York › Wiring Regulations
BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 Explained The current wiring regulations, in plain English, from a York electrician
The current wiring regulations are BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, published on 15 April 2026. This page sets out what that means for a house in York, in plain English, and it carries the date it was last checked.
Last checked: 7 September 2026.
Why the name reads A4 and nothing else
Amendment 4 is a consolidated book: the 2024 amendment was folded into the main text, which is why the name reads BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 with no mention of the earlier one.
The changeover, and what it means for an inspection
The previous version of the wiring regulations is withdrawn on 15 October 2026. Until then either version counts as current, so an inspection can be carried out to either; from 15 October every EICR is done to Amendment 4.
What Amendment 4 changed
Most of Amendment 4 lands on the newer end of what goes into a house: there is a new chapter for battery storage, new rules for running power over network cabling, new rules on earthing for computer and communications equipment, and a full rewrite of the rules for medical premises. The part that matters at home is battery storage. A battery is now treated as something that supplies the house rather than just another load, with rules covering power flowing both ways, where the battery can sit, ventilation and fire risk.
If a battery is something you are weighing up, I have written separately about what a proper battery install looks like.
The one change you are likely to notice on an EICR
An item marked for further investigation on an EICR no longer makes the whole report unsatisfactory. Under the previous version of the regulations it did. If a report has come back unsatisfactory on that basis in the past, that is the rule that has moved. How I run an inspection is set out on the EICR in York page.
Common questions
Which version of the wiring regulations is current?
BS 7671:2018+A4:2026. It was published on 15 April 2026.
Does an item marked for further investigation make my EICR unsatisfactory?
Not on its own. Under Amendment 4, an item marked for further investigation no longer makes the whole report unsatisfactory. Under the previous version it did.
My wiring went in under older regulations. Does it need upgrading now?
If your wiring was put in under an older version of the regulations, that does not automatically make it unsafe or mean it needs upgrading. The IET's own condition report notes say so, and an inspection records the installation against the version of the regulations in force on the day it was inspected.
Want an inspection done to the current regulations?
Tell me about the property and I will give you an estimate before anything is booked.