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PAT Testing Explained

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PAT testing (often referred to as electrical equipment testing) is when electrical appliances are tested for safety. PAT testing can be a visual check, electronic test, or both.

Broadly speaking, any electrical equipment that is plugged into a power source should be PAT tested.

We’ve put together this resource guide to explain more about what PAT testing is and how you can use it to keep your commercial or residential property safe.

Is PAT testing a mandatory requirement?

While PAT testing is not mandatory for commercial properties, it can be a good way to make sure your employees and customers stay safe.

PAT testing may be mandatory if you are a residential landlord, depending on where the property is. Again, it can be a great way to keep your tenants safe.

Find out more about PAT testing and the law

Are PAT testing and EICR the same thing?

Not quite. PAT testing checks your electrical appliances, while EICR checks the electrical installation in your building.

Together, both tests make sure your building is safe.

Find out more about how you can use EICR and PAT together

Should I PAT test second-hand electrical equipment?

Second-hand electrical equipment should be supplied in a safe condition.

This means you shouldn’t have to PAT test it, but you may want to test it for your peace of mind.

Find out more about PAT testing second-hand electrical equipment

If I have staff working from home, do I need to PAT test their equipment?

If you have staff working from home, whether full-time or hybrid working, you’re still responsible for their safety.

If you’re carrying out PAT testing in the office, we recommend extending this to home workers too.

Find out more about PAT testing and working from home

Do I need to carry out PAT testing if I own rental properties?

It depends. PAT testing for rental properties in Scotland is a mandatory requirement.

PAT testing is not a legal requirement in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. However, it’s worth checking with your local council to see if they have a licensing scheme in place that requires it.

Find out more about PAT testing requirements for landlords

Our Google Reviews

4.9

Based on 214 reviews

David Moncur

05:59 29 Jul 26

Really great service from Hawkesworth with excellent and prompt communication too. Will use again.

Jake Felton

12:10 06 Jul 26

Did not do a proper job.

Nilesh Thanki

14:14 01 Jul 26

Dean came to do a PAT test at my home office, was polite and professional throughout. Work was done quickly and without fuss.

Peter Szabo

15:47 29 Jun 26

I organised a pat testing for three different days. Always early, before work - they said no problem. I woke up every time, left the family early - and they always failed to attend.
I said I would not rebook it after the third time, no need to come. Sent emails - not calls.
They turned up - the guy was understanding and left, no abuse, no hard feelings. Nice chap.
But they keep rescheduling the visit (haven't spoken since), no replies to my emails and now I received an invoice for a failed visit.
When they failed to come out at 8am thrice and I woke up and left the family early for no good reason at all.
No comment but another email and it all goes to the lawyers - beware of their business ethics.

Matthew Brake

10:20 26 Jun 26

Hawkesworth arranged my date and time efficiently and on the day the representative was both thorough and efficient. Thanks very much indeed!

Beverley Archer

11:44 18 Jun 26

A great company to work with, helpful and have lots of useful advice. The process was efficient and easy to use. Engineers are prompt, friendly and polite and get the job done.
I would recommend highly as an ideal company to use for safety tests etc, in particular if you need PAT tests carried out for remote or home workers !

Michelle Mottershead

07:23 05 Jun 26

I've used Hawkesworth PAT testing services historically and always found them to be super quick and very efficient at the job. This hasn't changed, having had to request their support on some recent work and did a brilliant job as always. The certs were sent across super quick as well ensuring our compliance records were up to date.

Julie Hutson

09:37 02 Apr 26

We have been using Hawkesworth for many years. They provide a first class service, with friendly knowledgeable staff.

Kealey Manvell

17:58 19 Feb 26

Great service - arrived on time to carry out PAT testing with no fuss! Would highly recommend!

Kirsty Jones

14:39 19 Feb 26

Easy communication with a reliable and efficient service.

Steve Widnell

09:55 18 Feb 26

Friendly, efficient and helpful service from the engineer

L Vaughan

14:53 11 Feb 26

Can I just say that Alistair was a great ambassador for your company and was really efficient, professional and friendly.

Paul Cowell

15:35 28 Jan 26

We had our yearly Pat Testing completed. The operative was very friendly and helpful. I would recommend to anyone who is considering using Hawkesworth and we will definitely be using them moving forward annually ...

Sophie Hodkinson

16:36 13 Jan 26

Both very professional, approachable and very well organised, which made the whole process run smoothly. Everything was explained clearly, disruption was kept to a minimum, and it was obvious they take pride in doing the job properly.

Several people commented on how efficient and pleasant you were to deal with.

Thanks again for your hard work — it was genuinely appreciated. We would be more than happy to have the same engineers again next year.

Chris Holbrow

16:04 11 Dec 25

I’ve been using Hawkesworth for over seven years across various businesses for PAT testing, and they have consistently delivered an outstanding service. The booking and planning team are always friendly, helpful, and efficient, making the process smooth from start to finish.
The engineers they send are professional, polite, and trustworthy, qualities that really matter when working on-site in financial businesses. Our regional office managers have repeatedly commented on how impressed they were with the care and consideration shown during testing, both for our property and our staff.
Hawkesworth truly go above and beyond to provide a turnkey solution that ensures PAT testing is carried out correctly and with minimal disruption. I would 100% recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable, customer-focused company.

Thank you, Hawkesworth!

Nicholas Burn

11:42 04 Dec 25

As a new customer of Hawkesworth, I wanted to share my positive experience after using multiple services. From the moment I submitted an online enquiry, I received an immediate response—Debbie was incredibly helpful in explaining all the services Hawkesworth offers.

The follow-up process was seamless, with appointments scheduled promptly and honored as agreed. Every engineer who visited our site delivered exceptional service. They kept us informed about upcoming visits, arrived on time, and throughout the work, they were attentive to our company’s needs, going above and beyond to ensure excellent customer care.
The services provided included PAT testing, fire extinguisher checks, and emergency lighting inspections.

Based on this experience, I would highly recommend Hawkesworth to other businesses.

Gaby Wilks

07:20 28 Oct 25

GeneFirst Ltd has been using Hawkesworth Appliance Testing for the last 2 years at our current site location.
Last year I had the pleasure of meeting Kobla Dogbatse the PAT engineer from Hawkesworth and he was fantastic.
Kobla, was efficient and thorough with his work, he was polite and pleasure to have on site.
He was respectful to all staff members by trying to limit any distraction or disturbance when conducting his work on any appliances that the team would be using.
This year I was lucky enough to have Kobla come back and I was thrilled to have him back as I knew the work would be done to the highest standards.
I allowed him to continue with his work without supervision and once finished he came into my office with a smile on his face and said everything is done and its all good.
I would highly recommend Hawkesworth to other companies as they are efficient with their communication and their engineers are a pleasure to have on site.
Thank you again for the great work and I hope to continue using your services in the future.