Domestic Premises (Electrical Safety Certificate) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 10 of 2022-23

The Domestic Premises (Electrical Safety Certificate) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat). The bill is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 15 July 2022. It would require a valid electrical installation condition report (EICR) or electrical installation certificate (EIC) to be made available to prospective buyers of domestic properties in England and Wales. 

Currently, when residential properties are marketed for sale, vendors are obliged to provide information about the energy performance of the property, but not about its electrical safety. Research suggests that most buyers do not commission their own electrical installation condition report before buying a home. Some tenants have a right to receive such information: landlords in the private rented sector in England are required to have the electrical installations in their properties inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at least every five years. The government is currently consulting on extending this requirement to landlords in the social housing sector. It is also calling for evidence on whether this should also apply to owner-occupied leasehold properties in social housing blocks. An assessment of the costs and benefits of making regular inspections of the conditions of electrical installations of residential buildings is expected. The Building Safety Act 2022 requires the Health and Safety Executive to carry out this analysis within three years of the relevant section of the act coming into force.