NICEIC · IET PAT Testing Guide · BS EN 50678
PAT Testing in Fraserburgh, AB43
Per appliance PAT testing from £3 each. No minimum visit fee for 6+ items. Asset register, sticker labelling, certificate emailed within 24 hours.
What's the use case?
Bundling with an EICR? Save the visit fee in the landlord pack.
Per appliance, no minimum
£3 each
Bulk discounts at 50+ items. No call out fee for 6+ items.
Holiday let pack
£45 to £80
HMO 4 bed annual
£75 to £120
Office or shop annual
£150 to £450
Bundled with EICR same visit
£2.50 each, no visit fee
The honest legal answer
Is PAT testing actually mandatory in Scotland?
Short answer: PAT itself isn't named in any UK law as mandatory, but the duty it discharges is. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 require employers, landlords, self employed people, and anyone supplying electrical equipment to others to keep that equipment safe and maintained. PAT is the practical, accepted way to meet that duty.
Where PAT IS named explicitly:
- ·Scottish HMO licensing. Annual PAT testing is required for any supplied appliance in a House in Multiple Occupation, signed off by a competent person.
- ·Scottish short term let licensing (October 2023). All short term lets (Airbnb, holiday lets) must hold annual PAT records as part of the licence application and renewal.
- ·Commercial insurance policies. Almost all UK commercial property insurance now requires PAT testing as a condition of cover. Without it, claims involving electrical fault are usually refused.
- ·Schools, nurseries, care homes. Required by their respective inspection regimes (Care Inspectorate Scotland, Education Scotland) as part of safety standards.
- ·Construction and trade use. Hand tools on construction sites need PAT every 3 to 6 months under CDM regs and most site policies.
If you supply electrical equipment to a tenant, customer, employee, or member of the public, assume PAT applies to you. The cost is small (£3 per item), the consequences of skipping it (insurance refusal, HMO licence loss, tribunal penalty) are not.
The 4 actual tests
What we test on every appliance
PAT isn't just plugging items into a tester. It's a four part inspection where the visual check catches more fails than the electrical tests combined. Every appliance gets all four, every time.
- 1
Visual inspection
Cable for cuts, kinks, burns, exposed conductor. Plug for cracks, loose pins, correct fuse rating. IEC connector seating. Strain relief at the appliance entry. Most fails happen here, before the tester even gets used.
- 2
Earth bond test (Class I appliances only)
Measures resistance from the earth pin of the plug to any exposed metal on the appliance. Must be below 0.1 ohm + cable resistance. A failed earth bond means the casing isn't safely connected to earth, which means a fault inside the appliance can make the casing live.
- 3
Insulation resistance test
500V DC test from the live conductors to earth (Class I) or to any accessible metalwork (Class II). Confirms the cable insulation hasn't degraded and the internal wiring isn't shorting. Threshold is 1 megaohm minimum, modern PAT testers expect 10 megaohm or higher to pass.
- 4
Functional check
We power the appliance briefly, confirm it works, listen for unusual noise, smell for burning. The basic 'does it actually do what it should' check that no automated test catches. Often the moment we spot a tired motor or worn switch.
IET PAT Testing Guide intervals
How often does each appliance need testing?
The IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology) PAT Testing Guide sets the recommended intervals by appliance type. We follow these by default, not made up "we'll come every year" frequencies.
| Appliance type | Recommended frequency |
|---|---|
| Handheld appliances (kettle, toaster, hair dryer) | Annual |
| Movable equipment (vacuum, fan heater) | Annual |
| Fixed appliances (fridge, oven, washing machine) | Every 2 years |
| IT equipment (computer, monitor, printer) | Every 4 years (visual annual) |
| Stationary equipment (microwave, kettle in fixed location) | Every 2 years |
| Hand held tools (drills, sanders) on construction or trade use | Every 3 to 6 months |
Source: IET Code of Practice for In Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (5th edition).
Detailed pricing
PAT testing cost in Fraserburgh
Per appliance pricing with bulk discounts. No padded visit fees. Bundled with other electrical work, the visit fee disappears entirely.
| Scenario | Price |
|---|---|
| Per appliance, 1 to 50 items | £3 each |
| Per appliance, 50 to 200 items | £2.50 each |
| Per appliance, 200+ items (schools, care homes) | from £2 each |
| Visit fee (1 to 5 items only, standalone visit) | £45 + items |
| Holiday let pack (typical 12 to 20 items) | £45 to £80 |
| HMO 4 bed annual (typical 20 to 30 items) | £75 to £120 |
| Office or shop annual (50 to 150 items) | £150 to £450 |
| Bundled with EICR same visit | £2.50 each, no visit fee |
Worked example: a Sandhaven holiday let with 15 supplied items (kettle, toaster, hair dryer, microwave, vacuum, lamps, etc). 15 × £3 = £45, no visit fee because count is over 6. We arrive, test, sticker, log, and email the register, total time around 35 minutes. Annual renewal locked at the same price.
By use case
PAT testing for your specific situation
Furnished lets
Furnished landlord
Annual PAT on every supplied appliance. Typical 3 bed furnished let has 8 to 15 items: kettle, toaster, microwave, fridge, washing machine, vacuum, lamps, small kitchen appliances. Bundled with EICR + smoke alarm in our landlord compliance pack.
From £24 (8 items × £3) or £550 in landlord pack
Mandatory under 2023 licensing
Holiday let / Airbnb
Mandatory annual PAT under the October 2023 Scottish short term let licensing. Holiday lets typically have more items than long term rentals (12 to 25): full kitchen kit, hair dryers, irons, kettles in every guest area, smart TVs, gaming consoles. Single visit per year, register valid for licence renewal.
From £45 to £80 typical
HMO licence requirement
HMO (House in Multiple Occupation)
Mandatory annual PAT under HMO licensing. 4 bed HMO typically has 20 to 30 items: shared kitchen appliances + each tenant's contributed items + landlord supplied lamps and small appliances. We work around tenant schedules.
From £75 to £120 annually
Insurance requirement
Office, shop, salon, harbour business
Required by most commercial insurance policies. Office of 50 items: £150. Hairdresser of 30 items including all the tools: £90. Café or coffee shop with 50 to 80 items: £150 to £240. Out of hours scheduling available so testing doesn't disrupt opening hours.
From £150 office, £90 salon
Sole trader / mobile worker / construction site
Hand tools on trade or construction work need PAT every 3 to 6 months under CDM regs. Mobile hairdressers, mobile mechanics, plumbers, joiners, gardeners with power tools, all in scope. We test in batches at our workshop or at your home, sticker, log, register. Annual contract pricing available for builders with regular kit churn.
From £45 (5 items + visit fee), bulk contract from £80 quarterly
Local context
Why PAT testing volume is high in Fraserburgh
Fraserburgh has three concentrated PAT markets that we service week in week out. Holiday lets in Sandhaven and the harbour front have grown substantially since the short term let licensing came in. Furnished long term rentals in town centre flats need annual PAT for every supplied appliance. And the harbour businesses (chandleries, boat repair workshops, fish processing offices, fuel suppliers) all need annual PAT for their commercial insurance.
We bundle PAT with EICR, smoke alarm, and other electrical work wherever possible. A typical landlord saves 25 to 35% by booking a single combined visit vs three separate visits over the year. We also offer rolling annual contracts for letting agents and property management companies, which spreads the testing schedule across the year and locks pricing.
Common questions
PAT Testing FAQs for Fraserburgh
Is PAT testing legally required in Fraserburgh?
PAT itself isn't a specific legal requirement, but the underlying duty is. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 require employers, landlords, and self employed people to keep electrical equipment safe. PAT is the practical, accepted way to discharge that duty. For Scottish HMOs, short term lets (post October 2023), and most commercial insurance policies, PAT is required by name. If you supply electrical equipment to anyone (tenant, customer, employee), assume you need PAT.
How often should I have PAT testing done?
It depends on the appliance and the use. Handheld items in regular use (kettles, hair dryers, vacuums): annual. Fixed appliances (fridge, washing machine, oven): every 2 years. IT equipment in offices: every 4 years with annual visual checks. Hand tools on trade or construction sites: every 3 to 6 months. Holiday lets and short term lets: annual on every supplied appliance. We follow the IET PAT Testing Guide intervals as standard, not arbitrary.
What's the minimum charge for a PAT testing visit?
If you have 6+ items we charge per appliance only, no visit fee. Below 6 items (a sole trader's toolbox, a small office) we charge a £45 visit fee plus items, which usually works out around £55 to £75 for 5 items including the call out. If you're getting an EICR or other electrical work in the same visit, we drop the visit fee entirely and charge £2.50 per appliance. Most Fraserburgh customers bundle PAT with other compliance.
What appliances actually need PAT testing?
Anything that plugs in, basically. Class I appliances (have an earth pin and exposed metal: kettles, toasters, washing machines, fridges, hoovers, lamps with metal stands) need full testing. Class II (double insulated, no earth pin, plastic body: hair dryers, electric razors, most chargers, lamps with plastic bodies) need a reduced test. We sticker every item Pass or Fail, log it on the register, and email you the asset list.
How long does PAT testing take?
About 90 to 120 seconds per item, including labelling and logging. A holiday let with 15 items: 30 to 45 minutes. A 4 bed HMO with 25 items: 60 to 90 minutes. An office of 100 items: 4 to 5 hours. We give you a time estimate when you confirm the count, and the bill is per item not per hour, so longer doesn't mean more money.
What happens if an appliance fails?
We sticker it 'Fail' (red label), log the fail reason on the register (damaged cable, broken earth, wrong fuse, etc.), and recommend either repair or replacement. For sub £25 items (kettles, toasters) replacement is almost always cheaper than repair. For higher value items (washing machines, ovens, professional kit) we can quote a repair if the fault is fixable. Failed items must be removed from service until repaired or replaced, that's a legal requirement, not just our recommendation.
Do you provide a written PAT testing register?
Yes, included as standard. Single PDF emailed within 24 hours of the visit listing every item: location, asset number, item description, manufacturer, serial number (where present), test date, next test due date, and Pass or Fail status with reason if failed. Format matches what HMO licensing inspectors, holiday let licensing inspectors, and commercial insurers ask for. Keep it for at least 7 years for HMRC and HSE purposes.
Can I do my own PAT testing?
Legally, yes if you're 'competent' (Electricity at Work Regs language). Practically, you need a £200 to £600 PAT tester and the IET PAT testing knowledge, which most people don't justify for an annual 30 minute job. The bigger issue is the documentation, untrained PAT records often get rejected by HMO inspectors and insurers because they don't capture the right data. Sole traders often DIY their own toolbox, but most landlords and businesses pay us because the cost is low and the documentation is bulletproof.
Need PAT testing in Fraserburgh? Free quote in 24 hours.
£3 per appliance, no minimum visit fee for 6+ items. Asset register, sticker labelling, certificate emailed within 24 hours. Bundled with other compliance work to save the visit fee entirely.
Prefer to call? 07426 416358