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Keeping electrical certificates for your Exeter property

7 min read
How to
Electrical certificates protect value at sale, in letting and when making insurance claims. This guide explains which certificate belongs to which job and how to store the paperwork so it is easy to find.

Many owners and landlords in Exeter discover the importance of electrical paperwork only when they need it. A buyer's solicitor asks for proof that a new charger was installed properly, a letting agent wants the last inspection report, or an insurer questions whether a consumer unit change was notified. Keeping certificates is not glamorous, but it is one of the most cost-effective ways to protect a property's value and to show that the work was done to the required standard. This guide explains which certificate belongs to which job, what the building regulations expect, how to store the paperwork and what a buyer or tenant is likely to ask for.

Which certificate applies to which job

Different jobs produce different records. A full inspection of the fixed installation produces an electrical installation condition report. A new circuit, a consumer unit replacement or a charger installation produces an installation certificate that describes the work done and the tests carried out. A minor alteration may produce a simpler certificate that covers just the changed circuit. Remedial work after a report produces its own certificate, which should refer back to the original report.

The distinction matters because a certificate covers only the work it describes. An installation certificate for a charger does not cover the rest of the house, and a report from an inspection does not prove that a later alteration was done properly. Ask the installer which certificate applies to each job, and file each one against the correct part of the property. Charger paperwork has its own content, as the smart charge point rules explain, and the request a quote route is the simplest way to gather installers who can supply it.

Storing certificates

For an Exeter home, a simple, consistent filing system works well. Keep paper originals in a single folder or wallet, and make a scanned copy of each one that is stored in a cloud folder or on a drive that is backed up. Label each file with the date, the type of work, the installer and the property address. A buyer's solicitor will appreciate a clean set of documents, and an owner who has to look for a certificate in a hurry will be grateful for the same discipline.

Keep the test results with the certificate. The results show the readings taken on each circuit and are the evidence that the installation was tested as well as installed. A certificate without the results is less useful when a later inspector asks questions about a particular circuit.

What to do if a certificate is lost

If a certificate is lost, ask the installer for a copy first. Most firms keep records of the work they carried out, and a duplicate is usually quick to obtain. If the installer has closed or changed name, ask the scheme under which the work was registered, or the building control body if the work was notified that way. A lost certificate is an inconvenience rather than a disaster, but it should be replaced promptly.

Certificates for rented homes

Landlords have a specific obligation under the electrical safety regulations, which cover private landlords and, since the 2025 extension, social landlords too. A landlord must make sure every electrical installation is inspected and tested by a qualified person before a tenancy begins, and at intervals of no more than 5 years under the same rules. The same regulation requires the landlord to keep a copy of each report until the next inspection is due or, if later, has been carried out, and to give a copy to the person doing that next inspection. Keeping the remedial certificates with the reports lets the landlord show when the last inspection took place and what was done about any findings.

A landlord who keeps a clear record can show that the inspection schedule has been met, and that each inspection was carried out by the qualified person named on the report. The record also helps a letting agent when a tenant asks about the condition of the wiring, and it gives the next landlord a useful starting point if the property is sold.

Selling or letting requirements

When a home is sold, the seller is expected to provide the buyer with the right paperwork. The government guidance on selling a home mentions the Energy Performance Certificate, and a buyer's solicitor may also ask for the electrical certificates for recent work. The sale process goes more smoothly when the electrical records are ready at the start, rather than assembled in a rush at the end.

Where work was done without notification or certification, the seller may need to explain the position and provide evidence that the installation is safe. That can mean commissioning an inspection, obtaining a retrospective certificate or agreeing a price adjustment. None of those steps is pleasant, but each is easier when the paperwork exists from the start.

Certificates and insurance

Insurers may ask for electrical certificates after a fire or a claim involving the wiring. A missing certificate can complicate that claim, even where the cause of the fire is unrelated to the work. Keep the certificates for every notified job, including the consumer unit, the charger and any outbuilding supply, and make sure the insurer has been told about significant work.

Records for the next inspector

The next person to inspect the installation, whether an electrician, an inspector or a surveyor, will be grateful for a clear record. The most useful items are the circuit schedule on the consumer unit, a simple plan of the cable routes where these are known, a list of the protection devices and their ratings, and a note of any changes since the last inspection. A short, accurate record shortens the next visit, and it reduces the chance that a fault is misdiagnosed because the history is unknown. The record also protects the owner if a later question about a circuit arises years after the work.

Where the property has been altered over the years, the record should show the sequence of changes in date order. A chronological list makes it easier to see which work is recent and which is older. It also helps the inspector decide whether a fault might be linked to a particular change, which is valuable when the cause is not obvious.

What to ask the installer for

When work is complete, ask for the certificate, the test results, the notification reference and the circuit schedule. Ask whether the certificate will be issued by the installer or by the scheme, and when you can expect to receive it. If a certificate does not arrive, ask the installer to explain why and to set a date for its delivery.

Keep a note of who you dealt with and when. That note makes it easier to follow up a missing document and helps the next owner understand what work was carried out and by whom.

A simple checklist for owners

Gather the certificates for each job into one place. Check that each one names the property, the date and the installer. Confirm that the circuit schedule matches the board and that the test results are included. Note the date of the next inspection, and store a scanned copy of everything in case the originals are lost.

The checklist works the same for a flat near Exeter city centre as for a family house further out, because the records do not change with the postcode. A general electrical inspection is the simplest way to create a current baseline if the file is incomplete. A consumer unit upgrade often produces the most important certificate in the file, so keep it with the board's schedule.