The financial benefits of regular commercial EICR become clear when you consider that electrical safety issues cause thousands of fires and injuries annually in UK workplaces. Going beyond the legal minimum for electrical inspections can prevent these incidents and provide significant financial benefits for your business.

This guide explores how regular commercial Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs) support compliance, efficiency, sustainability and your bottom line.

What You’ll Find

• How regular electrical checks help prevent workplace fires and injuries, improving safety and compliance. Let’s keep your employees and customers protected.
• The financial benefits of preventive maintenance, energy savings, and insurance incentives. We’re talking potentially serious cost savings here.
• How these smart inspections support your sustainable business practices and demonstrate your commitment to responsibility. You’ll be the model for how it’s done.

Understanding Commercial EICRs

An EICR is a detailed inspection of your business’s entire electrical installation. Qualified electricians check for damage, wear and tear, and potential fire hazards. While this guide focuses on commercial EICRs, it’s important to understand the difference between commercial and domestic EICRs. 

Legal Requirements

The law requires most commercial premises to have an EICR every 5 years under the Electricity at Work Regulations as a minimum. More information about the procedure can be found in Hexo Electrical Testing’s Understanding the EICR Procedure guide.

More frequent inspections may be recommended depending on factors like the property’s age, there’s more detail on our how often you need to get an EICR page. 

 The inspection must meet British Standard 7671. Identified risks are classified as C1 (urgent remedial work needed), C2 (potentially dangerous), or C3 (recommended improvements). Learn more about Understanding EICR Codes on our website.

Common Misconceptions

Many business owners think the 5-year legal minimum for EICRs is sufficient. But not addressing issues for this long can lead to dangerous faults. More frequent inspections provide early detection, preventing costly repairs and disasters.

At Hexo Electrical Testing we often find long-term damage that may have been minor initially but degraded over time without the proper maintenance.

Regular EICRs give you peace of mind that your electrical installation operates safely and efficiently.

The Financial Benefits of Regular Inspections

Regular commercial EICRs provide significant cost savings compared to only doing the legal minimum.

Preventive Maintenance

Detecting electrical issues early prevents them from escalating into major problems requiring expensive repairs or replacements. Learn more about what factors affect the cost of an EICR in our detailed guide.

For example, loose wiring that goes undetected can degrade over time, eventually causing a short circuit and fire. Replacing a simple connection may cost £100, whereas repairing the fire damage could run into the tens of thousands.

Regular inspections and maintenance ensure optimum performance and lifespan of electrical equipment like lighting, heating and appliances. This avoids costly breakdowns and replacements.

Energy Efficiency

EICRs identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency, like replacing outdated lighting with LEDs. This provides ongoing savings on energy bills.

Proper maintenance also ensures electrical systems run at peak efficiency. Faulty wiring, connections and components waste energy.

Hexo Electrical Testing offers Thermal Imaging Assessments with EICRs to pinpoint areas losing heat and find energy-saving solutions.

Insurance Benefits

Insurers may require regular electrical safety inspections as a condition of commercial policies. Keeping up with EICRs can prevent insurance gaps or delays.

Some insurers even offer premium discounts to businesses demonstrating good electrical safety practices like regular EICRs.

Going Beyond the Legal Requirements

While the law only mandates an EICR every 5 years, most electrical industry experts recommend more frequent inspections for commercial premises.

Increased Safety

Annual EICRs promote continuous safety by identifying electrical risks before they become urgent. Small issues can be fixed quickly before leading to dangerous failures.

Regular inspections also ensure compliance with the latest safety standards. As regulations evolve, more frequent EICRs help you stay up-to-date.

We have seen a major reduction in critical safety issues for clients getting annual evaluations. It gives us an ongoing partnership to protect their businesses.

Long-Term Savings

Though annual EICRs may seem an added expense compared to the 5-year legal minimum, the long-term cost savings outweigh the investment.

Preventing minor issues from escalating into major problems saves you money over time. Hexo Electrical Testing estimates that the average cost of repairs prevented by an annual EICR is around £1500.

You also avoid lost revenue from potential electrical outages disrupting your business.

Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility

Regular maintenance aligns with sustainable business practices and environmental values. Fixing minor issues prevents waste from damaged components ending up in landfills.

It also shows stakeholders your commitment to safety and compliance. This can improve public perception, customer retention and employee satisfaction.

How to Implement Regular Commercial EICRs

Following best practices for electrical safety inspections requires planning and budgeting. Here are tips to help:

Finding the Right Professionals

• Hire NICEIC or NAPIT – approved electricians to ensure proper qualifications.
• Look for experience with commercial EICRs specifically.
• Consider services like thermal imaging for added value.
• Get references from other business owners.

We recommend asking potential providers like Hexo Electrical Testing about their accreditation, inspection processes and reporting, this ensures thorough, compliant evaluations.

Creating a Schedule

• Aim for annual inspections at a minimum.
• Schedule them simultaneously each year, such as before peak seasons.
• Stagger inspections for different parts of large facilities.
• Track inspections on a calendar to stay organised.

Budgeting

• Choose somebody up front with their pricing, prices range from £150 for a basic inspection to £1000+ for large facilities. Be sure there are no hidden extras (Hexo use transparent pricing!)
• Compare costs to potential electrical failure expenses.
• Consider offering multi-year contracts for regular inspections to secure savings.
• Check for insurance discounts to offset costs.

Conclusion

Regular commercial EICRs beyond the 5-year legal minimum provide significant financial benefits for UK businesses. Identifying electrical issues early prevents small problems from becoming expensive emergencies. It also improves safety, efficiency, sustainability and insurance incentives.

While more frequent inspections may seem an added upfront cost, the long-term savings outweigh the investment. Preventing electrical fires, equipment failures, and business disruptions saves money over time. It also shows your commitment to compliance, safety, and responsible management.

We have seen clients achieve 20-30% reductions in maintenance costs after implementing annual evaluations. The inspections give us an ongoing partnership to protect their investments.

To learn more, explore additional resources on electrical safety, energy efficiency, risk management and compliance. Protect your business, employees and customers by making regular EICRs part of your preventive maintenance program. Schedule an inspection today to get started.