EICR result: C1, C2, C3 and FI explained

Do this first

Your safe boundary

Keep any restricted circuit off, preserve the complete report and do not open equipment, alter a code or carry out the investigation or remedial work yourself.

C1 means danger present, C2 means potentially dangerous, FI requires investigation without delay and C3 is an improvement recommendation.

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Safety warnings

Warning

Keep electrical work competent

A visual check cannot prove fixed wiring is safe. Do not open, alter or test fixed wiring yourself. Use a competent electrician and confirm the required approval, inspection and certification route.

Electrical work must match the applicable national Building Regulations and competence route. In England, some domestic work is notifiable under Part P. Funding or scheme approval does not certify the electrical design or installation.

Do now

Limit an unqualified user's action to a non-invasive visual check from a safe position.
Use a competent electrician and confirm the applicable notification, inspection and certification route before work starts.
If damage, arcing, smoke, shock, repeated trips or water contact is present, stop the routine flow and resolve W-ELEC.

Do not

Do not remove covers, expose conductors, alter fixed wiring or perform live testing as a routine check.
Do not describe a socket tester, RCD button or visual inspection as proof that an installation is safe.
Do not treat grant approval or a non-electrical credential as electrical certification.

Get help

Use a competent electrician for fixed-wiring assessment or work.
In England, check Approved Document P and use the applicable competent-person, third-party certification or Building Control route.
For an active electrical fault or injury, follow W-ELEC instead.

Caution

Scheme rules can change

Scheme rules, dates, values and availability can change. Recheck the linked official source before relying on this result.

A dated statement is valid only for its recorded scope and review window. A consultation, announcement or residual web page is not proof that an application route is open. Once review_by passes, quarantine the claim until it is rechecked.

Do now

Check the official scheme administrator or government source and its update date.
Confirm the property, applicant, measure, jurisdiction and application date match the current rule.
Use the earliest review date from every policy record referenced by the page.

Do not

Do not publish a policy claim after review_by without a fresh official-source review.
Do not present a proposal, consultation or future announcement as a current entitlement.
Do not infer budget availability or an open application route from a scheme name alone.

Get help

Use the current GOV.UK or Ofgem scheme page for the relevant programme.
Ask the scheme administrator, obligated supplier or installer to confirm case-specific status in writing.
Suppress the claim if current status cannot be verified.

What is known — and what is not

What is known

Only the page's recorded observations, documents and stated scope are treated as known.

What remains uncertain

The code states risk priority, but it does not by itself define the final method, quantity or access requirement. [1][2]

Possible explanations

a documented immediate-danger observation [1][2]
a documented potentially dangerous observation [1][2]
a documented need for further investigation [1][2]
a documented improvement recommendation [1][2]

Property decision

Sale: Electrical Safety First says an EICR is not legally required solely to sell a property, but it can provide safety evidence and relevant electrical-work certificates remain important. [5][4]
Letting: for an in-scope rented home in England, C1 and C2 require remedial work, FI requires investigation and the qualified-person deadline is 28 days or any shorter period in the report. [1][2]
Next professional: return first to the report issuer for clarification, then use a qualified person competent for each investigation or remedial item. [3][1]

What the codes mean

C1: danger present and risk of injury; immediate make-safe and remedial action is the priority. [1]
C2: potentially dangerous; the installation report is unsatisfactory and urgent remedial work is required. [1]
FI: further investigation is required without delay; the affected condition and necessary response must not be guessed before that investigation. [1]
C3: improvement recommended; C3 alone does not require remedial work for the report to be satisfactory. [1]

What you can check safely

Read the overall result, next-inspection date, every observation and any shorter deadline exactly as written. [1][2]
Match each code to the report's location and circuit reference without opening electrical equipment. [3]
Gather previous EICRs, Electrical Installation Certificates, Minor Works certificates and Building Regulations evidence. [4][1]

When to stop

Do not re-energise a circuit made safe by the inspector, open accessories or the consumer unit, conduct a DIY EICR, downgrade or hide a code, or delay a C1, C2, FI or shorter report deadline. [3][2]

Next step

Request an itemised schedule that separates C1, C2, FI investigation and optional C3 improvement, then retain the satisfactory report or other appropriate qualified-person confirmation after completion. [1][2]

When electrical work must stop

If there is exposed or damaged wiring, arcing, scorching, smoke, a burning smell, repeated trips, electric shock, or electrical equipment in contact with water, keep away and stop. Switch off only if a normal control is safely reachable without approaching the hazard. [6]
In England, Approved Document P says notifiable work includes installing a new circuit, replacing a consumer unit, or any addition or alteration to existing circuits in a special location such as the defined space around a bath or shower, or a room with a swimming pool or sauna heater. [4]
Notifiable work must be certified by a registered competent person, a registered third-party certifier, or a building control body. Do not open, alter or test fixed wiring yourself. [4]
Even work that is not notifiable should still be designed, installed, inspected and tested. A visual check or an RCD trip does not prove that an installation is safe. [4]

Evidence checkpoints

England government guidance defines C1 as danger present, C2 as potentially dangerous and FI as further investigation required without delay. [1]
Evidence date: 2026-08-12
C3 is an improvement recommendation and does not by itself require remedial work for the EICR to be satisfactory. [1]
Evidence date: 2026-08-12
For an in-scope rented home in England, required investigation or remedial work must be completed within 28 days or the shorter period stated in the report. [2][1]
Evidence date: 2026-08-12
Electrical Safety First says an EICR is not a legal requirement solely in order to sell a property. [5]
Evidence date: 2026-08-12
Approved Document P for England lists a new circuit, a consumer-unit replacement, and additions or alterations in a special location as notifiable electrical work. [4]
Evidence date: 2026-08-14

Scope and safety review

This resolved route covers an EICR for an England home; the rented-home duties apply only to an in-scope specified tenancy, and a report code alone is not treated as a separate active electrical-danger fact.

Jurisdiction: England
Who this covers: adult resident
Tenure: owner-occupied, private rented, social rented
Reviewed: 2026-08-13

Sources

Electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors: guidanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Accessed 2026-08-12.
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector and Social Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020: regulation 3legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 2026-08-12.
Introduction to electrical safetyHealth and Safety Executive. Accessed 2026-08-12.
Electrical safety: Approved Document PMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Accessed 2026-08-12.
Your questions answeredElectrical Safety First. Accessed 2026-08-12.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)Health and Safety Executive. Accessed 2026-08-14.