PAT Testing

Get a Commercial PAT Testing Quote from Competent Engineers

Tell us about the premises and roughly how many appliances you have, and we'll match you with one of the competent PAT testing engineers in our network. Get a no-obligation quote in about a minute, and keep every kettle, charger and extension lead safe, labelled and on record.

✓ Competent PAT engineers ✓ Risk-based test intervals ✓ Free, no-obligation quote

EAWRThe duty to maintain equipment

Risk-basedIntervals set by use and environment

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In short

Is PAT testing a legal requirement for businesses?

Not by name. The law requires you to keep electrical equipment maintained so it does not cause danger, and it leaves the method and frequency to you. Formal inspection and testing of portable appliances, with a record and a label on each item, is the recognised way to meet that duty and to show an insurer, a landlord or an inspector that you have. How often depends on the equipment and where it is used, from every few months on a construction site to several years for office IT equipment.

Regulation 4(2) of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 requires electrical systems, which include portable appliances, to be maintained so as to prevent danger.
HSE confirms that the law does not say how equipment must be maintained or how often, and that not every item needs a formal test every year.
HSE's guidance for low-risk environments and HSG107 set out a risk-based approach: user checks, formal visual inspections, and combined inspection and testing at intervals suited to the equipment and its use.
Work equipment must also be maintained in an efficient state and in good repair under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

Maintained by the ComSurv team and checked against UK government, HSE and professional-body sources. ComSurv is a matching service, not a firm of surveyors or contractors. General information, not legal advice.

Why it matters

What is PAT testing?

In-service inspection and testing of the electrical equipment people plug in at work: computers, chargers, kettles, heaters, power tools and extension leads. A competent person inspects each item, tests it with a portable appliance tester where the risk warrants it, labels it and records the result.

A legal duty to maintain

The regulations require equipment to be kept safe. Testing is how you evidence it.

Risk-based, not annual

Intervals follow the equipment and its environment, from months to years.

A register and labels

Every item logged with its result and next due date.

Faults found and removed

Damaged leads, plugs and appliances are failed, labelled and taken out of use.

How it works

Matched with the right engineers in three steps.

Tell us what you need

Answer a few quick questions about the property, what you need and your timeline.

We match you with engineers

We match you with one of the competent PAT testing engineers who cover your area and property type.

Receive your quote and book

Get a no-obligation quote and go ahead only if it's right for you.

What's involved

What a PAT testing visit involves

The engineer walks the premises, logs each appliance, carries out a visual inspection of the plug, lead and casing, and runs electrical tests (earth continuity, insulation resistance and, where appropriate, a functional check) on items that need them. Each appliance gets a pass or fail label and you receive a register with the results, any failures and the recommended next test dates.

What it delivers

Asset register of every appliance tested
Visual inspection of plugs, leads and casings
Electrical tests where the class of equipment requires them
Pass and fail labels on each item
A report with failures and recommended intervals

Who needs it

Employers and office managers
Retail, hospitality and leisure operators
Landlords supplying appliances with let premises
Facilities managers and multi-site businesses

Why it matters

Faulty appliances cause fires and electric shocks
Insurers and landlords ask for the records
The register makes the next visit quicker and cheaper
Per-item pricing is easy to budget

The forgotten appliances

The kettle in the kitchen is electrical equipment too.

Most workplace electrical incidents involve the small things: a frayed charger lead, an overloaded extension block, a heater under a desk. None of them appear on an EICR, which covers the fixed installation. PAT testing is how the portable equipment gets looked at, and the register is what you show when someone asks whether it was.

Get a PAT testing quote

Office appliances with green test labels on a counter beside a portable appliance tester

Qualified & accredited

Qualified, accountable and vetted.

The engineers we match you with are competent to inspect and test in-service electrical equipment, working to HSE guidance and the IET Code of Practice. ComSurv is a matching service and is not itself a regulated firm.

Accreditations & memberships

Questions

PAT Testing FAQs

How much does PAT testing cost?+

It is usually priced per appliance, with a minimum charge for the visit. As a broad guide, expect around £1 to £3 per item for larger volumes, with minimum charges commonly between £50 and £100 for small premises. You’ll get a no-obligation quote.

Is PAT testing a legal requirement?+

Not by that name. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical equipment to be maintained to prevent danger, and HSE guidance describes inspection and testing at risk-based intervals as the way to do it. No law says every appliance must be tested every year.

How often should appliances be PAT tested?+

It depends on the equipment and its environment. HSE guidance and the IET Code of Practice suggest user checks and formal visual inspections more often, with combined inspection and testing ranging from every few months for construction tools to several years for office IT equipment.

What is the difference between PAT testing and an EICR?+

An EICR covers the fixed wiring, consumer units and sockets. PAT testing covers what gets plugged into them. Most businesses need both, and they are often done by the same contractor.

Does PAT testing include IT equipment and chargers?+

Yes. Computers, monitors, chargers and extension leads are all in scope, although low-risk double-insulated items may only need a visual inspection rather than a full test.

Who is responsible for PAT testing in a let commercial building?+

The employer is responsible for the equipment their staff use. A landlord is responsible for any appliances they supply with the premises. Agree the split in writing where it is not clear.

Also required on this property

One property, several obligations. Sort them together.

Most commercial premises carry more than one compliance duty. These are the ones that usually sit alongside this service, or run our compliance check to see everything your property needs in one go.