Electrical Certificate Software Built for UK Electricians

Electrical certificate software replaces paper pads and desktop form-fillers with a workflow that completes the certificate on site, on your phone. The difference between products is not whether they produce a PDF — they all do — but how much of the slow work they remove: recording the board, entering test results, classifying observations, chasing signatures, and sending the finished document.

Elec-Mate approaches certification as one continuous job: scan the consumer unit, speak the test readings, let the software validate them against BS 7671 maximum values, capture signatures on screen, and send the PDF by email or WhatsApp from the client's hallway. The certificate then feeds the invoice or a priced remedial quote, so the paperwork becomes part of getting paid rather than an evening job.

Content reviewed by a qualified electrician registered with a Part P competent person scheme and verified against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026.

Whichever product you choose, check it against this list before committing — these are the differences that show up after a month of real use, not in the marketing:

• Certificate coverage — EICR, EIC, and Minor Works as a minimum. If you install EV chargers or solar, check those certificates are included rather than sold separately.
• True cost per certificate — per-certificate fees, AI credits, or capped plans multiply with volume. A busy inspector issuing 30 EICRs a month needs unlimited usage to make the numbers work.
• Current model forms — forms should follow BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 Appendix 6, including SPD and AFDD recording fields. Ask the vendor when the forms were last updated.
• Validation, not just storage — the software should check Zs readings against the maximum permitted values for the protective device, flag impossible insulation resistance values, and verify ring continuity relationships.
• Offline capability — full certificate completion with no signal, with automatic sync afterwards.
• Delivery and audit trail — digital signatures, professional PDF output, email and WhatsApp delivery, and cloud storage you can search when a landlord rings two years later.

Elec-Mate includes 16 certificate types in every subscription — covering domestic, commercial, and specialist work:

• EICR — full condition report with board schedules, test results, and C1/C2/C3/FI observations. See the EICR certificate page.
• EIC — for new installations and alterations, with multi-party design/construction/inspection signatures.
• Minor Works Certificate — quick-fill form for smaller jobs.
• EV Charger Installation — charger model, output, earthing arrangement, and protection details.
• Solar PV — array, inverter, DC and AC circuits, and commissioning results.
• Fire Alarm Commissioning — to BS 5839.
• Emergency Lighting — to BS 5266.
• PAT Testing — visual inspection plus electrical tests with pass/fail classification.

The full breakdown of every form is on the digital certificates app page.

The biggest hidden difference between certificate software products is the pricing model. Per-certificate charges and AI credit systems look cheap at low volume and become expensive exactly when your business is doing well. Capped plans force a plan upgrade the month you take on a block of landlord EICRs.

Elec-Mate charges a flat subscription from £6.99/month with unlimited certificate generation across all 16 types. No per-certificate fees, no credits, no caps. The subscription also includes 70+ BS 7671 calculators, AI tools, training courses, and quoting and invoicing — so the certificate software is one part of a complete platform rather than a separate line on your software bill.

If you are comparing products on price, work out your realistic monthly certificate volume and calculate the true monthly cost of each option at that volume — then compare again at double the volume.

Four AI tools remove the slowest parts of certification:

• AI Board Scanner — photograph the consumer unit and the software extracts circuits, device types, and ratings into the schedule. A 12-circuit board that takes 10 minutes to record manually is scanned in under 30 seconds.
• Voice Test Entry — speak readings while holding test leads and the software places them in the correct fields of the schedule of test results.
• Defect Code AI — describe a defect in plain English and receive the correct C1/C2/C3/FI classification with the BS 7671 regulation reference and professionally worded observation text.
• AI Remedial Cost Estimator — turns EICR defects into a priced remedial quotation with itemised materials and labour.

Certificate forms follow the BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 Appendix 6 model forms, including the fields for recording SPD and AFDD details added by Amendment 4. Test results are validated automatically: Zs readings are checked against the maximum permitted values for the specific protective device on that circuit, insulation resistance is checked against minimum acceptable values, and RCD operation times are checked against the required disconnection times.

Validation catches transcription errors before they reach the finished certificate — the readings that look wrong get flagged while you are still on site and able to re-test. For the testing procedure itself, see the testing sequence guide and BS 7671 18th Edition guide.

Moving from paper certificates is mostly a habit change: the form sections are the same Appendix 6 model forms you already know, in the same order. Most electricians complete their first digital EICR slower than paper and their third one substantially faster — the board scanner and voice entry are where the time comes back.

Moving from another certificate app is simpler than it looks. Historic certificates stay accessible in your old system (keep the account read-only or export the PDFs); new work starts in Elec-Mate from day one. There is no data migration on the certificate itself because each certificate is a point-in-time record of one inspection.

The 7-day free trial includes every feature, so the sensible test is to run one real job through it end to end: scan the board, enter the results, sign it, and send the PDF. That one job tells you more than any comparison table.