If you’re selling a house, renewing your insurance, or just haven’t had your wiring looked at in a while, you may well have been told you need an Electrical Installation Condition Report — an EICR. It’s easy to let this sort of thing slide, especially if nothing seems obviously wrong. This year, though, it’s worth moving it up the list.
From 1 October 2026, the rules on who can legally carry out EICRs under a Competent Person Scheme are tightening. Every electrician will need to hold the Level 3 Award in inspection and testing, show at least two years of documented experience, and provide evidence of ongoing training. Electricians who’ve been doing this work for years on experience alone will either need to requalify or stop carrying out certified EICRs altogether.
That’s on top of a genuine rise in demand — mandatory EICRs for existing social housing tenancies only came into force in May 2026, adding roughly four million properties to the pool needing checks. Put the two together, and the honest advice is: don’t leave it until the last minute. Fewer qualified inspectors plus more demand is a recipe for longer waits and higher prices.
It’s a point worth taking seriously around Cullompton and the wider Mid Devon area, where a good number of homes — particularly older cottages and converted farm buildings — still have wiring that’s never had a proper condition report. An EICR is really just the electrical equivalent of an MOT: a straightforward way to know exactly where you stand, with recommendations for anything that needs attention.
Whether you’re a homeowner wanting peace of mind or a landlord with a legal obligation to meet, it makes sense to get booked in with a qualified local electrician before the October changes take hold. Reed Electrical Services has been carrying out EICRs and general electrical work across Cullompton for years — find out more at reedelectricalservices.co.uk/.