Arrange inspection and testing of suitable portable electrical equipment with records you can use. James discusses the items, locations and access needed before the visit.
An appliance list or a rough count, plus the premises, is enough to start. James aims to reply within one hour, 8am–6pm.
Replies within an hour, 8am–6pm
Local to Brechin, Angus, Scotland
Brechin Sparks is James Leslie, working from a base in Brechin and covering the DD9 postcode area, Montrose, Forfar, Arbroath, Edzell and Dundee within an approximate 40-mile radius.
For landlords, letting agents, offices, shops and farms that need a record of what was tested and when. A rental visit can combine appliance testing with a Landlord EICR and Interlinked Smoke & Heat Alarms; business premises can pair it with a Commercial EICR of the fixed wiring.
“James was very polite and sent over the quote immediately after the call and came out the same day in the early evening.”
“He couldn't of been more helpful and still only took what he quoted for, even though it was a bigger job than expected. Definitely recommend.”
“Arrived within an hour of my call, as he said he would. Fixed the problem same afternoon, and rate was extremely reasonable!”
“They also give decent price for the job and the work done will be using James again, he is also very polite and very helpful too me.”
“Fast response during a weekend, put in a temporary fix so we got power back. Excellent service.”
“Very professional and courteous. Highly recommend him.”
Testing frequency
There is no single schedule suitable for every item. Frequency should reflect the equipment, its use and the environment; discuss the appropriate approach for your premises.
There is no blanket legal requirement for every portable appliance to receive an annual PAT test.
Maintenance arrangements should be based on risk, use and environment, alongside any applicable tenancy or other specific requirements.
Not every check needs an instrument. Between formal tests, whoever uses the equipment can look for damaged plugs, flexes and casings and take a faulty item out of use.
A test label alone does not guarantee an appliance will remain safe until the next inspection. The process should reflect the type of item, its condition and how it is used.
Not sure what to include? Send James your equipment list.
Get a quote
Inspection first, instrument tests where the appliance calls for them, and a record of every item at the end.
Portable appliance testing is a common name for inspection and appropriate electrical tests on equipment. The process should reflect the type of item, its condition and how it is used. A test label alone does not guarantee an appliance will remain safe until the next inspection.
Prepare a list of equipment and its locations, including items that cannot be unplugged during normal working hours. James agrees the scope and access arrangements, records the results and explains any items needing repair, further assessment or removal from use.
Appliance inspection and testing does not replace an EICR of the building’s fixed electrical installation. If you need both, identify the equipment and premises in your enquiry so the scopes and records can be quoted clearly.
Guide prices
Quote agreed after assessment. The equipment, access, investigation needed and extent of installation or repair affect the price. James explains the proposed work and any additional costs before you agree to proceed.
Number and type of appliances, their locations and access arrangements. Quoted for the appliance list: share an appliance list or estimated quantity and the premises details.
Indicative guide prices. The final scope and cost are agreed before work begins. Prepare an equipment list and identify items that cannot be unplugged during normal operation. The scope and testing approach depend on the equipment and its use.
See the full guide to electrical work prices for other jobs.
The visit
Send a list of equipment and its locations, including items that cannot be unplugged during normal working hours. James agrees the scope and access arrangements before the visit, so nothing is switched off unexpectedly.
Each item is unplugged and looked over: the plug and its fuse, the flex and where it enters the appliance, and the casing, for damage, wear or signs of overheating. A good share of faults are found at this stage.
Where the appliance calls for it, tests such as earth continuity and insulation resistance are carried out with a PAT tester. Which tests apply depends on how the appliance is constructed and whether it relies on an earth connection.
Each appliance is labelled with the result and a reference, and entered on the register with its location and outcome. If you already number your equipment, James can use your references.
James explains any items needing repair, further assessment or removal from use, so you can decide what to fix, replace or take out of service.
Items that cannot be unplugged during normal operation can be scheduled for a quieter time, or left out of the agreed scope and noted as such on the register.
After the visit
Records you can use: for a landlord file, a letting agent, an insurer or a workplace safety folder.
A list of the appliances tested, each with its reference, location and result, marked pass or fail, so you can show what was tested and when.
Each tested item carries a label showing the result and its reference on the register. A test label alone does not guarantee an appliance will remain safe until the next inspection.
A note of any items that failed or are recommended for repair or replacement, with James’s explanation of why and whether the item should be removed from use in the meantime.
Inspection and appropriate electrical tests on equipment for landlords and businesses, from a base in Brechin covering Angus and surrounding areas within approximately 40 miles.
The process should reflect the type of item, its condition and how it is used. A test label alone does not guarantee an appliance will remain safe until the next inspection.
Speak directly with James Leslie, based in Brechin, with 40 years of electrical engineering experience, a former RAF electrical engineer and former Angus retained firefighter. Small jobs are welcome, with clear explanations and costs agreed before work begins.
Public liability cover across domestic, commercial and agricultural properties, with costs agreed before any work begins.
Read more about James Leslie and how Brechin Sparks approaches electrical work, from the first enquiry to explaining the completed job.
BS 7671 wiring regulations
Level 3 Award · BS 7671 wiring regulations
Cover for electrical work
Local service across a 40-mile radius
Engineering experience behind the advice
A background in serving the community
Offices, shops, farms, holiday lets and rental properties across the DD9 postcode area and the wider Angus towns in Scotland within an approximate 40-mile radius. Give James your postcode to confirm availability.
From the town centre to Trinity and Cookston. Our base, so usually the quickest to arrange.
Offices, shops and rental properties across the Angus towns.
Testing visits for business premises and rented properties, including farms and surrounding rural properties.
Enquiries welcome for flats, HMOs and rented properties.
Call with your postcode to check coverage within the approximate 40-mile service area.
Full list of towns on the areas covered page.
Not as a fixed test or interval. The Health and Safety Executive explains that the regulations do not make inspection or testing of electrical appliances a legal requirement, nor require it annually; what an employer must do is maintain electrical equipment so it does not cause danger. Landlords should check any applicable tenancy or other specific requirements for the appliances they supply. Recorded inspection and testing is a widely used way of showing that duty has been met. James agrees a schedule that suits the equipment and the premises. HSE: portable appliance testing FAQs
There is no single interval. Frequency should reflect the equipment, its use and the environment: a kettle in a busy shared kitchen or a drill on a farm is a different case from a monitor that is never moved. HSE describes the frequency as depending on the type of equipment and the environment it is used in. James suggests an interval for each group of items and notes it on the register. HSE on inspection and testing frequency
Usually not a formal test. HSE says new equipment should be supplied in a safe condition and should not need a formal inspection or test, though a simple visual check for damage is recommended. Many landlords and businesses still add new items to the register at the next visit so the list stays complete; that is a record-keeping choice rather than a requirement. HSE on new equipment
A visual inspection first, then instrument tests where the appliance calls for them. The inspection covers the plug, fuse, flex and casing for damage or wear; the tests typically check the earth connection and the insulation, depending on how the appliance is built. Each item is then labelled and the result recorded.
Yes, with the tenant’s agreement on access. Each appliance is unplugged briefly for inspection and testing, so items in use are handled at a convenient moment. Tell James which appliances are the landlord’s and which belong to the tenant; only the items in the agreed scope are tested and recorded.
It is labelled as failed and noted on the register, and James explains whether it needs repair, further assessment or removal from use. Some faults, such as a damaged plug or flex, may be repairable; others are simpler to replace. What to do with the item is your decision, but it should not go back into service until it has been put right.
You receive a test register listing every appliance tested with its result, and each item carries a label. There is no single official PAT certificate; the register and labels are the record that landlords, letting agents and insurers may ask to see. Appliance inspection and testing does not replace an EICR of the building’s fixed electrical installation. If you need both, identify the equipment and premises in your enquiry so the scopes and records can be quoted clearly.
There is no single schedule suitable for every item. Frequency should reflect the equipment, its use and the environment; discuss the appropriate approach for your premises.
Send an appliance list or a rough count, the premises, and whether any items cannot be unplugged during normal working hours. Managing several properties? List the addresses and James will quote them together.
Call 01356 235858