PAT Testing vs EICR: What’s the Difference in the UK?

What is the main difference between PAT testing and an EICR?

The main difference is what is being inspected. PAT testing concerns electrical appliances and equipment. An EICR concerns an existing electrical installation.

This distinction matters because the two systems can have completely different conditions. A property may have a satisfactory fixed electrical installation but still contain damaged electrical equipment. Equally, individual appliances may appear serviceable while problems exist within the wiring, circuits or protective arrangements of the installation.

What does PAT testing actually check?

PAT testing is the commonly used term for the examination of electrical appliances and equipment to determine whether they are safe to use. A visual examination is an important part of the process because some defects can be identified visually while others may require electrical testing.

Depending on the equipment and testing programme, checks can consider the condition of the plug, flexible cable, casing and other accessible parts. Suitable electrical tests may then be selected according to the type and construction of the equipment.

Not every item receives an identical series of tests. The equipment itself, its environment and how it is used all affect the appropriate inspection and testing approach.

Where the requirement is specifically to have electrical appliances tested , that is separate from arranging an inspection of the property's fixed wiring.

What does an EICR actually check?

An Electrical Installation Condition Report records the condition of an existing electrical installation after periodic inspection and testing. The purpose is to determine whether the installation is in a satisfactory condition for continued use.

The exact technical scope matters. An EICR should identify the extent and any limitations of the inspection, so it should not simply be assumed that every electrical item physically located within a building has been included.

Depending on the agreed scope, inspection and testing can include circuits, fixed wiring, the consumer unit or distribution board, earthing and bonding arrangements, protective devices, sockets, switches and other parts of the fixed electrical installation.

If the objective is to have the fixed electrical installation inspected , an EICR is the relevant condition-reporting service rather than PAT testing.

What does each inspection not cover?

Understanding the boundary is as important as understanding what each inspection checks.

This is why the terms should not be used interchangeably. Saying that a property has “been electrically tested” is not enough information unless you know exactly whether the inspection covered the installation, individual equipment or both.

Does PAT testing have to be done every year?

No blanket UK workplace rule requires every electrical appliance to receive a PAT test once a year. HSE states that electrical equipment must be maintained to prevent danger, but the Electricity at Work Regulations do not prescribe annual PAT testing or a single fixed testing interval for all equipment.

The appropriate frequency depends on factors including the equipment, the environment in which it is used and the results of previous checks.

This is different from an EICR interval. The timing of periodic inspection for a fixed electrical installation depends on the type of premises, its condition, the reason for the inspection and any specific legal requirements applying to that property.

What is the difference for landlords?

For rented homes within scope in England, the landlord electrical-safety regime requires the electrical installation to be inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every five years, with a report obtained following that inspection.

The rules applying to landlord-provided electrical equipment are not identical in every rental situation. In particular, the 2025 extension of the England regulations introduced specific equipment-checking duties for social landlords, including checks of landlord-provided electrical equipment at least every five years.

Because those tenancy-specific duties are a separate search intent, the detailed landlord position is covered in the site's EICR and PAT testing guide for London rental flats .

What if the question is about new electrical work?

If new fixed electrical work has just been installed, the correct document may be neither PAT testing nor an EICR. Qualifying new installation work can require installation certification such as an Electrical Installation Certificate, while certain smaller additions or alterations may use a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate.

That distinction belongs to the separate guide EIC or PAT Testing: Which Do You Need and When? UK Guide , which compares certification for new installation work with appliance inspection and testing.

What records do PAT testing and an EICR produce?

PAT testing arrangements commonly use equipment records to identify what has been inspected or tested and the result. HSE notes that labels and formal testing records are not automatically required by law simply because equipment has been inspected or tested, although records can be useful for managing an electrical-maintenance programme.

An EICR is itself a formal report relating to the fixed electrical installation. It identifies the installation covered, records inspection and test information and gives an overall assessment of its condition.

The current IET model forms include the Electrical Installation Condition Report for BS 7671:2018+A4:2026.

Which electrical inspection should you choose?

The simplest question is: what exactly needs to be assessed? If it is individual electrical equipment, consider appliance inspection and testing. If it is the condition of the existing fixed electrical installation, consider an EICR.