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Uncategorised By SafeCompli · 8 June 2026

EICR Competency Rules Are Changing in October 2026. Here's What Electrical Contractors Need to Do Now.

Originally published on SafeCompli, our parent brand. Reproduced here for RiskCompli readers.

EICR Competency Rules Are Changing in October 2026. Here's What Electrical Contractors Need to Do Now.

From 1 October 2026, an electrician who has been carrying out EICRs for years without a formal Level 3 inspection and testing qualification will no longer be permitted to sign them off. The experience-only route closes. That deadline does not move.

Three regulatory events are converging in October 2026 in a way that hasn't happened before. Each one is significant on its own. Together, they represent the biggest shift in how electrical contractors operate in England since the original rental sector EICR rules came in.

The EAS Changes: Individual Competency from 1 October 2026

The Electrotechnical Assessment Specification (EAS) was updated in October 2024. From 1 October 2026, the competency model shifts from firm-level to individual.

Previously, a business could rely on one Qualified Supervisor with the appropriate qualifications to cover the work of multiple operatives. That model ends for specific categories of work. Every "employed person" carrying out work in the affected categories must individually hold their own Level 3 qualification and demonstrate at least two years of relevant documented experience.

The definition of "employed person" is broad: PAYE staff, CIS subcontractors, agency workers, and sole traders engaged by your business to carry out that work.

Work categories affected from 1 October 2026:

For EICR work specifically, this ends the experience-only route. At present, an electrician can carry out EICRs without holding a formal Level 3 inspection and testing qualification, provided they can demonstrate adequate experience. That route closes on 1 October 2026. After that date, City & Guilds 2391-52 or an equivalent Level 3 award is required, along with documented evidence of two years' experience in periodic inspection work.

Non-compliance after that date risks having specific work categories removed from your firm's registration scope. Persistent non-compliance can result in complete withdrawal of competent person scheme registration.

The Training Bottleneck Is Already Forming

Training providers are already warning of course availability issues as the October deadline approaches. An engineer who starts a Level 3 qualification course in August 2026 may not complete and certify before October.

If you have engineers carrying out EICRs, EV charging, solar PV, or battery storage work without the required Level 3 qualifications, they are running out of runway. The businesses that audit their workforce and book training now are in a very different position to those that leave it until summer.

The questions every electrical contractor should be asking right now:

If any answer is no, training needs to be booked.

Amendment 4 to BS 7671: The Orange Book

Amendment 4 to the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations (BS 7671:2018+A4:2026) published on 15 April 2026. The existing version (the Brown Book) remains valid until 15 October 2026. From 16 October, all new work must comply with Amendment 4.

The most significant addition is Chapter 57, which introduces the first dedicated requirements for stationary secondary batteries — domestic BESS, commercial energy storage, and grid-connected arrays. This covers ventilation, location restrictions, isolation arrangements, and identification requirements. Battery installations will increasingly mirror EV charger installs in terms of paperwork and documentation requirements.

The EICR form has also changed under Amendment 4. C1 and C2 observations are now separated from C3 and FI codes on the report. An FI (Further Investigation) code no longer sits alongside C1 and C2 in a way that makes the report outcome ambiguous. For any inspector issuing EICRs from October, understanding this change to the Appendix 6 form format is essential.

The EICR Renewal Wave

Five years ago, thousands of landlords scrambled to meet the April 2021 deadline when EICRs became mandatory for existing private tenancies. That wave is now hitting its five-year renewal point. The private rented sector covers approximately 4.7 million households in England alone. Most of those certificates are due for renewal now.

From November 2025, England's social rented sector — approximately four million additional properties — came under the same mandatory five-year EICR rules. Existing tenancies must have been covered by May 2026.

The fine for non-compliance was increased from £30,000 to £40,000 per property from November 2025.

The challenge: industry estimates suggest there are around 25% fewer working electricians than in 2021, with a significant proportion now focused on solar, EV, and battery storage work. The same volume of demand is chasing a smaller pool of qualified engineers.

The electrical contractors who contact every landlord they tested in 2021 and build their renewal pipeline now — before the market saturates — will control their own diaries through the rest of 2026. Those who wait will face the same conditions as the landlords who left it too late in 2021.

What to Do Before October

Audit your workforce against the EAS requirements. For every engineer who carries out EICRs, EV charging, solar, or battery storage work, confirm they individually hold the required Level 3 qualification. If gaps exist, book training now.

Get hold of the Orange Book (BS 7671:2018+A4:2026) and understand what changes apply to your work. The Brown Book is valid until 15 October. From 16 October, all new work must comply with Amendment 4.

Build your EICR renewal pipeline. Contact every customer whose certificate you issued in 2021. Those renewals are already in window.

If you need support reviewing your team's compliance position or putting the right documentation in place ahead of October, get in touch.

www.safecompli.co.uk

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