What is emergency lighting testing?
Emergency lighting testing is the routine checking that emergency fittings work and last for their rated duration. BS EN 50172:2024 sets a short monthly functional test and an annual full rated-duration test, usually three hours, with results recorded in a log book and illuminance checked at five-year intervals.
What's included
- Monthly functional tests, or training so your team can do them
- Annual full-duration discharge tests
- Fault reports with fixed prices for repairs
- Log book completion and certificates
- Battery and lamp replacements
- Periodic illuminance checks
How we deliver emergency lighting testing
Book
We agree test dates, often out of hours for the annual test.
Test
Simulate supply failure, check every fitting and sign.
Report
Log book entries, certificate and a fault list with prices.
Fix
Faulty batteries, fittings or signs replaced and re-tested.
Guide prices
National guide budgets, supplied and installed, excluding VAT. Your fixed price follows a free survey.
| Item | Guide budget (ex VAT) | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly emergency lighting function test | £50 – £150 | per visit |
| Annual 3-hour emergency lighting test | £125 – £400 | per visit, small system |
| Emergency luminaire or exit sign | £60 – £150 | per fitting, supplied and fitted |
| Commercial electrician | £300 – £500 | per day |
Example: Annual 3-hour test of a small system: about £125 – £400 excluding VAT. Get a figure for your site.
Standards and rules we work to
| Topic | Current position |
|---|---|
| Wiring | BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, the 18th Edition IET Wiring Regulations. Every installation is tested and certified. |
| Workplace light levels | BS EN 12464-1:2021, for example 500 lux on office task areas and 150 lux at the floor of rack storage. |
| Emergency lighting | BS 5266-1:2025 code of practice, BS EN 1838:2024 light levels and BS EN 50172:2024 testing and records. |
| Energy efficiency of new lighting | England: Approved Document L (95 luminaire lm/circuit-W, rising above 105 from 24 March 2027). Wales: Welsh Approved Document L (new edition from 4 March 2027). Scotland: Section 6. Northern Ireland: Technical Booklet F2. |
| Fire safety duties | England and Wales: Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Scotland: Fire (Scotland) Act 2005. Northern Ireland: Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010. |
| Waste | Fluorescent tubes are hazardous waste and are recycled through authorised routes, with paperwork. |
Emergency lighting testing FAQs
How often should emergency lighting be tested?
A brief functional test monthly and a full rated-duration test once a year, with results recorded. BS EN 50172:2024 also calls for illuminance measurement at five-year intervals.
Can we do the monthly tests ourselves?
Yes. A trained, competent person can do the monthly flick test and record it. Many businesses do this in-house and bring us in for the annual test and repairs.
What does an annual test cost?
As a budget, an annual duration test on a small system runs at about £125–£400 per visit, excluding VAT. Larger or high-access systems cost more.
Why is the annual test done out of hours?
After a full-duration test the batteries need time to recharge, so the building is less protected for a while. Testing at the end of the day avoids that risk while people are inside.
Emergency lighting testing by area
We provide emergency lighting testing in every part of the UK. Choose your area:
- Bedfordshire
- Berkshire
- City of Bristol
- Buckinghamshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Cheshire
- Cornwall
- Cumbria
- Derbyshire
- Devon
- Dorset
- County Durham
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- East Sussex
- Essex
- Gloucestershire
- Greater London
- Greater Manchester
- Hampshire
- Herefordshire
- Hertfordshire
- Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Lancashire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Merseyside
- Norfolk
- North Yorkshire
- Northamptonshire
- Northumberland
- Nottinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Rutland
- Shropshire
- Somerset
- South Yorkshire
- Staffordshire
- Suffolk
- Surrey
- Tyne and Wear
- Warwickshire
- West Midlands
- West Sussex
- West Yorkshire
- Wiltshire
- Worcestershire
- Clwyd
- Dyfed
- Gwent
- Gwynedd
- Mid Glamorgan
- Powys
- South Glamorgan
- West Glamorgan
- Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
- Dundee and Angus
- Argyll and Bute
- Ayrshire
- Dumfries and Galloway
- Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Fife
- Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire
- Glasgow and Dunbartonshire
- Highlands and Islands
- Lanarkshire
- Moray
- Perth and Kinross
- Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
- Scottish Borders
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Down
- County Fermanagh
- County Londonderry
- County Tyrone
Related services
Emergency lighting installation
Escape route lighting and exit signs designed to BS 5266-1.
Lighting maintenance contracts
Planned maintenance, emergency lighting tests and reactive repairs.
Lighting surveys and lux testing
Lux readings, condition surveys and energy audits for existing lighting.
LED lighting upgrades
Swap fluorescent, halogen and metal halide fittings for efficient LED.
Guides
Emergency lighting regulations: BS 5266-1:2025 explained
The standards behind UK emergency lighting: BS 5266-1:2025, BS EN 1838:2024 and BS EN 50172:2024, and how they fit with fire safety law.
Emergency lighting testing: monthly and annual checks
How to test emergency lighting: monthly functional tests, annual duration tests, log books and five-yearly illuminance checks.
Who is responsible for emergency lighting?
Who must provide and maintain emergency lighting in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including shared and multi-let buildings.