Am I being fleeced on EICR?

Am I being fleeced on EICR?

0:01 AM, 4th September 2024, About 2 months ago 14

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Hi, I recently rented out my property to a well-known high street letting agent in London. The old tenants had left and the previous letting agent was retiring. I’ve owned the property for some years.

New tenants have just moved in. Prior to the let, the new agent asked me for my EICR which had about 10 months left to run. The agent said they would like me to have another EICR done with their electrician and said my electrician was not on the list and did not consider him valid. They implied he must have been a cowboy.

Since I was not able to contact my previous electrician, I took this at face value and the new letting agent’s electrician came in. I got a fail and a £1470 bill for a new consumer unit. The old consumer unit had modern RCD’s and had passed 4 years before. So I was surprised but paid up as I was only given a few days before the new tenant was due to move in.

Now the new tenant is saying that the immersion heater and hob are both independently tripping the new consumer unit and the agent is saying both appliances may need replacing. This is an all-electric flat with storage heaters and there is huge potential here for an electrician to gradually replace everything in the flat. How do I stop this from being never ending electrical work?

Am I being paranoid or am I the subject of a fleecing exercise? If the latter, what can I do about it given that the tenants have no hot water and no hob because the unit keeps tripping.

Thanks,

Robert


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peter styles

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9:42 AM, 4th September 2024, About 2 months ago

Am I being fleeced on EICR?
YES
£140 MAX FOR THE CONSUMER UNIT AND £1330 LABOUR ..WOW

SteveFowkes

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9:47 AM, 4th September 2024, About 2 months ago

Yep fleeced big time

About £250-300 to replace consumer unit incl labour

Id ask for a breakdown of costs for that money

Never use agent appointed contractor for such a big job

SteveFowkes

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9:51 AM, 4th September 2024, About 2 months ago

Join electrician FB group and ask typical cost of replacing a consumer unit

JeggNegg

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10:32 AM, 4th September 2024, About 2 months ago

Name and shame the agent
Do you have a break clause in your agents contract
I am curious why you appointed them - price, recommendations?

Peter Gulline

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10:36 AM, 4th September 2024, About 2 months ago

doubt the consumer unit even needed replaced if it passed 4 years ago as there have been no major changes.

Some electricians look for work a few set out to pass unless My consumer units are C3 - Improvement Recomended but its not a fail!!!

Buster Simms

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10:57 AM, 4th September 2024, About 2 months ago

Need more info on the original CU and what it's been replaced with. The last few years have seen numerous changes to BS7671 not least a requirement for AFDDs in high risk buildings, tower blocks over 18 MTRS in height. AFDDs over £100 a pop and could easily need 4 or 5.
OP does not mention what type of property but being all electric in London could well be a flat.
Yes some sparks are ripping people off by changing dual RCD boards for all rcbo boards for no real reason but let's have the full facts before jumping on the bandwagon.
Did the eicr detail what C1 or C2 faults as they're the only reason for a failure, C3 are advisory only. Are you able to post a redacted copy of the eicr and subsequent EIC.

Peter Edmonds

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11:46 AM, 4th September 2024, About 2 months ago

I had same problem but not an agent. I got electrician from check a trade who condemned consumer unit and various other points with
a £1300 estimate. Luckily I have two ex colleagues who teach electrical course at two different colleges. They both looked at the reports and said it was just work generation. The consumer unit was old but did not need replacing. I got another electrician who was recommended to me. He charged me £300 (a days labour) for all require work plus as it was old they replaced the consumer unit withn the price but I supplied it a offer from toolstation £60.00. They included the certificate as well.

Jason

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16:43 PM, 4th September 2024, About 2 months ago

Probably say it’s plastic and needs to changed to metal which can be bull. Or you need rccb in wet areas. Maybe this video will help…
https://youtu.be/08HJtW5ZwsY?feature=shared

Stuart Rothwell

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17:54 PM, 4th September 2024, About 2 months ago

I have been charged around 700 for the test and a new CU. The cooker then tripped the rcd. Electrician checked the cooker and said there is a small fault. Got a new cooker and end of problem. Suggest you get your own electrician to check it out.

A fedup landlord

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19:54 PM, 5th September 2024, About 2 months ago

Try open rent, they supply various services at reasonable price, reports then loaded online, you can also set a reminder there, so you will never miss a deadline

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