Expert electrical advice from our NICEIC registered team
Written by Tim, NICEIC registered with 18+ years experience in Poole & Dorset · 5-star Google reviews · Same-day fixed quote, no obligation.
What changed in the 2026 Wiring Regulations (BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, published 15 April 2026): a new chapter on home battery storage, a new Section 716 covering Power over Ethernet wiring, new functional-earthing rules for IT and smart-home equipment, and a major revision for medical locations. The consumer rules most people associate with “the new regs” — AFDDs, surge protection and EV-charger requirements — actually date from Amendment 2 back in 2022 and carry on unchanged. Nothing in Amendment 4 makes an existing installation non-compliant: it applies to new work, with the previous version accepted until 15 October 2026, and landlord EICR cycles stay at 5 years. Below is each change in plain English and what it means for your next project in Dorset.
The IET and BSI published Amendment 4 to BS 7671 (the Wiring Regulations) on 15 April 2026. If you’re a homeowner planning electrical work, a landlord managing rental properties, or anyone with a project on the horizon, here’s what’s actually changed — in plain English, not trade jargon — and, just as usefully, which of the rules you’ve read about elsewhere have been in force since 2022.
BS 7671 is the standard that governs every electrical installation in the UK. When your electrician installs a new socket, rewires your house, or fits an EV charger, the work must comply with BS 7671. It’s updated periodically to reflect new technology, safety research, and lessons learned. Amendment 4 is the latest update.
The one change most likely to touch a Dorset home. With the rapid growth of domestic battery storage (GivEnergy, Fox ESS, Tesla Powerwall), Amendment 4 introduces a dedicated chapter on stationary secondary batteries — the battery energy storage systems now going into garages and utility rooms across the county.
What it means in practice — the things a professional battery installation covers, now anchored in the regulations rather than just manufacturer guidance:
What it means for you: If you’re adding a battery to your solar system, any reputable MCS-certified installer was already working this way — Amendment 4 formalises it. If a quote seems suspiciously cheap, this chapter is a good checklist of what the cheap quote is probably skipping.
A brand-new section covering Power over Ethernet (PoE): running power to devices over data cabling. Every modern CCTV camera, WiFi access point, and a growing share of smart-home kit is PoE-powered, and the combined loads are no longer trivial — so the regulations now cover how those circuits are designed and protected. Mostly relevant to commercial premises and heavily networked homes.
A new section on functional earthing and equipotential bonding for information and communication technology equipment. If you’re specifying a home office rack, a server cabinet, or a serious smart-home installation, the earthing arrangements now have their own rules. For a typical home, this is background detail your electrician handles.
Section 710 (hospitals, clinics, dental practices and similar) gets a substantial update. Not homeowner territory — but if you run a commercial premises with treatment rooms, your next fit-out or fixed-wire test will reflect it.
Most of what’s written online about “the new electrical regulations” — AFDDs, surge protection, EV-charger rules — came in with Amendment 2 in 2022. Amendment 4 doesn’t change them, and they still shape every consumer unit upgrade, rewire and charger install we do.
AFDDs detect dangerous electrical arcs — the kind caused by damaged cables, loose connections, or rodent damage behind walls. These arcs can start fires without tripping a standard MCB or RCD. Since 2022 they’ve been required in higher-risk residential buildings (HMOs, care homes, high-rise) and recommended on a risk-assessed basis for:
What it means for you: If you’re having a consumer unit upgrade or rewire, your electrician should discuss AFDDs with you. They add approximately £30–£50 per circuit — a modest premium for genuine fire protection. We fit AFDDs as standard on bedroom circuits for new consumer unit installations.
Amendment 2 (2022) removed the old opt-out that let single dwellings skip surge protection — an SPD is now the default expectation on any new consumer unit.
One myth worth killing: fuses and circuit breakers do not protect against surges. They respond to overcurrent, not voltage spikes — only an SPD clamps a spike before it reaches your electronics.
What it means for you: If you’re having any significant electrical work done — a rewire, consumer unit upgrade, or new circuit — an SPD should be included. The cost is £80–£120 and it protects your computers, smart devices, EV charger and solar inverter. We’ve been fitting them as standard for years.
Planning electrical work this year? Message Tim on WhatsApp — he’ll make sure your project complies with the latest regulations from the start. No obligation.
The 2022 amendment also updated the rules for EV charger installations:
What it means for you: your installer must assess supply capacity and earthing before fitting a charger — if a quote skips the survey, walk away.
| Version | Year | What it brought in |
|---|---|---|
| 18th Edition (BS 7671:2018) | 2018 | The current base standard |
| Amendment 2 | 2022 | AFDDs, SPDs as default, updated EV-charging rules |
| Amendment 3 | 2024 | A smaller update, now folded into Amendment 4 |
| Amendment 4 | 2026 | Battery storage chapter, PoE (Section 716), ICT functional earthing, medical locations |
This is equally important. Amendment 4 does not:
If your home has a modern consumer unit with RCD protection and your wiring is in good condition, nothing about Amendment 4 requires you to do anything right now. The changes apply when new work is carried out.
Amendment 4 was published on 15 April 2026 and can be used immediately. The previous version (BS 7671:2018+A2:2022, with the 2024 update) remains acceptable during a six-month transition and is withdrawn on 15 October 2026 — after that, new electrical work is designed to Amendment 4.
In practice, good electricians are already working to the new requirements. We’ve updated our specifications and are following the battery-storage chapter on all current installations.
If you’re planning any of the following in 2026, the new regulations will apply:
The practical impact on cost is modest. AFDDs add approximately £30–£50 per protected circuit. SPDs add £80–£120 to a consumer unit. Battery safety measures (fire detection, labelling) are included in any professional installation.
Regulations change — and not every electrician keeps up. When you choose a contractor for your next project, make sure they:
We’re NICEIC registered contractors and we’ve been working to the Amendment 4 requirements since they were published. Every job we complete is certified to the latest standards.
If you’re planning electrical work and want to understand how the new regulations affect your project, we’re happy to help. No jargon, no sales pitch — just straight answers.
Ask Tim directly: Message on WhatsApp or call 07809 680068. We cover all of Poole, Bournemouth, Christchurch, Wimborne, and East Dorset.
No — it's an amendment to the existing 18th Edition. The document is BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, published 15 April 2026. A full new edition would be a '19th Edition', and that's not what this is.
It can be used from publication (15 April 2026). The previous version remains acceptable during a six-month transition, until 15 October 2026 — after that, new electrical work is designed to Amendment 4.
No. BS 7671 amendments are not retrospective — they apply to new work, not to existing installations. Landlord EICR cycles are also unchanged at 5 years.
For ordinary homes they remain a risk-based recommendation (bedrooms, timber-framed construction, HMOs) — that rule dates from Amendment 2 in 2022, not Amendment 4. They add roughly £30–£50 per protected circuit on a consumer unit upgrade.
Industry guidance is that existing 18th Edition qualification holders don't re-sit the full exam — an update course covers the changes. What matters when hiring is that your electrician is registered (NICEIC or equivalent) and working to the current version.
Tim and his team are happy to answer questions or provide a free, no-obligation quote. 5-star Google reviews and counting.
Tim and his NICEIC-registered team are here to help. Message us on WhatsApp or call 07809 680068 for a free, no-obligation quote.
