compulsory E.I.C's for domestic properties?

[MerlinGremlin]

Good afternoon all hope all is well, just a quick question to everyone and to get some feedback. How many agree that all domestic properties should have to have a 20% test done each year to comply with building insurance and make homes much safer? All thoughts welcome please gents and ladies!

 

[Pete999]

Bit costly for the average home owner I would have thought

 

[MerlinGremlin]

I understand that a cost would come into it but can you put a price on safety?

 

[dazza1981]

Good afternoon all hope all is well, just a quick question to everyone and to get some feedback. How many agree that all domestic properties should have to have a 20% test done each year to comply with building insurance and make homes much safer? All thoughts welcome please gents and ladies!

Not each year no that is way overboard IMHO !!!!!

 

[GMES]

I personally think that if the Electrical Trainee's were not allowed to train for 17 days and then immediately be allowed to work on domestic properties, then there would be no need or reason to test a property annually.

 

[nickblake]

It would open the doors to all sorts half the EICR's done these days are not worth the paper its written on , making homes safer is great , but wouldn't work sadly there are to may dodgy inspections taking place now to make any difference , there is no requirement to comply with building insurance up to the individual companies to ask for an EICR

 

[Knobhead]

You’re not interested in safety are you? It’s a money grubbing scheme.

 

[trev]

It's a ridiculous idea, where did you dream that one up?
However, it is only a matter of time before someone in the (parasite) insurance industry cottons on to the clause in every home insurance policy about keeping the property in good order through proper maintenance and uses it as a get out of paying a claim excuse.
We will then witness a scramble as all insurers make regular EICRs a stipulated condition, this will be closely followed by a race to the bottom as idiotic people undercut each other in the hope of cornering their local market in them. Following this will be a massive upsurge in drive by reporting with every property being given a clean bill of health.
RIP domestic electrical trade, it was **** poor to start with, then got worse.

 

[MerlinGremlin]

I'm interested in safety Tony but I know where your coming from, other people would jump on the band wagon and rip people off and I also agree there are a lot of reports out there not worth the paper there written on but how can we stop it? Every scheme they bring in costs the pro electrician money causing people to opt for cowboys to carry out work as it's cheaper so how do these part P schemes etc suppose to deter bad workmanship? In my eyes it's made it worse!

 

[trev]

A former member came up with this idea a while back, it was stupid then and it still is. Next you'll be calling for compulsory RCDs.
This will not improve safety one iota as it will result in what I described above.

 

[dazza1981]

So somebody house has just been rewired has all test certs showing satisfactory results and everything is 17th edition and tip top condition........... you would advise them that they should have a 20 percent test done a year from when it was installed ?????
Annoys me this because if say my nan who lives alone took your advice and you fleeced her unnecessarily i would be hunting you down !!!

 

[camerabloke]

Why not. You have to pay for an MOT

 

[trev]

Why not. You have to pay for an MOT

Ridiculous, think about it for a moment.
Your vehicle is subjected to a far greater degree of wear and tear than a house. Things wear out and suffer mechanical damage.
Yes a house needs maintenance but there is no comparison.

 

[dazza1981]

Why not. You have to pay for an MOT

You are kidding me ?????

 

[Knobhead]

if say my nan who lives alone took your advice and you fleeced her unnecessarily i would be hunting you down !!!

I think a few would help you.

It should be like the grouse season. Go out a bag a couple of brace of 5WWs Then hang them until their tails drop off.

 

[MerlinGremlin]

Dazza 1981 I've not given any advice the only reason I brought it up is because a friend of mine is in insurance and he was telling me they didn't pay out on a claim because the electrical install was below standards and no test certs etc could be provided to prove they were okay! So I was asking the question what people thought about it, what might become compulsory in the very near future

 

[Zebra Stripe]

I think its a smashing idea, say some form of Condition Report every five years mandatory or risk the wrath of the insurance man. Unsatisfactory result incurs a higher insurance premium, satisfactory results in a lower one. Its gonna happen eventually.

 

[nickblake]

I think its a smashing idea, say some form of Condition Report every five years mandatory or risk the wrath of the insurance man. Unsatisfactory result incurs a higher insurance premium, satisfactory results in a lower one. Its gonna happen eventually.

would love it who would police it no one then you will also get an increase in employment agents ringing up for 6 EICR's to be done in a day and it would be bodge it brigade that do it
and potentially miss some thing ,for example EICR done last year In a shower walls cladded nail cuts earth in half yet the EICR was satisfactory

 

[shanky887614]

would love it who would police it no one then you will also get an increase in employment agents ringing up for 6 EICR's to be done in a day and it would be bodge it brigade that do it
and potentially miss some thing ,for example EICR done last year In a shower walls cladded nail cuts earth in half yet the EICR was satisfactory

that is because all these people test to the isolator not at the fitting so there not worth the paper they are written on.

 

[UNG]

I'm interested in safety

This is heading to the thin end of the wedge where does it end an EICR, gas check how about we throw in a roof check to make sure a tile doesn't fall on someone all done annually. Exactly how interested in safety are you or is my tongue in cheek idea over the top with all the checks the insurance premium would have to be next to nothing for all the expense incurred

Why not. You have to pay for an MOT

An MOT costs me less than £30 and it's currently under consideration by the government to shift to an MOT every 2 years what would a annual 20% EICR cost.

A dodgy vehicle has the ability to kill a lot of people in one incident so you can't use this as an example IMO

 

[UNG]

Dazza 1981 I've not given any advice the only reason I brought it up is because a friend of mine is in insurance and he was telling me they didn't pay out on a claim because the electrical install was below standards and no test certs etc could be provided to prove they were okay! So I was asking the question what people thought about it, what might become compulsory in the very near future

I don't think an insurance company can make it compulsory they may make it a requirement for insurance, would you care to tell us what was so below standard on the install your friend mentions as it all sounds a bit hypothetical and testing the water for an insurance company to sign you up to an annual inspection scheme

I think its a smashing idea, say some form of Condition Report every five years mandatory or risk the wrath of the insurance man. Unsatisfactory result incurs a higher insurance premium, satisfactory results in a lower one. Its gonna happen eventually.

There are times when this forum could do with a disagree or thumbs down button for posts like this

 

[Knobhead]

I think its a smashing idea, say some form of Condition Report every five years mandatory or risk the wrath of the insurance man. Unsatisfactory result incurs a higher insurance premium, satisfactory results in a lower one. Its gonna happen eventually.

Wondered how long it would take for you to jump on the band wagon.

A hint of a quick buck and here you are.

 

[telectrix]

might be a good idea in principal. hypothetically, an genuine EICR every 5 years costing , say, £250, with the insurance companies giving a £50/annum discount on seeing a copy of the report. Sparks earn money, the cost is recovered by the home owner through the reduced premium. everyone's a winner.

 

[MerlinGremlin]

Ung I'm cards in with a company so it wouldn't interest me if an insurance company tried tapping me up I wouldn't entertain it, with gas you have the chance to smell it, you have carbon monoxide alarms and you can only work on it if your gas registered! With electricity you can't smell it, see it or fit alarms to warn you its present and dangerous and then the next thing you know you've been struck by the tail of the devil!

 

[gutterball]

it won't work the home owners only worry about the electrics when some thing goes wrong. how many houses do you go into where the sticker on the board for next test due is 5 or 10 years out of date and the 1/4 rcd test is never done.

 

[stevethesparks]

I can just imagine that the same 20% being checked every year i.e. the easiest locations, and the remaining 80% never getting a look in - and thats for the ones that would get done at all.
In my humble opinion, the only EICR's carried out should be a full and comprehensive inspection

 

[MerlinGremlin]

I understand there will be costs incurred by the homeowners or landlords but surely as sparks we should all be thinking along the line of raising standards in domestic properties, it would be hard to police and make sure all circuits tested etc if it saves lives then I'm all for it, or even if it became compulsory to have one done before you can sell your house? Or every 10 years just to check everything is okay? Some of the houses I've worked in over the years have been death traps due to people adding things on and not knowing what there doing, this could prevent someone being killed hopefully.

 

[Plonker 3]

I understand there will be costs incurred by the homeowners or landlords but surely as sparks we should all be thinking along the line of raising standards in domestic properties, it would be hard to police and make sure all circuits tested etc if it saves lives then I'm all for it, or even if it became compulsory to have one done before you can sell your house? Or every 10 years just to check everything is okay? Some of the houses I've worked in over the years have been death traps due to people adding things on and not knowing what there doing, this could prevent someone being killed hopefully.

Part P ring any bells?

Why is everyone hell bent on domestic properties?

What about commercial and industrial, why weren't these mentioned by the OP?

 

[stevethesparks]

Before the sale of a house is a great idea, rather than find out what a heap or crud you have bought after the sale. Prospective buyers could skip straight to the observations page, but as regards 20% every year - no way.

 

[Plonker 3]

GN3 already states any property should have a EICR on the change of occupancy already.