Failed EICR in London? How a Consumer Unit Upgrade Clears the Most Common Codes

An unsatisfactory EICR is common in older London flats and terraced houses. The good news is that most failures come down to a handful of repeat problems, and one job, a consumer unit upgrade, often clears several of them at once.

Why London rentals fail an EICR

• No RCD protection. Older fuseboards with rewireable fuses or early circuit breakers often have no residual current device, so a fault to earth will not cut the power fast enough. This usually gets a C2 code.
• Missing earthing or bonding. Gas and water pipes should be bonded back to the main earthing terminal. Missing or undersized bonding is another frequent C2.
• Damaged accessories. Cracked sockets, loose switches and scorched fittings are coded by how dangerous they are.
• Old DIY work. Extra sockets and kitchen circuits added without the right protection show up during testing.

What a consumer unit upgrade involves

The electrician replaces the old fuseboard with a modern metal consumer unit fitted with RCD or RCBO protection on every circuit, checks the main earth and bonding, labels each circuit and issues an Electrical Installation Certificate for the new board. In a typical London flat the job takes most of a day and the power is off for part of it.

Once the upgrade and any other remedial work are done, the landlord receives written confirmation that the EICR defects are fixed. In England this must be given to tenants, and to the council if asked, within 28 days of the inspection or sooner if the report says so.

How much does it cost?

The price depends on the number of circuits and the state of the existing wiring. Ask for a fixed quote after the EICR, so you know exactly which codes the work will clear.

EICR and consumer unit upgrades in North, East and West London

Energy North is a London electrical contractor with City & Guilds certified electricians. It carries out EICR inspections from £100 at a fixed price, sends the certificate by email the same day, and quotes for consumer unit and fuseboard upgrades, rewiring and other remedial work when a report comes back unsatisfactory. It also installs EV chargers and provides PAT testing and fire alarm certificates.