Electrics and gas

Night-storage heaters were not tested. Why is that not an energy-certificate recommendation either?

The survey did not switch the heaters on, did not check the off-peak supply, and did not assess whether they are efficient. A line on an energy certificate that suggests a different heating system is not an electrical test, and it is not an EICR code. You have heaters that were seen, not a verdict.

Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.

What is the fuller explanation?

Storage heaters are fixed electrical appliances with their own circuits, often an off-peak supply as well as a daytime boost. A home survey can see the boxes on the walls, damaged casings, and whether a separate consumer unit or time control is visible. It does not meter the supply, and it does not prove the bricks inside still heat. Cold heaters mean they were off or that they have failed. One visit cannot tell. Do not turn every heater to full as an experiment in someone else’s house.

If a seller’s energy certificate recommends replacing them, that is advice about energy, not a condition rating and not a statement that the wiring is unsafe. Electrical condition, if you need it, is an EICR by a qualified person. Landlords in the rented sectors have to arrange inspection and testing at least every five years. An owner-occupier seller is not under that duty because you asked. Any C1, C2, C3 or FI result is not a RICS rating. Decide whether you want the heaters, a test, or both. Do not let an energy suggestion become a rewire you have not been told you need.

What should you ask your surveyor?

How many heaters did you see, and did you see a separate off-peak board?
Did you test any heater? Please say no if you did not.
Are you commenting on condition, or only recording that they exist?

What are the typical next steps?

Ask the seller how the heaters are supplied and whether any later electrical certificate mentions them.
Do not treat an energy-certificate suggestion as an electrical fail.
If you need codes, ask an electrician to include the heater circuits.

Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.

Also asked about this

Does a scorch mark on one heater fail the whole house?

No. Describe that heater. The survey has not tested the others, and it has not written electrical codes.

Are storage heaters the same system as a gas boiler?

No. They are electrical. A gas service does not test them, and this survey did not either.