Electrics and gas

Is a plastic consumer unit in an older house a failed electrical test?

No. A Level 2 or Level 3 does not test the circuits, and a plastic cover is not an EICR code. An electrician may recommend a non-combustible enclosure when the board is replaced as new work. That is not a retrospective order, published on GOV.UK, that a seller must swap the unit before exchange.

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?

GOV.UK’s electrical safety guidance is about rented homes: landlords must have the installation inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every five years, and the report uses codes C1, C2, C3 and FI. Owner-occupiers who are selling are not that landlord duty. A surveyor can say the board looks dated, crowded or damaged. They cannot award a C1 or a C2, because they have not done the inspection the guidance describes.

If you want the installation classified, instruct an EICR and ask the electrician to explain any codes in plain language. The cost is not in the RICS survey fee unless the quote said so. Do not let a seller’s refusal to change a plastic lid be described as an illegal house. Ask the electrician whether they are talking about new-work standards or about danger present now.

What should you ask your surveyor?

Are you commenting on the look of the board, or on a test you did not do?
Did you see damage, scorching or a makeshift repair, or only a plastic enclosure?
Would you expect an EICR before we treat this as unsatisfactory?

What are the typical next steps?

If you need codes, book an EICR. Do not read them into the survey.
Do not open the board yourself.
If the report describes scorching or buzzing, treat that as urgent electrical advice, not as a debate about plastic.

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 metal unit guarantee the wiring is sound?

No. The enclosure and the cables behind it are different. An EICR looks at the installation. A new door on the cupboard does not.

Must a buyer hand the lender an EICR?

Only if that lender asks. GOV.UK’s five-year rule is a landlord rule. Ask the lender what they require. The survey has not required a certificate.