Safety Regulations

BS 7671 Amendment 4 (2026) Is Here — What It Means for Your Home and Business

On 15 April 2026, the IET and BSI officially published Amendment 4 (2026) to BS 7671:2018 — the IET Wiring Regulations that underpin all electrical installation work in the UK. It's the biggest single update since the 18th Edition itself, and from 15 October 2026 it becomes the only recognised standard for new electrical certificates.

What's actually new?

Amendment 4 introduces several substantial technical changes, the most relevant for homeowners and small businesses being:

• A brand new chapter on Stationary Secondary Batteries — the first dedicated rules for home battery storage, solar-plus-battery systems and vehicle-to-home (V2H) EV charging
• New Section 716 covering Power over Ethernet (PoE) — relevant to smart home and network installations that supply devices like cameras and access points over data cabling
• A major revision of Section 710 (Medical Locations) — mainly relevant to healthcare premises, not typical homes
• New guidance on functional earthing for ICT equipment — server rooms and data cabinets

Home battery storage — the big one for homeowners

If you're considering solar panels with battery storage, or a bidirectional EV charger that can power your home (V2H), this is the change that affects you most directly. Before Amendment 4, installers had no dedicated section of the Wiring Regulations covering battery storage design, protection and verification — they had to rely on general principles and manufacturer guidance. The new chapter sets out clear requirements for system design, battery location, ventilation and fire safety.

What happens to work done under the old standard?

Amendment 4 is usable immediately, but there's a six-month transition period: between 15 April and 15 October 2026, electricians can design, inspect and certify work against either the previous edition (BS 7671:2018+A2:2022+A3:2024) or the new Amendment 4. From 15 October 2026, every new Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC), Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC) and Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) must reference Amendment 4 — the previous "Brown Book" edition is formally withdrawn.

Existing certificates already issued aren't invalidated — this only affects new work and new inspections going forward.

New EICR inspector qualification requirement

Alongside the technical changes, the qualification bar for who can carry out an EICR is being tightened. From 1 October 2026, the "experience-only" route into EICR inspection work is closing — every individual carrying out EICR work, whether employee, subcontractor or sole trader, must hold the Level 3 award in electrical inspection and testing. This builds on the trend we've already covered around EICR requirements extending to social housing — inspection standards are being tightened across the board in 2026.

Do I need to do anything as a homeowner?

If you already have a valid EICR or certificate, nothing changes for you. It matters if you're planning new electrical work in the second half of 2026 — an extension, EV charger, battery storage or rewire — since it's worth checking your installer is up to speed on Amendment 4 before work starts.