PAT testing explained: rules, frequency and costs

PAT testing is one of the most misunderstood jobs in electrical safety. Many businesses test every plug every year because they think the law says so. It does not. Here is what the HSE actually requires, how often to test, who can do it, what it costs and the special rules for landlords in Scotland and Wales.

What does the law say about PAT testing?

PAT stands for portable appliance testing: a visual inspection and electrical test of equipment that plugs in, such as kettles, kettle leads, power tools and extension leads. The HSE now often calls it in-service inspection and testing.

• The law: the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require equipment that could cause injury to be "maintained in a safe condition". They do not say PAT testing must be done, or how often.
• Annual testing: the HSE says testing everything every year in a low-risk setting such as an office is a myth.
• Frequency: should be based on risk: the type of equipment and how and where it is used.
• Records and stickers: not legally required, but useful to show a maintenance system is in place.
• Landlords: required in Scotland (at most every 5 years), required for social landlords' equipment in England, recommended in Wales.

Who needs PAT testing?

Employers and businesses

Any employer must keep the electrical equipment their staff use safe. For most portable equipment in low-risk workplaces, the HSE says full PAT is not needed and brief user checks plus visual inspections are often enough. It gives the example of a travel agency that visually inspected most equipment every five years and only tested a heavily used vacuum cleaner. NICEIC recommends regular in-service inspection and testing of portable equipment alongside a 5-yearly EICR for business premises.

Hire companies and construction sites

The HSE strongly recommends that hire companies formally inspect and test equipment before each hire. Tools used on construction sites take much more punishment than a desk lamp and need much more frequent checks. Use HSE guidance HSG107 for higher-risk settings.

Landlords

PAT is separate from the EICR, which covers the fixed wiring. See our guide to electrical certificates for how the documents fit together.

How is PAT testing done, step by step?

1. Make a list of equipment. Record each item, where it is used and its class (Class I earthed, Class II double insulated).
2. Decide the frequency by risk. Use the HSE table below as a starting point, then adjust based on what you find.
3. User checks. Staff look for damaged cables, cracked plugs and burn marks before use. Many faults are found this way.
4. Formal visual inspection. A competent person removes the plug cover where possible and checks the fuse, cord grip and terminations.
5. Combined inspection and testing. A PAT tester checks earth continuity, insulation resistance and polarity where relevant. This needs the right equipment and the ability to read the results.
6. Record and label. Not legally required, but recording the result, date and next test date makes the system easy to manage and to prove.
7. Remove failures. Take faulty items out of use straight away. In Scotland, landlords must repair or replace failed appliances immediately.

How often should each item be checked?

Class I and Class II: why it matters

The class of an appliance decides how much testing it needs. Class I equipment relies on an earth connection for safety: if a live wire touches the metal case, the earth carries the fault current and the fuse blows. Kettles, toasters, irons and many power tools are Class I, so the earth path has to be tested. Class II equipment is double insulated, marked with a square inside a square, and has no earth. Phone chargers, most laptops' power supplies, many lamps and lots of hand-held power tools are Class II. Because there is no earth to test, the HSE suggests visual inspection is usually enough for Class II items that are not hand-held. Battery-operated and extra low voltage equipment generally needs no formal checks at all. Sorting your list by class before the tester arrives is the quickest way to cut the bill.

How much does PAT testing cost?

Two published UK cost guides give similar figures:

There are no fixed legal deadlines for businesses. For Scottish landlords, the deadline is before the first let and then at most every 5 years, which lines up neatly with the 5-yearly EICR. For the EICR side of the bill, see our EICR cost guide.

Worked example: a small office and a Scottish flat

An office with 60 items

An accountancy office has 60 plug-in items: 20 computers and screens, 4 printers, 6 desk lamps, 2 kettles, 1 microwave, 1 vacuum cleaner and 26 leads and extension leads. Using the HSE table:

• The computers, screens, printers and lamps (30 items) mostly need only a visual inspection every 2 to 4 years.
• The kettles, microwave and vacuum cleaner (4 items) are Class I and moved often: test every 1 to 2 years.
• The 26 leads follow the equipment they serve.

Rather than paying to test all 60 items every year (MyJobQuote's ranges suggest about £100 to £250 for 60 items: £50 to £100 for the first 10, plus £1 to £3 for each of the other 50), the office could test the higher-risk items and leads yearly and do a full round every few years, with trained staff doing visual checks in between.

A furnished flat in Glasgow

A landlord supplies a fridge freezer, washing machine, kettle, toaster, microwave and two lamps. All seven must be tested before the first let and at least every 5 years. With a typical minimum charge of £40 to £60 (MyBuilder), most landlords book PAT on the same visit as the EICR to avoid paying two call-outs.

What are the common PAT testing mistakes?

• Testing everything every year. The HSE says this is not required in low-risk settings, and it wastes money.
• Skipping visual checks. Most faults are found by looking. A test sticker does not prove the cable has not been crushed since.
• Testing brand-new equipment. A visual check is normally enough.
• Forgetting extension leads. Leads and plugs are some of the highest-risk items.
• Scottish landlords leaving out PAT. It is part of the Repairing Standard, not an optional extra.
• Using a tester you cannot interpret. The HSE says the person must be competent to read the results, not just press the button.

What PAT testing software do electricians use?

If you offer PAT testing, software turns a day of testing into a client-ready report and labels without retyping. The options we found:

• iCertifi PAT Test Pro: £24.99 a month or £120.99 a year, with a volume plan at £349 a year; prices include VAT according to iCertifi. iOS and Android, with a 1-week trial.
• Tradecert: includes PAT alongside EICR, EIC and fire alarm forms, from £18 a month.
• Clik's NICEIC Cert Software: £280 ex VAT, with free PAT certificates included.

An electrician doing PAT work most weeks would find iCertifi PAT Test Pro's annual plan works out at about £10 a month. One that does PAT occasionally alongside EICRs may be better served by an app that covers both, such as Tradecert. See our electrical certificate software comparison and, for quoting, scheduling and invoicing PAT jobs, our guide to software for electricians.