Electric and Gas safety FAQs

You need an EICR certificate if you have a rental property.

You need to ensure that you have an EICR certificate every five years.

Electrical surveys are paid for by either the homeowner or the landlord, depending on the property.

In order for electrical work to be certified, it needs to be checked by a competent person who is a part of the electrical self-certification scheme.

Minor electrical work that is carried out in a property, such as alterations or extensions to existing circuits within a property or like-for-like replacements, are deemed to be non-notifiable, and you do not need to let building regulations know that you have carried out the work.

If you are not a qualified electrician, then you can still carry out replacements and minor repairs so long as the changes are like for life. Any changes that you carry out as a non-qualified person will need to comply with the relevant building regulations and any work that is deemed to be unsafe can lead to a fine.

An electrical certificate will last for five years, and then it will need to be redone.

The electrical certificates for a property will last for five years before they need to be replaced.

Rental properties that do not have an in-date EICR certificate need to have one carried out.

So long as the relevant checks are carried out on pipework, flues and appliances within a rental property, then the home can be classed as a gas-safe home.

A gas safety certificate will last for 12 months before it will need to be repeated.

In the case of rental properties, gas safety certificates are the responsibility of the landlord. If you own your property, then any gas safety checks that you have carried out are down to you.

There are a number of hazards that relate to gas. This includes fire, explosions, toxicity, asphyxiation and also poisoning too.

There are two main electrical hazards that you need to keep in mind. These are electrical shocks and also burns that come from contact with any live wires or parts. These hazards usually arise due to faulty electrical equipment and/or installations.

A property can be transferred to a new owner without an EICR.

Both electrical wiring checks and electrical installations are covered in-home surveys.

You can sell a house with a failed EICR; in fact, you do not need to provide a copy of an EICR as a part of the property sale process. That said, it gives you, the seller and the buyer of the property peace of mind that the property that they are selling/buying is safe to live in.

Gas safety is important because it ensures that those who are living in a rental home are safe and that they can live on their property without worrying that they are at risk of ill health or even death.

A gas hazard, as the name suggests is a hazard to health which can be caused by gas, whether this is due to incorrect gas installation or a fault within a gas appliance.

If a gas appliance is not properly installed and working as it should, then it can cause an issue with gas safety. There is a danger of fire, of explosion and of gas leaks too. There is also the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning too, which can kill.

Within England, it is a legal requirement for landlords to carry out electrical certificate checks on the property. This will then lead to the EICR certificate being given out.

All electrical work that is carried out in residential properties is a part of building regulations. This means that you should have a certificate to cover the work and confirm that it has been carried out in a way that is safe.

The cost of obtaining an electrical safety certificate is anywhere between £150 and £240 for an average-sized home.

In order to ensure that the electrical installations within a rental property are safe, you need to organise electrical checks. These are to be carried out every five years (as well as before the tenants move into the property too).

As a landlord, gas safety certificates are a requirement to have by law. Failure to have them is a serious offence, and you may face fines (which are unlimited), and you may also face six months in prison too.

Depending on where you live and the gas safety engineer that you choose, you can expect a gas safety check to cost anywhere between £60 and £90. This usually covers one boiler, one gas hob and one fireplace. You may find that any additional appliance checks that need to be carried out will be charged at a rate of £10 each.

If you are selling a house, then you don’t need to have a gas safety certificate by law. However, it is important to ensure that the property (and any appliances that you are selling within it) are safe. You can do this by arranging for a gas safety check before you sell the property to give you and the new owner, peace of mind.