EICR and commercial electrical testing explained
How often commercial installations need inspecting, what the C1, C2, C3 and FI codes mean, and how to act on a report without panic.
EcoNex engineering team • 6 August 2026 • 6 min read
An Electrical Installation Condition Report, or EICR, is the periodic inspection and test of a fixed electrical installation against BS 7671. For most commercial premises it is carried out at intervals of up to five years, or more frequently where the environment or insurer requires it.
It is a condition report, not a certificate of perfection. What matters is how the observations are coded and what you do next.
What the codes mean
- C1 danger present, immediate remedial action required and the risk made safe on the day
- C2 potentially dangerous, urgent remedial action required
- C3 improvement recommended, does not make the report unsatisfactory
- FI further investigation required without delay
Acting on an unsatisfactory report
Any C1, C2 or FI makes the overall report unsatisfactory. The practical response is to make safe immediately, price the C2 items as a defined remedial package, and schedule C3 improvements into planned works rather than treating everything as an emergency.
Keep the remedial certificate with the original report. Insurers and incoming tenants will ask for both.
Keeping the next one cheap
Accurate distribution board schedules, labelled circuits and an up to date set of as built drawings cut testing time significantly. So does fixing small defects as they are found rather than letting five years of them arrive at once.