it is located in the installation, and its classification code. A well-produced EICR will also reference the specific regulation in BS 7671 that the observation relates to, so you can understand the basis for the finding.
If you receive an EICR and are uncertain about any of the findings, ask the electrician to explain them clearly. A qualified professional will take the time to walk through the report in plain English. If you do not feel confident in the explanation, or if you have reason to believe the coding is incorrect, commission a second opinion.
Talk to Flodman Electrical
Flodman Electrical are NAPIT-approved electricians based in Farnborough, covering Hampshire, Surrey, and Berkshire. We carry out EICRs on domestic, landlord, and commercial properties and we apply the BPG4 classification codes correctly and consistently. If you have received an Unsatisfactory EICR and need remedial work carried out, we can provide a clear, itemised quote and complete the work within the required timeframe, providing the written confirmation you need for compliance.
Contact Flodman Electrical to book an EICR or discuss remedial work
Flodman Electrical Ltd, NAPIT Approved Contractor. Serving Farnborough, Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire.
