A commercial EICR assesses the condition of the fixed electrical installation serving a shop, salon or other business premises. It can identify defects in wiring, distribution boards, circuits, sockets, lighting, protective devices, earthing and other fixed electrical equipment within the agreed inspection scope.
A commercial premises does not automatically have a universal legal requirement for an EICR every five years.
The Electricity at Work Regulations require electrical systems to be constructed and maintained so as to prevent danger, while HSE guidance recommends inspection and testing of fixed wiring installations. The appropriate inspection arrangements depend on the installation and circumstances of the premises.
Do Retail Shops and Salons Need a Commercial EICR?
Businesses must manage electrical risk, but the legal position should not be reduced to the statement that every commercial property must obtain an EICR every five years.
Regulation 4 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 requires electrical systems to be constructed and maintained so as to prevent danger, so far as is reasonably practicable. HSE guidance also advises businesses to arrange inspection and testing of fixed wiring installations to minimise deterioration leading to danger.
A periodic
electrical installation condition report
provides a structured way to assess and document the condition of the fixed electrical installation. The appropriate timing should reflect the premises and installation rather than being presented as a single statutory interval that applies to every shop, salon or workplace.
Important distinction: contractual requirements can exist separately from health and safety legislation. A lease, property-management arrangement, insurer or other commercial agreement may place additional requirements on the landlord, tenant or business operator. Those requirements should be checked separately.
What Does a Commercial EICR Inspect?
A commercial EICR assesses the fixed electrical installation included within the agreed scope. HSE describes fixed installations as circuits supplying items such as lighting, socket-outlets and wired-in equipment.
Depending on the installation, inspection and testing may include:
Distribution boards
The condition of distribution equipment, protective devices, circuit arrangements and available identification can form part of the assessment.
Fixed wiring and circuits
The inspection considers the condition and test results of fixed wiring and circuits included within the agreed extent of the report.
Sockets and fixed accessories
Socket-outlets, switches and other fixed accessories can be inspected for condition, damage and electrical safety concerns.
Lighting circuits
Fixed lighting circuits and their associated protective arrangements may be included within the inspection scope.
Earthing and bonding
Earthing arrangements and relevant protective bonding are considered because they form part of the installation's protection against electrical danger.
Fixed electrical equipment
Permanently connected electrical equipment may be considered where it forms part of the fixed installation covered by the report.
The exact tests and inspection extent depend on the electrical installation, access, safe isolation and any agreed limitations. An EICR should therefore be read together with the stated extent and limitations rather than treated as an unrestricted check of everything electrical inside the premises.
Define the Electrical Installation Before the Inspection
The physical boundaries of a shop or salon do not always match the boundaries of its electrical installation. This is particularly relevant in leasehold units, shopping parades, mixed-use buildings and properties containing landlord supplies or shared distribution equipment.
A commercial EICR should identify the premises and installation being inspected. If the tenant's unit has its own distribution arrangement while common lighting, entrances or other shared systems are supplied elsewhere, those installations may sit outside the tenant's inspection scope.
The opposite assumption can also be wrong. The presence of several distribution boards does not automatically mean several separate EICRs are required. If they form part of the same installation and agreed inspection scope, they may be addressed within the same reporting arrangement.
The useful question is: which electrical installation, supplies, circuits and areas does this report actually cover? The answer should come from the defined inspection scope rather than labels such as “shop”, “communal area”, “back office” or “plant room”.
Planning an EICR Around an Operating Business
Electrical testing in a working shop or salon needs practical planning because some tests can require circuits or equipment to be isolated. Access to distribution boards, electrical accessories and relevant parts of the premises should therefore be considered before the inspection begins.
Before arranging the inspection, it is useful to identify:
- the distribution boards serving the premises;
- areas included within the business's electrical responsibility;
- previous EICRs and available electrical certificates;
- equipment or circuits that cannot be interrupted without planning;
- locked rooms, cupboards or service areas requiring access;
- recent refurbishment or electrical alterations that may affect the installation.
This preparation does not change the technical requirements of the inspection. It helps the inspector understand the installation and reduces avoidable limitations caused by inaccessible areas or circuits that cannot be safely isolated at the time of testing.
What Problems Can a Commercial EICR Identify?
An installation can remain operational while containing conditions that need attention. Periodic inspection may identify damaged accessories, deteriorated wiring, unsuitable alterations, earthing or bonding concerns, protection issues, signs of overheating or conditions requiring further investigation.
The significance of an observation depends on the actual condition and risk identified during inspection. The report uses classification codes to distinguish between different levels of concern rather than treating every observation as the same type of failure.
The detailed meaning of those classifications is covered separately in
C1, C2, C3 and FI EICR codes explained.
Broader examples of defects identified across different property types are also covered in the
London EICR Safety Report 2026.
Commercial EICR and PAT Testing Are Not the Same Inspection
An EICR concerns the condition of the fixed electrical installation. Portable or plug-connected electrical equipment is managed separately and may require visual inspection, maintenance or electrical testing according to the equipment and its use.
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Businesses trying to decide which type of electrical inspection applies can use the separate guide to
PAT testing vs EICR
for the distinction between fixed electrical installations and electrical appliances.
What Happens If a Commercial EICR Is Unsatisfactory?
An unsatisfactory EICR should be treated as a record of specific electrical observations, not as an automatic instruction to replace the entire installation.
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Review each observation.
Confirm the circuit, equipment or part of the installation affected and the classification assigned.
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Identify the correct response.
Some defects can be repaired directly, while others may require further investigation before the necessary work can be defined.
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Plan isolation and access.
Remedial work in an operating business may require temporary circuit shutdowns or access to areas normally used by staff or customers.
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Keep the report and subsequent records.
Retain documentation showing what was identified and what work was subsequently completed.
If the report identifies an unexplained circuit problem, targeted
electrical fault finding
may be appropriate before wider work is planned. Where the issue specifically concerns an unsuitable or damaged distribution board, the next step may instead be a
consumer unit assessment.
How Often Should a Commercial EICR Be Carried Out?
There is no single statutory EICR interval in the Electricity at Work Regulations that applies identically to every shop, salon, office or other commercial premises.
The objective is to keep the electrical installation in a condition that prevents danger. Inspection arrangements should therefore take account of the installation itself, its condition, the way the premises are used and the outcome of previous inspection and testing.
The EICR should record the recommended date for the next inspection. A business may also have separate obligations arising from its lease, property-management arrangements, insurer requirements or other contractual terms, so these should not be confused with the statutory wording of the Electricity at Work Regulations.
2026 Update: BS 7671 Amendment 4
BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 was published on 15 April 2026. The IET confirms that BS 7671:2018 with Amendments 2 and 3 remains valid during the transition period until 15 October 2026, and either edition may be used during that period.
This change to the technical standard should not be confused with a new legal requirement for every commercial premises to obtain an EICR on the same fixed schedule. BS 7671 provides the technical framework for electrical installations and inspection, while workplace duties arise separately under legislation such as the Electricity at Work Regulations.
References & Standards
Official sources used for the workplace safety, fixed-installation and 2026 standards information in this article.
Arrange a Commercial EICR in London
If you need the fixed electrical installation in a shop, salon or business premises assessed, RCD Electrical can carry out an EICR with the inspection scope agreed for the installation being tested.
Arrange an EICR