You’ve had a quote for solar panels and a battery in the garage, the installer’s booked for next month, and someone mentions the wiring regulations are changing this week. Fair enough to wonder if it affects you. The short answer is yes, a bit, and mostly in a good way.
BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, Amendment 4 to the 18th Edition, was published by the IET and BSI on 15 April. From 15 October the old edition, the one with A2 and A3, is withdrawn. After that, A4 is the only game in town for new electrical work in Great Britain. It isn’t a 19th Edition. It’s a consolidated reprint that folds in Amendments 2 and 3, plus the new stuff.
The big new item is a full chapter on stationary batteries. That covers where you put them, how they’re protected and isolated, ventilation, fire protection, and what has to be tested before you sign it off. For a house in Bradninch or Kentisbeare with a battery on the wall, that matters. There’s also new guidance on Power over Ethernet cabling, on functional earthing for ICT kit, and a major rewrite of Section 710 for medical locations, which is more care homes than your front room.
Nothing here means your existing installation is suddenly unsafe. A consumer unit fitted last year with 30mA RCD protection is still doing its job. But if you rent out a property on the Exeter Road side of town, remember an EICR is needed at least every five years, and the inspector will now be working to the new book. Ask for a Type 2 SPD to be considered on new consumer units too. It’s cheap protection.
Any electrician working to Part P should already be reading the Orange Book and updating test sheets and certificates. If you want a second opinion on a quote, or you’re planning solar, a battery or a car charger, Reed Electrical Services offers electrical services in Cullompton and the surrounding area, and the details are at https://reedelectricalservices.co.uk/.