Electrical Certificate Types Explained
Certify the wrong way and the paperwork is worthless — this is the map of UK electrical certificates: EIC for new work, Minor Works for alterations to an existing circuit, EICR for condition reports, and the specialist certificates for EV and solar.
There's a certificate for every kind of electrical job, and picking the right one is a skill in itself. Use an EIC where a Minor Works would do and you've over-documented; use a Minor Works where an EIC is needed and you've under-certified a new circuit; issue an EICR when you should have certified new work and the document means nothing.
This guide is the map: the three core certificates — EIC, Minor Works and EICR — plus the specialist commissioning certificates for EV charge points and solar PV, and a simple way to decide which the job in front of you needs.
Key takeaways
- EIC (Electrical Installation Certificate): new installation, rewire or new circuit — certifies new work as compliant.
- MEIWC (Minor Works Certificate): addition or alteration to an existing circuit that doesn't create a new circuit.
- EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report): condition report on an existing installation, coding defects C1/C2/C3/FI.
- EV and solar work also need their specific commissioning certificates alongside the electrical certification.
- The decisive questions: is it new work or existing? If new, does it create a new circuit?
The three core certificates
Almost all electrical work is certified by one of three documents. An Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) certifies new installation work — a new installation, a rewire, or a new circuit — as designed, built and tested to BS 7671, with full schedules of inspections and test results. A Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC) certifies an addition or alteration to an existing circuit that doesn't create a new circuit — the everyday socket-added-to-a-ring job. An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) reports on the condition of an existing installation, coding each defect it finds rather than certifying new work.
The three cover the whole spectrum: EIC and MEIWC certify work you carried out (new work and alterations respectively), while the EICR assesses work that already exists. Get the category right first — new work versus condition assessment — and the specific document usually follows.
EIC vs Minor Works: the new-circuit line
Within new work, the EIC/Minor Works choice hinges entirely on one question: does the work create a new circuit? A new circuit — a new way from the distribution board with its own protective device — is an EIC every time, with its full schedules. An addition or alteration that stays within an existing circuit and creates no new one is a Minor Works Certificate.
So a new radial run from the board is an EIC; adding a socket to that radial afterwards is Minor Works. A consumer unit replacement, though it adds no "new circuit" in the everyday sense, affects every circuit and is certified with an EIC. The new-circuit test settles the ordinary cases; the significant-works nature of a board change settles that one.
New work? Ask about the circuit
For new work the decision is binary: new circuit → EIC; alteration to an existing circuit → Minor Works. A consumer unit swap is an EIC because it touches everything.
The EICR: reporting, not certifying
The EICR stands apart from the other two because it doesn't certify work — it reports on condition. You inspect and test an existing installation and record its state, classifying every defect as C1 (danger present), C2 (potentially dangerous), C3 (improvement recommended) or FI (further investigation required). The overall outcome is satisfactory or unsatisfactory, with a single C1 or C2 forcing unsatisfactory.
This is the document behind periodic inspections, landlord electrical safety checks (required at regular intervals for rented homes in England), and pre-purchase surveys. Whenever the question is "what condition is this installation in?" rather than "is this new work I did compliant?", the answer is an EICR — and its limitations and extent should always be stated on the report.
Specialist certificates: EV and solar
Some work needs a specialist commissioning certificate in addition to the core electrical certification. An EV charge point installation is certified for its electrical work (typically an EIC for the new circuit feeding it) but also needs an EV charge point commissioning certificate recording the charger-specific commissioning — the earthing arrangement, the DC fault protection (Type B RCD or Type A plus 6mA RDC-DD), and the functional checks particular to charge points.
Similarly, a solar PV and battery installation needs its own commissioning certificate covering the array, inverter, protection and battery storage, alongside the electrical certification for the connection. These specialist certificates don't replace the EIC — they sit with it, capturing the technology-specific commissioning that a general electrical certificate doesn't cover.
Specialist work, two documents
EV and solar jobs need the electrical certificate (usually an EIC for the new circuit) plus a commissioning certificate for the charger or PV system. One doesn't replace the other.
A decision path for any job
Run any job through two questions. First: is this new work I'm carrying out, or an existing installation I'm assessing? If assessing existing condition, it's an EICR — done. If it's new work, ask the second question: does it create a new circuit? Yes → EIC (and a consumer unit change is an EIC too). No, it's an alteration to an existing circuit → Minor Works Certificate.
Then layer on the specialist check: if the job is an EV charge point or a solar PV/battery system, add the relevant commissioning certificate to whatever electrical certificate the work requires. Those two questions plus the specialist layer cover the overwhelming majority of jobs, and they stop the classic errors — certifying a condition report as new work, or slipping a new circuit onto a Minor Works Certificate.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main types of electrical certificate?
The three core ones are the EIC (Electrical Installation Certificate) for new work, the Minor Works Certificate (MEIWC) for alterations to an existing circuit, and the EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) for reporting on an existing installation's condition. EV and solar work add specialist commissioning certificates.
How do I know whether to use an EIC or a Minor Works Certificate?
Ask whether the work creates a new circuit. A new circuit, a new installation or a rewire needs an EIC. An addition or alteration to an existing circuit that doesn't create a new one needs a Minor Works Certificate. A consumer unit replacement is an EIC because it affects every circuit.
When do I issue an EICR instead of a certificate?
When you're assessing the condition of an existing installation rather than certifying new work — periodic inspections, landlord safety checks, pre-purchase surveys. An EICR reports and codes defects; it doesn't certify new work as compliant.
Do EV and solar installations need special certificates?
Yes. Alongside the electrical certificate (usually an EIC for the new circuit), an EV charge point needs a charge point commissioning certificate and a solar PV/battery system needs a PV commissioning certificate. The specialist certificate sits with the electrical one, not instead of it.
From guidance to action
Related guides
EIC vs EICR: What’s the Difference?
When you issue an EIC versus an EICR versus a Minor Works Certificate, and why it matters.
Minor Works Certificate: When and How
What counts as minor works, when an MEIWC is enough, and how to fill one in correctly.
EICR Code C1: Danger Present
What a C1 means, real-world examples, and the immediate action required before you leave site.
