Emergency lighting testing in London
Escape route lighting tested for its full rated duration, so that if the mains fails the way out stays visible for long enough to use it. Results recorded in the fire safety log book.
SPECIMEN RECORD
EL
- REFERENCE
- HV-EL-000000
- ISSUE DATE
- 2026-08-21
- EXPIRY DATE
- 2031-08-20
- ENGINEER REG.
- ENR 000000
PLACEHOLDER RECORD · NUMBERS ILLUSTRATIVE
QUICK ANSWERS
How often does emergency lighting need testing?
A short functional test monthly and a full-duration test annually, normally three hours. The monthly test can be done by a competent person on site; the annual test is what we carry out.
What does it cost?
From £50.00 per visit for up to six fittings.
Is the testing regime set by law?
The Fire Safety Order requires escape routes to be usable, including when the mains fails. The test regime itself comes from BS 5266-1, which is the accepted way of demonstrating compliance.
Does my building need emergency lighting at all?
If the escape route has no reliable borrowed light, yes. Your fire risk assessment determines it. Internal corridors and stairwells almost always need it.
What an EL actually records.
The point of the annual test is duration. A fitting with a tired battery will illuminate for a few minutes and pass a functional test, then fail at the moment it is needed. The only way to know is to run it for its full rated period.
Recharge matters as much as discharge. A fitting that drains correctly but does not recharge is a fitting that fails the next real power cut, so the supply is restored and charging confirmed before we leave.
LEGAL BASIS
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, with BS 5266-1
Article 14 requires emergency routes and exits to be indicated by signs and, where they require illumination, to be provided with emergency lighting of adequate intensity in case the normal lighting fails. Article 17 requires the equipment to be maintained in efficient working order. BS 5266-1 sets the monthly functional test and annual full-duration test regime.
Who this is for, and the properties it applies to.
SUITABLE PROPERTY TYPES
- Residential property
- Commercial property
CATEGORY
Fire safety
TYPICAL ATTENDANCE
three hours, because that is the rated duration
The inspection, in the order it happens.
Typical attendance: three hours, because that is the rated duration.
Inventory
Every fitting located and recorded, including exit signs and any it should have but does not.
Isolation
The normal supply to the fitting interrupted at the test key or breaker.
Duration test
Fittings run for their full rated period, normally three hours, without being restored early.
Illuminance
The escape route checked to confirm light levels remain adequate along its length.
Recharge
Supply restored and charging confirmed, since a fitting that fails to recharge fails the next test.
Log book
Results recorded fitting by fitting, with failures identified individually.
Emergency Lighting Test tiers, with the unit of sale on every line.
Tiers are priced by what is actually being inspected. Every line can be booked directly.
| TIER | UNIT OF SALE | PRICE | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 lights | 1–3 lights | £50.00 | Book Emergency Lighting Test, 1–3 lights |
| 4–6 lights | 4–6 lights | £75.00 | Book Emergency Lighting Test, 4–6 lights |
| 7–9 lights | 7–9 lights | £110.00 | Book Emergency Lighting Test, 7–9 lights |
| 10–13 lights | 10–13 lights | £155.00 | Book Emergency Lighting Test, 10–13 lights |
| 1–3 lights | 1–3 lights | £50.00 | Book Emergency Lighting Test, 1–3 lights |
| 4–6 lights | 4–6 lights | £75.00 | Book Emergency Lighting Test, 4–6 lights |
| 7–9 lights | 7–9 lights | £110.00 | Book Emergency Lighting Test, 7–9 lights |
| 10–13 lights | 10–13 lights | £155.00 | Book Emergency Lighting Test, 10–13 lights |
No travel charge. Parking is free where it is available; where it is not, the actual paid-parking cost is added to your invoice. The congestion charge is added to your invoice where it applies. There is no call-out fee and no evening or weekend surcharge.
Asked about Emergency Lighting Test.
Because that is the duration the fitting is rated to provide. A battery that lasts twenty minutes passes a functional test and fails when it matters.
Yes, at no surcharge. Most commercial testing is done in the evening for exactly this reason.
A brief operation of the test key to confirm each fitting illuminates. Site staff can do it. Record it in the log book.
We quote for replacement per fitting. Batteries typically last around four years, so a run of failures in one age group is normal rather than alarming.
Signs on escape routes must be visible when the normal lighting fails, so they are either internally illuminated or covered by the emergency lighting.
Emergency Lighting Test across London.
Haven covers every London borough with one engineer network and one renewal calendar. Where the qualifications overlap, several services can be covered in a single visit.
Usually booked in the same visit.
Fire Risk Assessment
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, as amended by the Fire Safety Act 2021 and section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022
Fire Door Inspection
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
Commercial EICR
Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
Book an EL anywhere in London.
Same day, evening and weekend slots at no surcharge. The record is issued within 24 hours of the visit.