Electrical System Testing: A Homeowner's Guide for West Sussex

What electrical system testing actually involves

The formal name for a full test is an Electrical Installation Condition Report, or EICR. An electrician inspects your consumer unit, a sample of sockets, switches and light fittings, and the visible wiring, then carries out dead and live tests with calibrated instruments. Dead testing checks continuity of earth conductors and insulation resistance with the power off; live testing checks earth fault loop impedance and that your RCDs trip within the required time.

The result is a written report grading any faults found. A C1 means danger present and needs immediate action, a C2 is potentially dangerous and needs fixing before the report can be passed as satisfactory, and a C3 is an improvement recommendation only. An FI code means further investigation is needed. A report with only C3 observations is still a pass, so you are not obliged to upgrade everything the moment something is noted.

When your home needs testing

For owner occupied homes, guidance in BS 7671 recommends a full test at least every ten years, or at change of occupancy. If you are buying a house in the area, an EICR is well worth commissioning before exchange, because a standard homebuyer survey barely looks at the electrics and rewiring costs can run into thousands.

Landlords have a legal duty under the 2020 regulations in England to have rental properties tested at least every five years and to give tenants a copy of the report. There are also situations where testing makes sense regardless of the calendar.

• You have bought or are buying an older property, common with the Victorian and 1930s housing stock around Worthing, Horsham and Chichester
• Your consumer unit still has rewirable fuses or no RCD protection
• Breakers trip regularly, lights flicker, or sockets feel warm or smell of burning
• You are planning a loft conversion, extension or EV charger and need to know the installation can take the extra load
• The property has been flooded or had rodent activity in lofts or under floors

What it costs and how long it takes

For a typical two or three bedroom home in West Sussex, expect an EICR to cost somewhere in the region of £150 to £300, depending on the size of the property, the number of circuits and how accessible the consumer unit is. Larger homes with outbuildings, or properties with two consumer units, sit above that. Be wary of quotes far below this range, as a proper test cannot be done in half an hour.

Allow two to four hours for the test itself. Power will be off for parts of it, so it helps to plan around anything sensitive such as home working, fridge freezers full of shopping or medical equipment. Any remedial work identified is quoted separately, and a reasonable electrician will explain which items are genuinely urgent and which can wait.

How to prepare and what to check afterwards

Before the visit, clear access to the consumer unit, which in older Sussex properties is often in a cupboard under the stairs or in the garage, and make sure lofts and any sockets behind heavy furniture can be reached. Have any previous certificates to hand if you have them, as they speed up the inspection and show what has changed since.

Afterwards, keep the report safe with your house documents. If remedial work is needed, ask for it to be itemised against the observation codes so you can see exactly what each item addresses. Once C1 and C2 items are resolved, you should receive certification for that work. Always use an electrician registered with a government approved scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT, as they are assessed regularly and their work is covered by a complaints procedure.

Published 23 July 2026