Emergency EICR for DNO Reconnection in The Park, Nottingham

A property in The Park, Nottingham, had its electricity supply isolated by the DNO (the local electricity network operator), leaving it without power. Before the DNO would reconnect, it needed an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) showing the installation was safe to switch back on.

Because the property had no power, we treated this as an emergency. We carried out a dead-test EICR to confirm the wiring was safe for reconnection. Once the supply is back on, we’ll return to complete the full live testing.

The DNO had isolated the property’s supply after an incident at the premises, and the building had been left without electricity. Before the DNO would re-energise the supply, it required evidence that the electrical installation was safe to switch back on.

Without power, the property couldn’t be used normally, so the owner needed this done quickly. Because the supply was off, a standard EICR couldn’t be completed in full: several tests can only be carried out with the power on. The answer was to test what could be tested safely with the supply off, so the DNO had the assurance it needed to reconnect.

We were called out to carry out an emergency EICR at the property in The Park, Nottingham, so the DNO could consider reconnecting the supply.

An EICR combines a visual inspection with testing to check the condition of an electrical installation. Some of those tests are carried out with the power off, known as dead testing. Others, such as earth fault loop impedance and RCD tests, need the supply to be live.

With the supply isolated by the DNO, we carried out a dead-test EICR. Dead tests check things such as the continuity of the protective conductors, the insulation resistance of the cables and correct polarity. Together, they show whether the cables and circuits are in a safe condition to have power restored.

The dead-test EICR confirmed the cables were safe, which gave the DNO the evidence it needed before re-energising the property.

The job isn’t finished with the dead tests. Once the DNO has reconnected the supply, we will return to carry out the full live testing and complete the EICR. That second visit confirms the installation performs correctly under power, including how quickly protective devices disconnect in the event of a fault.

Splitting the EICR into a dead-test stage and a live-test stage meant the owner didn’t have to wait longer than necessary for the power to come back on.