October 2026 Electrical Qualification Changes: What Every UK Electrician Must Know Before the EAS Deadline
If you carry out EICRs, install EV charging equipment, fit solar PV systems or work with battery storage, the qualification requirements applying to your business are changing on 1 October 2026.
The revised Electrotechnical Assessment Specification (EAS) introduces clearer individual competence requirements and four formal low-carbon work categories. These requirements apply across the industry, including businesses registered with NICEIC, NAPIT and other competent person schemes.
This is not a scheme-specific change. The EAS is an industry-wide specification used by certification and registration bodies when assessing electrical businesses.
If your business cannot demonstrate the required qualifications, experience and competence at its next assessment, you risk losing scope for the affected work. The time to review your position is now.
Why is the EAS changing?
The revised requirements follow concerns raised after the Grenfell Tower inquiry and Dame Judith Hackitt’s review of building safety.
The review identified a lack of consistent competence standards across the built environment. In practice, businesses and individuals could have very different levels of training and experience while undertaking work with significant safety implications.
The updated EAS is intended to establish clearer and more consistent benchmarks. Experience remains important, but for certain categories of work it must now be supported by formal, verifiable qualifications and evidence of continuing competence.
The Institution of Engineering and Technology’s EAS information explains that the specification sets minimum competence requirements for enterprises, Qualified Supervisors and electrical inspectors.
The biggest change: responsibility moves to the individual
Under the revised EAS, it is no longer enough for the business or Qualified Supervisor to hold the relevant qualification while other people carry out the work.
The requirements apply to every individual undertaking or supervising the relevant activity.
The term “employed persons” is interpreted broadly. It includes:
- Directly employed staff
- Agency and temporary workers
- Subcontractors
- Self-employed electricians
- Sole traders working under a registered business
This means a business owner must review the competence records for everyone carrying out or supervising EICRs and low-carbon installations. A Qualified Supervisor cannot simply provide cover for an entire team if individual workers do not meet the relevant requirements.
You should also ensure that your records clearly identify who is authorised to undertake each category of work and what evidence supports their competence.
Change 1: New requirements for EICRs
From 1 October 2026, everyone carrying out or responsible for periodic inspection and testing, including Electrical Installation Condition Reports, must meet specific competence requirements.
The individual must hold a relevant Level 3 inspection and testing qualification, such as a recognised LCL Awards qualification that meets the EAS requirements, for example:
- LCL Awards Level 3 Award in the Periodic Inspection, Testing, Condition Reporting and Certification of Electrical Installations
- LCL Awards Level 3 Award in the Initial Verification, Periodic Inspection, Testing, Condition Reporting and Certification of Electrical Installations
The qualification is only one part of the requirement. The individual must also provide:
- Evidence of at least two years’ experience in periodic inspection and testing
- Evidence of ongoing continuing professional development
- Evidence that their knowledge and working practices remain current
The two years’ experience must relate specifically to periodic inspection and testing. General electrical installation experience alone may not be enough.
Evidence could include employer or contractor records confirming that the individual has carried out or shadowed EICR work under suitable supervision. Keep copies of relevant job records, employer statements, CPD logs and certificates so they can be produced during an assessment.
Trainees and apprentices can still gain practical experience in inspection and testing, but they must work under the close supervision of a suitably qualified person.
For electricians who already carry out EICRs but do not hold a recognised Level 3 qualification, this is the most immediate area to investigate. Nationwide Training Services offers Periodic Inspection, Testing, Condition Reporting and Certification, as well as combined initial and periodic testing routes.
Change 2: Four new low-carbon work categories
The revised EAS introduces four specific low-carbon work categories:
- Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment installation
- Solar Photovoltaic systems installation
- Electrical Energy Storage Systems, including battery storage
- Micro wind turbine installation
These categories apply to work in dwellings and other-than-dwellings.
Every person carrying out or supervising work within one of these categories must hold an appropriate, formal and verifiable Level 3 qualification for that technology.
EV charging equipment
Electricians undertaking EV charging installations will need a qualification covering the relevant installation requirements, BS 7671 and the IET Code of Practice for Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation.
Examples of recognised qualifications include:
- LCL Awards Level 3 Award in the Installation and Commissioning of Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment (domestic, commercial and industrial locations)
These are examples of recognised LCL Awards qualifications that meet the EAS requirements.
Manufacturer product training can be useful, but it does not replace the required Level 3 competence qualification.
Solar PV systems
Solar PV installers must hold a specific Level 3 qualification covering the installation of small-scale solar photovoltaic systems.
Examples include:
- LCL Awards Level 3 Award in the Installation and Maintenance of Small Scale Solar Photovoltaic Systems
This is an example of a recognised LCL Awards qualification that meets the EAS requirements.
Nationwide Training Services’ Solar PV course covers system principles, component selection, installation, testing, commissioning, fault finding and relevant industry requirements.
Electrical energy storage systems
Battery storage is treated as its own EAS category. A general electrical qualification or experience installing solar PV does not automatically demonstrate competence in electrical energy storage systems.
Examples of relevant qualifications include:
- LCL Awards Level 3 Award in the Design, Installation and Commissioning of Electrical Energy Storage Systems
This is an example of a recognised LCL Awards qualification that meets the EAS requirements.
Our Battery Storage course covers the installation, commissioning, testing, maintenance and safety considerations associated with residential and commercial energy storage systems.
Micro wind turbines
Micro wind turbine installation is also included as a separate EAS category. Where a business intends to retain or apply for this scope, individuals must hold a qualification specifically covering micro wind turbine installation.
Because qualification availability and scheme acceptance can change, check the latest EAS qualification guidance and confirm the position directly with your certification or registration body before booking work.
The NAPIT Registration Guide sets out the qualification lists and scope categories used for NAPIT registration. The IET EAS page provides the current specification and qualification guide.
There are no automatic grandfather rights
Long experience is valuable, but it does not automatically exempt you from the revised qualification requirements.
There are no general grandfather rights allowing an experienced installer to continue working indefinitely without holding the appropriate Level 3 award. Manufacturer training alone is not sufficient for these EAS categories.
Some older qualifications may also no longer be recognised because technology, installation methods and safety requirements have developed.
Do not assume that a certificate you obtained several years ago will automatically cover the relevant scope. Check:
- The exact title and number of your qualification
- Whether it is listed in the current EAS qualification guidance
- Whether it covers domestic, commercial or both types of work
- Whether it covers installation, testing, commissioning or design
- Whether your certification body accepts it for the scope you require
Your registration body may also require access to current technical reference documents and suitable test equipment. For example, solar PV and battery storage work may require access to the relevant IET Codes of Practice, as well as appropriate test instruments.
What should you do before 1 October 2026?
Use the following checklist to assess your position.
1. Identify the work your business carries out
List every service currently included in your certification scope:
- EICRs
- EV charging installations
- Solar PV
- Battery storage
- Micro wind turbines
- Initial verification and certification
2. Audit every person involved
Review the qualifications held by employees, subcontractors, agency workers and self-employed electricians. Include anyone who carries out or supervises the work.
3. Check your EICR evidence
For each person undertaking periodic inspection and testing, confirm that you have:
- A recognised Level 3 qualification
- At least two years’ relevant experience
- An up-to-date CPD record
4. Arrange any missing training
Do not leave training until just before your assessment. Qualification completion, assessment dates and certificate issue times all need to be considered.
Nationwide Training Services provides electrical and low-carbon training options including:
- Solar PV Level 3
- Battery Storage Level 3
- Combined Solar PV and Battery Storage Level 3
- EV Charging Equipment Installation and Commissioning
- Initial Verification and Certification
- Periodic Inspection, Testing, Condition Reporting and Certification
- Combined initial and periodic testing
- Level 3 Domestic Electrical Installation
- 18th Edition training
Courses are delivered through an LCL Awards-approved centre, with regulated qualifications where applicable. Training is delivered in partnership with CPH Retrofit, which brings 24 years of training experience and 15 years of installation experience. Government funding for solar PV training is currently available through 2027, subject to eligibility and funding availability.
5. Prepare for your next assessment
Your assessor is likely to ask which work categories your business intends to undertake and how you demonstrate competence in each one.
Make sure your certificates, CPD records, experience evidence, technical references and equipment records are organised before the assessment.
Take action before the deadline
The October 2026 EAS changes affect more than the business owner or Qualified Supervisor. They apply to the individuals who carry out and supervise EICRs, EV charging, solar PV, battery storage and micro wind work.
If you do not yet hold the required qualification, review your options now and confirm acceptance with your competent person scheme. Acting early gives you time to complete the right course, build any required experience and prepare the evidence needed for assessment. Where qualifications are listed above, they are examples of recognised LCL Awards qualifications that meet the EAS requirements.
Explore Nationwide Training Services’ electrical and low-carbon courses, or contact our training team to discuss the most suitable route for your existing qualifications and intended work scope.