ELECTRICAL CERTIFICATION FOR NEW INSTALLATIONS, ALTERATIONS OR ADDITIONS

- Electrical Installation Certificates (EICs) and Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificates (MEIWCs) provide you, as the person responsible for the safety of an electrical installation, with a declaration that the new installation, or alteration or addition, is safe to use at the time it was put into service.

- Keeping hold of these certificates also provides a basis for any further inspection and testing, as they can help save on costly exploratory work which might otherwise be needed in future. Additionally, in the event of a claim that injury or fire was caused by an electrical installation, certificates are documentary evidence which help show that the installation had been installed to a satisfactory standard of safety.

The EIC will indicate whether the electrical work that has been carried out is:

- New – where the whole installation has been installed as new, if a complete rewire has been carried out.
- Addition – applies if an existing installation has been modified by adding one or more new circuits.
- Alteration – applies where one or more existing circuits have been modified or extended (for example to add a socket), or items such as a consumer unit (fusebox) and switching equipment have been replaced.
- An EIC must be issued for all new electrical installations. It may also be required for an alteration or addition to the installation – depending upon whether or not a new circuit has been installed. Where an alteration or addition is carried out but does not include a new circuit, a MEIWC or an EIC may be used.
- You should always use a registered contractor who will issue the correct certification for the work they undertake.