EICR vs EIC: What Is the Difference?
They sound alike and both prove your electrics are safe, but an EICR and an EIC are issued at completely different moments.
EICR and EIC are two of the most confused documents in the electrical world. Both are about safety, but they are issued at opposite ends of an installation’s life.
An EIC certifies new work
An Electrical Installation Certificate is issued when new electrical work is completed — a rewire, a new consumer unit, an extension’s wiring. It says: this work was designed, installed and tested to standard, on this date.
An EICR inspects existing work
An Electrical Installation Condition Report assesses an installation that is already in use. It says: as of today, here is the condition of what is here, and here is anything that needs attention.
Rule of thumb: new work gets an EIC; the periodic health check that follows is an EICR. If you have just had a rewire, your first EICR is normally due five years from the EIC date.
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