2026 has been a busy year for anyone who does condition reports. There's a new amendment to BS 7671 with redrafted EICR forms, the FI code means something different, the industry guidance has caught up, and social landlords in England now have the same five-yearly duty as private landlords.
This post covers what has actually changed, with dates and sources, so you can check it for yourself. It's written for electricians doing EICRs in Great Britain.
The short version
- BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 was published on 15 April 2026. The previous version (A2:2022 with A3:2024) was withdrawn on 15 October 2026, so EICRs should now be done to Amendment 4.
- FI no longer makes a report unsatisfactory. Only C1 and C2 do. FI now means "further investigation is advised", not "required without delay".
- Section K is split into C1/C2 observations and C3/FI observations.
- Recipient guidance must be included with the report (Regulation 653.2), photos and thermal images can be attached, and the signatures must be those of the people who did the inspection and testing and who authorised the report.
- Guidance Note 3 (10th Edition) and Electrical Safety First's Best Practice Guide 4 (Issue 7.4, August 2026) have both been updated for Amendment 4.
- Social housing in England: registered providers must have the installation inspected and tested at least every 5 years. For tenancies that began before 1 December 2025, the first inspection had to be done before 1 November 2026.
1. Amendment 4 is now the only current BS 7671
The IET and BSI published BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 on 15 April 2026. For six months both versions were current. On 15 October 2026 the previous version, BS 7671:2018+A2:2022+A3:2024 and the 2023 corrigendum, was withdrawn.
NICEIC puts it plainly: since 15 October 2026, "you must now carry out EICRs to Amendment 4". Amendment 4 versions of paper and online certificates are now available from the scheme providers, and the IET's own model forms are dated 15 April 2026.
Amendment 4 isn't only about EICRs. It also adds a new chapter on stationary secondary batteries, a section on functional earthing for ICT equipment, a section on Power over Ethernet, and a big revision of medical locations. It also recognises PNB (protective neutral bonding) earthing for the first time, and NICEIC says PNB can now be selected as an earthing arrangement on its A4 forms. If you're inspecting a house with solar and a battery, the battery chapter is now part of the standard you're reporting against.
2. FI no longer fails the report
This is the change that affects most people doing EICRs.
Until now, an FI code meant the overall assessment had to be unsatisfactory. Under Amendment 4:
- C1: danger present. Immediate remedial action is necessary.
- C2: potentially dangerous. Urgent remedial action is necessary.
- C3: improvement is recommended.
- FI: further investigation is advised. The old "without delay" has gone.
The observations section is now split in two. C1 and C2 observations go in the first part, and they make the report unsatisfactory. C3 and FI observations go in the second part, and they don't affect the overall outcome.
The IET's Wiring Matters article on the change (July 2026) explains why. FI has often been used where it shouldn't be. Two examples it gives:
- An unidentified circuit. This breaks Regulation 514.8.1, so it should get a classification code. Tracing the circuit is remedial work, not part of the inspection.
- Insulation resistance below 1 MΩ. This doesn't meet Table 64, so it should get a code. Finding out why is fault-finding.
Its summary is worth remembering: "It should not be necessary to attribute an FI classification code in the majority of circumstances. Where it is considered necessary, it does not result in an unsatisfactory outcome."
Best Practice Guide 4 says the same. In a domestic or similar installation, it should generally be possible to give each observation a code without further investigation, and the guide doesn't give any FI examples for domestic installations. FI is for a potential safety issue you genuinely couldn't pin down because of the agreed extent or limitations of the inspection.
What this means in practice: if you suspect something could turn out to be a C1 or C2, code what you can see on that basis, rather than hiding it behind an FI. And tell your landlord and agency clients about the change. An FI on an A4 report no longer means a fail, but it still means you're advising them to get something looked at.
3. Other changes to the EICR form
Amendment 4 also tidies up how the report is produced:
- Regulation 653.1: the notes for the person producing the report, in Appendix 6, must be taken into account. These notes have been redrafted and reordered.
- Regulation 653.2: the report must include guidance for the recipient, based on the model in Appendix 6.
- Photos and thermal images may be attached as supporting evidence for observations.
- Signatures on the report are those of the person or people who carried out the inspection and testing, and who authorised the report for issue.
The basics haven't changed. The IET's A4 model EICR still says an installation designed to an earlier edition isn't necessarily unsafe or in need of upgrading just because it doesn't fully comply with the current one. The report still covers only what's in the agreed extent, and limitations still have to be recorded in Section D.
4. Updated guidance: GN3 and Best Practice Guide 4
- IET Guidance Note 3: Inspection & Testing, 10th Edition has been updated for BS 7671:2018+A4:2026. The IET says the update covers areas including recommended initial frequencies of inspection and maximum permissible measured earth fault loop impedance. The IET published an errata sheet for it in May 2026, so check you have the corrections.
- Electrical Safety First Best Practice Guide 4 (EICR classification codes) is now Issue 7.4, dated August 2026. It takes Amendment 4 into account, uses the new FI wording, and says that only C1 or C2 observations make the overall condition unsatisfactory. It's free to download, so make sure you're using the new issue.
5. Social housing in England: 5-yearly checks
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 have required private landlords to get an EICR at least every 5 years since 2020. An amendment in 2025 (SI 2025/1043) extended the same duty to registered providers of social housing, and the regulations are now called the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector and Social Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.
According to the government's guidance:
- The rules came into force for the social rented sector on 1 November 2025, for social housing tenancies granted after 1 December 2025.
- For social housing tenancies granted before 1 December 2025, they came into force on 1 May 2026. The first inspection and test of the installation had to be done before 1 November 2026.
- Social landlords must also have the electrical equipment they provide checked by a qualified person at least every 5 years, and get an In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (ISIT) record. This doesn't apply to private landlords.
- After that, inspections are needed at least every 5 years, or sooner if the report says so.
For both private and social landlords, where the report shows that remedial or further investigative work is necessary, the landlord must get it done within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so. So be clear in your wording about what you're recommending, now that FI is advisory on the form.
If you work for housing associations or councils, expect this to keep driving EICR work.
6. Scotland and Wales
These rules aren't new, but it's worth knowing how they differ:
- Scotland (private rented). The Repairing Standard requires an electrical safety inspection before a property is first let and then at least every 5 years. It must include an EICR and PAT testing of appliances the landlord provides. The current statutory guidance was published on 31 January 2024 and applies from 1 March 2024. It was written before Amendment 4, so it still describes FI as "further investigation required without delay" and says FI items should be investigated as soon as practically possible.
- Wales. Under the Renting Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) (Wales) Regulations 2022, landlords must have a valid electrical condition report. It's valid for 5 years, or until an earlier date given in the report, and the contract-holder must get a copy within 14 days. This has applied since 1 December 2022.
A checklist for your next EICR
- Use A4:2026 forms, whether paper or software. The old version has been withdrawn.
- Agree the extent and limitations before you start, and record them in Section D.
- Code what you find. Use FI only when the extent or limitations stop you reaching a code.
- Put C1/C2 and C3/FI observations in the right part of Section K.
- Attach photos where they help explain an observation.
- Include the recipient guidance with the report.
- Make sure the signatures identify who inspected and tested, and who authorised the report.
- Set a next inspection date that reflects the installation's condition, not just the 5-year legal maximum.
Doing your EICRs in CircuitHQ
CircuitHQ is the job management and certificate app I built for my own firm, PPM Electrical. It's now used by other UK electricians. For EICRs, it:
- Produces EICR, EIC and Minor Works certificates as PDFs on your phone, in the familiar BS 7671 layout, updated for BS 7671:2018+A4:2026. They aren't official IET, NICEIC or NAPIT forms.
- Records C1, C2, C3 and FI observations and suggests the overall result from them. If you mark a report Unsatisfactory with no C1 or C2, Check cert flags it, along with missing entries, inconsistencies and spelling mistakes. It doesn't guarantee compliance; you're still the inspector.
- Reads a photo of the board and fills the empty circuit fields for you to check, with the AI values marked in amber. It doesn't read your tester screen or replace testing.
- Makes the circuit schedule quicker: move, drag and renumber circuit rows, use searchable dropdowns, and reuse saved circuits and saved clients. Test results are never reused.
- Lets you sign on screen, fills in your test instruments, and sets the next inspection date automatically or manually.
- Works on poor signal: saved jobs open without signal and edits sync when you're back online.
- Regulation updates are always free. When BS 7671 or the forms change, we update CircuitHQ and you never pay extra for it, whatever plan you're on.
- Spots repeat work in your own records, such as EICRs and landlord certificates coming due, so you can follow them up.
It also does PAT certificates, quotes, invoices with Xero, and G98/G99 paperwork. See the plans: Solo is £29 a month + VAT. There's a 14-day free trial and no card needed to start.