UK electrical certificates fall into three groups. BS 7671:2018 Appendix 6 defines the Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) for new installations and new circuits, the Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate for additions or alterations to a single existing circuit, and the Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) for periodic inspection of an existing installation. Separate standards cover the rest: the IET Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing for PAT records, BS 5266 for emergency lighting and BS 5839-6 for domestic fire alarms. In England and Wales, notifiable work under Part P also produces a Building Regulations compliance certificate. This page indexes every certificate guide on Certio and tells you which document applies to which job.
- New circuit or new installation: EIC. Alteration to an existing circuit: Minor Works. Assessment of an existing installation: EICR.
- Consumer unit changes, EV chargers, solar PV and most electric showers need an EIC, and in England and Wales are usually notifiable under Part P.
- Emergency lighting, fire alarms and PAT have their own certificates under BS 5266, BS 5839-6 and the IET Code of Practice.
- A certificate is only complete when it is signed by the responsible persons; in a scheme-registered firm the Qualified Supervisor signs off.
- Digital PDFs are valid; retention and UK GDPR rules apply to whatever format you use.
Which certificate for which job?
| Job | Certificate | Notifiable under Part P (England and Wales)? | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| New installation or rewire | EIC | Yes | Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) Explained |
| New circuit from an existing board | EIC | Yes | What is an EIC? Electrical Installation Certificate |
| Consumer unit replacement | EIC | Yes | Consumer Unit Replacement: Which Certificate and What to Check |
| Extra socket on an existing ring | Minor Works | No, unless in a special location | Minor Works Certificate: When to Use It (and When Not To) |
| Like-for-like accessory replacement | Minor Works | No | What is a Minor Works Certificate? MEIWC explained |
| Periodic inspection of existing wiring | EICR | Not applicable | What is an EICR? Electrical Installation Condition Report |
| Electric shower on a new circuit | EIC | Yes | Electric Shower Installation Certificate: EIC or Minor Works? |
| EV charge point | EIC (Section 722) | Yes | EV Charger Installation Certificate: Section 722 and the EIC |
| Solar PV system | EIC (Section 712) plus MCS documentation | Yes | Solar PV Installation Certificate: Section 712 and the EIC |
| Outbuilding or garden supply | EIC | Yes | Outbuilding and Garden Supply: SWA, TT or PME Earth? |
| Portable appliance testing | PAT test record | Not applicable | PAT Testing Guide UK: Intervals, Tests and Records |
| Emergency lighting | BS 5266 completion or periodic certificate | Not under Part P | Emergency Lighting Certificate: BS 5266-1 Testing and Records |
| Domestic fire alarm | BS 5839-6 certificate | Not under Part P (Part B applies) | Fire Alarm Certificate BS 5839-6: Grades and Categories |
What is the difference between an EIC, a Minor Works certificate and an EICR?
An EIC (Electrical Installation Certificate) is issued for a new installation, an addition that includes a new circuit, or the replacement of a consumer unit. It carries a full schedule of inspections and a schedule of test results for every circuit and is signed for design, construction, and inspection and testing, which may be one person or three. What is an EIC? Electrical Installation Certificate gives the definition and Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) Explained walks through each section.
A Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate is the short form for additions and alterations that do not include a new circuit: an extra socket on an existing ring, a replacement light fitting, a moved switch. What is a Minor Works Certificate? MEIWC explained explains the form and Minor Works Certificate: When to Use It (and When Not To) draws the line between Minor Works and EIC with worked examples, including the common mistake of using Minor Works for a new shower circuit.
An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is not a certificate at all. It is a report on the condition of an existing installation, with observations coded C1, C2, C3 or FI and an overall Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory result. What is an EICR? Electrical Installation Condition Report and EICR vs EIC: What's the Difference? (and Minor Works) explain the distinction, and the full EICR process is at How to Do an EICR Step by Step: Inspector's Workflow.
Which certificate do specific jobs need?
Several common jobs cause confusion, usually because the work feels small but involves a new circuit.
- Consumer unit replacement is an EIC, never Minor Works, and is notifiable in England and Wales. Consumer Unit Replacement: Which Certificate and What to Check also lists what to check before you quote: earthing arrangement, bonding, and whether the enclosure meets Regulation 421.1.201.
- Electric showers almost always need a new dedicated circuit, so an EIC, and they sit within Section 701 bathroom zones; see Electric Shower Installation Certificate: EIC or Minor Works? and Bathroom Zones Explained: Section 701 of BS 7671.
- EV chargers are certified on an EIC with the Section 722 requirements on RCD type and PME earthing recorded; EV Charger Installation Certificate: Section 722 and the EIC covers what to record.
- Solar PV needs an EIC covering the AC side under Section 712, alongside the installer's MCS paperwork; see Solar PV Installation Certificate: Section 712 and the EIC.
- Outbuildings raise the PME-versus-TT question and usually need an EIC for the new sub-main; Outbuilding and Garden Supply: SWA, TT or PME Earth? explains the choice.
- Cooker circuits and any other new final circuit are EIC work; Cooker Circuit Design and Diversity: Sizing It Right covers the design side.
What about PAT, emergency lighting and fire alarms?
These are outside BS 7671 Appendix 6 and use their own documents. PAT (portable appliance testing, formally in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment) follows the IET Code of Practice, 5th edition 2020, which sets no fixed legal interval and asks the duty holder to decide frequency by risk. PAT Testing Guide UK: Intervals, Tests and Records explains the tests, the record to keep and how to set intervals.
Emergency lighting is certified under BS 5266-1 with a completion certificate for new systems and periodic certificates for the monthly and annual tests; Emergency Lighting Certificate: BS 5266-1 Testing and Records sets out what each covers. Domestic fire detection is certified under BS 5839-6, which defines Grades (the type of system, from Grade A panel systems to Grade F battery alarms) and Categories (the coverage, LD1 to LD3); Fire Alarm Certificate BS 5839-6: Grades and Categories explains how to specify and certify a system, including the Grade D1 requirement common in rentals.
What is Part P and when does the work need notifying?
Part P of the Building Regulations applies in England and Wales and requires notifiable electrical work in dwellings to be notified to building control, either directly or through a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT. Notifiable work includes new circuits, consumer unit replacements and work in special locations such as bathrooms. Part P notification: when and how electricians notify building work explains what is notifiable, the 30-day notification window and the Building Regulations compliance certificate the customer receives. How to Become NICEIC Registered: Routes and Assessment and NICEIC vs NAPIT: Which Scheme Should an Electrician Join? cover joining a scheme, and Qualified Supervisor (QS) Sign-Off Explained explains who signs certificates in a registered firm and what the QS is responsible for.
Digital or paper, and how long do I keep them?
BS 7671 requires certificates to contain the information in the model forms and to be signed; it does not require paper. Digital vs Paper Electrical Certificates: What Schemes Accept compares the two, including how assessors treat PDFs and what a digital signature needs to show. Retention is covered in Electrical Certificate Retention and GDPR for Electricians: keep certificates at least until the next inspection and, for most firms, for 6 years or more, and handle the customer and tenant details on them in line with the UK GDPR. If you are choosing software to produce them, Electrical Certification Software: What to Look For (Buyer's Guide) and Best Electrical Certification Software UK (2026): 6 Apps Compared set out what to compare.
How Certio helps
Certio produces the EICR, EIC, Minor Works certificate and PAT records on the BS 7671 model forms and turns them into branded PDFs. Photograph the consumer unit and the circuit schedule drafts itself; point the phone camera at a Megger MFT-X1 and the reading goes straight into the schedule of test results, or dictate it while your hands stay on the probes. Suggested observation wording with the regulation reference is there for you to check and confirm. The judgement stays yours; the typing goes. Starter is free for 7 days, then £5 a month.