BS 7671 Amendment 4 (2026): What It Means for EICRs, Testing and Tester Competence

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The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and the British Standards Institution (BSI) jointly published BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 — Requirements for Electrical Installations (IET Wiring Regulations, 18th Edition) on 15 April 2026. Below is a factual breakdown of what it means for those of us carrying out periodic inspection and testing — both commercial and domestic — and the closely related changes to individual competence under the Electrotechnical Assessment Specification (EAS).

The amendment can be implemented immediately. The previous version, BS 7671:2018+A2:2022+A3:2024 (the “Brown Book”), together with the May 2023 Corrigendum, is withdrawn on 15 October 2026.

The new publication is the second full consolidated amendment to the 18th Edition (the first was Amendment 2:2022). It incorporates Amendment 3:2024 into the main document and is widely referred to in the trade as the “Orange Book”. The technical content was developed by JPEL/64, the national Wiring Regulations committee.

1. Why this matters for periodic inspection and testing

The IET and BSI have explicitly confirmed that Amendment 4 applies to:

  • All new low voltage electrical installations
  • Additions and alterations to existing installations
  • Periodic inspection and testing of existing installations

In practical terms, this means EICRs are within the scope of Amendment 4 — not just EICs and MEIWCs. From 15 October 2026, every certificate or report issued must reference BS 7671:2018+A4:2026. During the six-month transition window (15 April 2026 to 15 October 2026), either version may be used, but the version used should be consistent within a single project or report.

NICEIC, NAPIT, SELECT and other certification bodies will require certified businesses to demonstrate access to a copy of Amendment 4 from 15 October 2026 to maintain certification. Older Brown Book templates and references will need to be updated.

2. Changes to Chapter 65 — Periodic Inspection and Testing

Chapter 65 has been updated rather than re-written. The key technical changes are:

  • Regulation 653.1 now requires the notes for the person producing the report (provided in Appendix 6) to be taken into account when preparing the Condition Report.
  • Regulation 653.2 now requires the report to include guidance for the recipient(s) based on the model in Appendix 6.
  • A new note has been added to Chapter 65 confirming that photographic and/or thermographic images can be appended to the Electrical Installation Condition Report as supporting evidence.

Although these are not radical changes to the testing methodology itself, they tighten the procedural and documentary expectations on the inspector and require updated EICR templates from 15 October 2026.

3. Changes to Appendix 6 — Model Forms (EIC, MEIWC and EICR)

Appendix 6 provides the model forms used for the Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC), the Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC) and the Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). The Appendix 6 changes are arguably more significant for day-to-day inspection work than the Chapter 65 changes.

The confirmed changes include:

  • Notes for the person producing the Condition Report have been redrafted and items reorganised for improved clarity.
  • Signatures: the model forms now make it explicit that signatures on the report are those of the person(s) executing the inspection and testing work, and the person authorising the report for issue. This formalises individual accountability and is consistent with the EAS direction of travel on individual competence (see Section 7 below).
  • FI (Further Investigation) codes: it is now clarified that issuing an FI code on an EICR should not, in itself, result in an “unsatisfactory” outcome. Previously this was a frequent point of contention between inspectors, clients and managing agents. The position is now in writing in Appendix 6.
  • A new note confirms that photographic and/or thermographic images can be appended to the EICR. Most credible inspectors already do this, but the regulations now formally recognise it as supporting evidence.

The EIC and MEIWC notes have also been tidied up in line with the EICR notes; users of the model forms will need to switch to A4-compliant templates by 15 October 2026.

The underlying classification codes (C1, C2, C3, FI) and the meanings attached to them are unchanged. So are the inspection categories under Section H/K, the test methodology (continuity, IR, polarity, Zs, RCD, EFLI, etc.), the maximum Zs values (Tables 41.2 to 41.4) and the disconnection times (Table 41.1).

4. Section 710 — Medical Locations (a major revision affecting commercial EICRs in healthcare)

Section 710 has been substantially expanded and redrafted. The IET has confirmed the following:

  • The classification of medical locations into Groups 0, 1 and 2 is retained, but requirements throughout have been clarified.
  • Power supplies to Group 2 locations (operating theatres, intensive care, etc.) have been redrafted to avoid loss of power due to a single fault. Group 2 locations require a medical IT system with a transformer and an insulation monitoring device that maintains supply on a first fault and alerts staff before a second fault disconnects supply.
  • Medical insulation monitoring devices: requirements have been extended and modified.
  • Supplementary equipotential bonding: requirements have been modified and extended.
  • A new Annex B710 model form has been introduced for recording the resistance of supplementary protective equipotential bonding conductors in medical locations.

For inspectors carrying out periodic inspection on healthcare premises, this means the schedule of test results will now formally include the supplementary bonding conductor resistance values for medical locations, and the inspection scope must reflect the revised insulation monitoring and power supply requirements.

5. Section 716 — Power over Ethernet (a new section)

Amendment 4 introduces an entirely new Section 716 covering the distribution of ELV DC power using balanced information technology cables and accessories primarily designed for data transmission — which in practice means Power over Ethernet (PoE) and similar systems used to power IP cameras, wireless access points, VoIP phones, PoE-powered LED lighting and many smart-building devices.

The confirmed technical content of Section 716 includes:

  • The principal protective measure is SELV (Safety Extra Low Voltage) or PELV (Protection Extra Low Voltage). Conventionally these are limited to 50 V AC or 120 V DC, but Section 716 modifies these limits to 60 V ripple-free DC in dry locations and 15 V ripple-free DC in all other locations.
  • Power feeding sourcing equipment must comply with BS EN 62368-3.
  • Telecommunications cabling and accessories used for power feeding must comply with BS EN 50173-1 and BS ISO/IEC 11801-1, and must be capable of supporting a continuous operating current of 750 mA per contact.
  • Requirements are included for the design, erection and verification of telecommunications infrastructure where it is to be used both for telecommunications and for ELV DC power feeding, and for the use of existing telecommunications infrastructure repurposed for power feeding (which requires assessment of suitability for power transmission).

What this means for inspection and testing

PoE installations have, to date, sat in an awkward grey area for periodic inspection. They are typically installed by structured-cabling installers, often as part of an ICT package that is not tested under BS 7671. From 15 October 2026 onwards, where a PoE installation is within the scope of an EICR, the inspector will need to be able to:

  • Identify the installation as falling within Section 716;
  • Verify the SELV/PELV voltage limits are not exceeded;
  • Confirm the cabling and accessories meet the referenced standards and current rating per contact;
  • Verify the segregation, identification and continuity arrangements between the data cabling/PoE system and any LV system sharing routes or containment;
  • Take account of heat dissipation in PoE cable bundles, which has been an area of growing concern as PoE wattages have risen.

Whether the PoE system is within scope of the EICR remains a matter of agreement between the client and inspector and should be set out in the limitations and agreed scope at the start of the report. What Amendment 4 does is provide, for the first time, a single referenced UK standard against which a PoE installation can be inspected and reported.

6. Other technical changes that affect what gets inspected

Chapter 57 — Stationary Secondary Batteries (new chapter)

This new chapter sets out requirements for stationary secondary battery installations (BESS) where the designed purpose is for storage and supply of electrical installations. It does not cover product-standard items such as pluggable UPS units, fire/emergency lighting batteries or central safety supplies.

For inspectors, the key reference is Regulation 570.6.7.203, which requires stationary secondary batteries in dwellings to be installed in accordance with PAS 63100 (Protection against fire of battery energy storage systems). In other (non-domestic) buildings, location and fire protection are to be selected on the basis of the fire safety risk assessment for the premises.

Bidirectional energy flow has been addressed in Section 551 (Low Voltage Generating Sets). Regulation 551.7.1 has been redrafted: a new sub-paragraph (c) requires a suitable protective device where energy flow is bidirectional, and a new sub-paragraph (d) prohibits the connection of a source to the load side of an RCD under certain conditions. Regulation 551.7.2.1 confirms that stationary batteries (Chapter 57) are to be considered a generating set and not a load.

For an EICR on a property with battery storage, this changes the inspector’s reference points: the system is now formally a “generating set”, and the bidirectional protective device, isolation arrangements and battery location/fire protection are inspectable items against a defined standard.

Section 545 — Functional earthing and functional equipotential bonding for ICT

A new Section 545 introduces additional requirements for functional earthing and functional equipotential bonding for ICT equipment and systems (broadcast, communications and computer networks). The section makes a clear distinction between functional earthing and protective earthing, requires that interruption of functional earthing does not impair protective earthing, and includes requirements for minimum cross-sectional area, identification, electrical continuity of functional bonding conductors, combined protective and functional bonding conductors, the main functional earthing terminal, and equipotential bonding ring conductors.

Inspectors of commercial premises with significant ICT installations (data centres, broadcast facilities, large office network rooms, etc.) will need to be able to read and apply the Section 545 requirements during a periodic inspection.

PNB earthing systems

For the first time, PNB (Protective Neutral Bonded) earthing arrangements — the variant of TN-C-S where the neutral-earth connection is made once at or near the consumer’s installation — are formally included within the scope of BS 7671. PNB has long been recognised by the DNO standard ENA G12 and treated similarly to PME, but its inclusion in the IET Wiring Regulations brings the supply system identification and bonding sizing on EICRs into closer alignment with the network operator standards.

Other revisions of note

  • Regulation 521.5.1 (ferromagnetic enclosures and electromagnetic effects) has been redrafted, with a new note clarifying that for low voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies to BS EN IEC 61439, conductors in AC circuits with a current rating not exceeding 200 A may pass through separate holes in ferromagnetic enclosures, sections or plates. Above 200 A, this needs to have been verified by temperature-rise tests.
  • Regulation 521.10.202 (premature collapse of wiring systems) has had a clarifying note added confirming that the regulation is not intended to maintain circuit integrity for life-safety/firefighting applications under fire conditions (which are addressed by Chapter 56, BS 5839, BS 5266 and BS 8519).
  • Regulation 522.6 (cables in walls and partitions) has been reorganised into a table for clarity, with no change to the underlying technical requirements.
  • Section 537.4.2 has been redrafted: firefighter’s switches are now required where specified by the fire engineer to support the building’s fire strategy (with examples given for outdoor and indoor high-voltage discharge lighting). Regulation 537.4.2.1 has been deleted.
  • Chapter 56 (Safety Services) has been modified extensively in light of the new Chapter 57.
  • Chapter 81 (Energy Efficiency, Part 8-1) is a new chapter, replacing the previous Appendix 17. At this stage it is largely a reference framework, pointing the reader to the Building Regulations for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and to BS HD 60364-8-1:2019.
  • Appendix 4 has additions concerning data for buried cables in ducts.
  • Appendix 13 (cables in protected escape routes) has been redrafted to align with Approved Document B Volumes 1 and 2, BS 9991 and BS 9999, and the fire engineer’s fire safety strategy.
  • Appendix 17 has been deleted.

7. Skill level — the EAS, individual competence and the 1 October 2026 deadline

The most consequential change for those carrying out EICRs is not strictly part of Amendment 4 itself, but is happening in parallel and is closely tied to the same October 2026 implementation window. It comes from the Electrotechnical Assessment Specification (EAS), the industry framework that sets the minimum technical competence requirements for businesses certified by the recognised certification and registration bodies (NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, SELECT and others).

The EAS Management Committee — which includes representatives of the Building Safety Regulator, the Welsh Government, the IET, ECA, NICEIC, NAPIT, Electrical Safety First, TESP and UKAS — published an updated EAS in October 2024, with full implementation by 1 October 2026.

What the updated EAS requires for periodic inspection and testing

The relevant table is Table A4.2 of Appendix 4 of the EAS, which defines the mandatory technical competence requirements for Qualified Supervisors and Employed Persons responsible for and undertaking Periodic Inspection and Testing (Work Category A2).

From 1 October 2026, every individual carrying out, or responsible for, periodic inspection and testing under a certification body’s scheme must hold:

  1. A recognised Level 3 qualification in periodic inspection and testing — typically:
    • City & Guilds 2391-51 (Periodic Inspection and Testing of Electrical Installations), or
    • City & Guilds 2391-52 (Initial and Periodic Electrical Inspection and Testing), or
    • Another qualification listed in the EAS Qualifications Guide as equivalent (LCL Awards, EAL and other awarding bodies have equivalent units).
  2. A minimum of two years’ evidence of relevant experience specifically in periodic inspection and testing.
  3. Evidence of ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

The term “Employed Persons” in the EAS is defined to include directly employed PAYE staff, agency and temporary workers, subcontractors, self-employed individuals and sole traders working under the business’s certification. In other words, this is individual competence, not company competence. The “Qualified Supervisor signs off everyone’s work” model is no longer sufficient for periodic inspection and testing.

Trainees and apprentices may continue to undertake periodic inspection and testing, but only under the close supervision of a qualified person to enable them to acquire the necessary experience.

The same EAS update introduces four new mandatory work categories (Tables A4.3 to A4.6), each with their own competence requirements:

  • EVCE — Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment installation (domestic and commercial)
  • PV — Solar Photovoltaic systems installation (domestic and other than dwellings)
  • EESS — Electrical Energy Storage Systems installation
  • MWT — Micro Wind Turbine installation

In addition, Route 4 (the older industry-experience entry route) ceased to be acceptable for new applicants from 1 January 2026. Individuals who held the qualification before that date may still apply via Route 2 (Older Qualifications).

What this means in practice

If an individual currently undertakes EICRs under a competent person scheme on the strength of being supervised by a Qualified Supervisor, but does not personally hold a Level 3 inspection-and-testing qualification or two years of inspection-and-testing-specific experience, that arrangement ends on 1 October 2026. From that date a certification body assessment will record this as a major non-conformance, with the business required to provide evidence of corrective action (proof of qualification or confirmation of a course booking).

For the certificates and reports themselves, this dovetails with the Appendix 6 change described in Section 3 — the signature on the EICR is the signature of the person who actually executed the inspection and testing, and that person now needs to be individually qualified and experienced to do so.

8. Practical implications for commercial and domestic EICRs

Domestic EICRs (private rented sector, owner-occupied, Part P work)

  • The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 (and the equivalent Scottish 2015 and Northern Ireland 2024 regulations) require five-yearly EICRs by a “qualified and competent person”. The EAS update gives that phrase concrete teeth — a Level 3 qualification, two years’ relevant experience and CPD evidence.
  • From 15 October 2026, EICRs must reference BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 and use Amendment 4-compliant model forms.
  • Where the dwelling has battery energy storage, the inspection will need to refer to PAS 63100 (Reg 570.6.7.203) and the new Chapter 57 requirements on location, isolation and bidirectional protection.
  • Where the dwelling has PoE-powered devices forming part of the fixed installation (smart lighting, doorbells, cameras, access points), Section 716 is the new reference point.

Commercial EICRs

  • The same headline rules on referencing Amendment 4, the new model form notes, and FI-code clarification all apply.
  • For healthcare premises, Section 710 is materially different. EICRs must capture the supplementary protective equipotential bonding conductor resistances on the new Annex B710 schedule for medical locations.
  • For office, data centre, broadcast and similar premises, Section 545 (functional earthing/bonding for ICT) and Section 716 (PoE) bring scope that previously sat outside BS 7671 into BS 7671. This will affect the way limitations and operational sections of the EICR are written.
  • For any commercial premises with a stationary battery system, Chapter 57 and the revised Section 551 are now reference points.
  • For premises with firefighter’s switches, the revised Regulation 537.4.2 changes the inspection question from “is one fitted where the old prescriptive list said?” to “is one fitted where the fire engineer’s strategy says it should be?”

Across both

  • Templates and certificate-issuing software must be updated to Amendment 4 wording before 15 October 2026.
  • Photographic and thermographic evidence is now formally recognised in Chapter 65 and Appendix 6 — a good prompt to standardise photo/thermal inclusion in reports.
  • Limitations sections will need to address PoE, ICT functional earthing, and battery storage explicitly where present.
  • Individuals personally responsible for issuing reports must hold the EAS-required qualification, experience and CPD by 1 October 2026.

9. Summary of key dates

Date Event
15 January 2026 IET and BSI confirm publication of Amendment 4
1 January 2026 EAS Route 4 (older industry-experience route) closes to new applicants
15 April 2026 BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 (Orange Book) published; can be implemented immediately
1 October 2026 EAS individual competence requirements for periodic inspection and testing fully enforced
15 October 2026 BS 7671:2018+A2:2022+A3:2024 (Brown Book) and 2023 Corrigendum withdrawn; Amendment 4 becomes the sole current edition

10. What inspectors and contractors should be doing now

  1. Get the Orange Book. Either the printed BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 from the IET / authorised resellers, or a digital subscription. By 15 October 2026 your scheme provider will require evidence of access.
  2. Update your EICR, EIC and MEIWC templates to reflect the new Appendix 6 wording, in particular the redrafted notes for the person producing the report, the FI-code clarification, and the explicit signature requirements.
  3. Audit your team’s qualifications against EAS Table A4.2. Identify anyone who issues or is responsible for EICRs but does not hold a Level 3 inspection-and-testing qualification, and book them onto a course with enough lead time to clear by 1 October 2026.
  4. Build in CPD evidence. Amendment 4 refresher training (CPD, not a new 18th Edition qualification) covers the technical content and counts towards EAS CPD evidence.
  5. Review your scope on commercial premises with PoE, ICT, BESS or medical locations. Update standard limitations and inspection schedules to reflect Sections 716, 545, 710 and Chapter 57.
  6. Keep references consistent within a single project during the transition window. Mixing Brown Book and Orange Book references on a single certificate is best avoided.

Sources

  • IET / BSI joint press release, 15 January 2026 (publication announcement).
  • IET Wiring Matters, Issue 102 (September 2024) — articles by Geoff Cronshaw CEng FIET and Leon Markwell.
  • NICEIC published guidance on Amendment 4 and on the EAS competence changes.
  • NAPIT published statement on Amendment 4.
  • ECA published guidance on EAS competence changes for periodic inspection and testing and low-carbon technologies.
  • Electrotechnical Assessment Specification, October 2024, and the EAS Qualifications Guide (June 2025), published by the IET on behalf of the EAS Management Committee.
  • BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 Draft for Public Comment, BSI Standards Development portal.

This article is a summary for general guidance based on published industry sources. The definitive technical document is BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 itself, which should be consulted directly for the exact regulation wording. Individual installation circumstances should always be referred to the current text of the standard and to your certification body.

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