In brief
The short answer
NEN 1010 is the Dutch standard for safe low-voltage installations, so for the fixed electrics in and around your home. A NEN 1010 inspection is a check in which a certified electrician verifies and measures whether your installation meets that standard: earthing, RCDs, circuits, wiring and connections. You receive an inspection report with the findings and any defects. Such an inspection is particularly useful at handover of a new build, after a renovation, when buying a home, with an older installation, when letting and sometimes as a requirement from your insurer.
- NEN 1010 is the standard for safe electrics in and around the home (low voltage).
- NEN 3140 covers the periodic inspection of existing, often commercial, installations.
- An inspection is useful at new builds, after renovations, when buying, when letting or with an old installation.
- Items checked include earthing, RCDs, circuits, wiring and the meter cabinet.
- You receive an inspection report with the findings and any defects.
What exactly is NEN 1010?
NEN 1010 is the Dutch standard for safely installing low-voltage electrical installations. That sounds technical, but it comes down to the electrics found in virtually every home: the meter cabinet, the circuits, the wiring in the walls, the sockets, the earthing and the RCDs. The standard describes how to install all of that so it stays safe, even if something goes wrong.
The core of NEN 1010 is protection. Good earthing and a 30 milliamp RCD ensure that the power switches itself off before a person receives a dangerous shock. The right breaker per circuit prevents an overloaded or shorted wire from overheating. And wiring that matches the load means nothing melts or smoulders behind your wall socket. Taken together, that makes the difference between an installation you can trust and one that becomes a risk.
The standard is revised periodically, so an installation handed over today meets a more recent version than one from the 1970s. That does not mean older electrics are automatically unsafe, but it does mean that over the years more attention has been paid to things like RCD protection. During an inspection the question is whether your installation is safe by the requirements that can now reasonably be placed on it.
The difference from NEN 3140
NEN 1010 and NEN 3140 are often confused, but they do different things. NEN 1010 is about installation: how you build an installation so it is safe. It is the standard that new electrics and renovations must meet. Work on your fuse box, new circuits or extra wiring belongs, under this standard, with a certified professional.
NEN 3140 is about the use and management of an existing installation: the periodic inspection to check whether everything still works safely. This standard is seen mainly in the commercial world, where an employer is legally required under health and safety law to keep electrical installations and equipment safe. Think of a business premises, a workshop or rented commercial space, where a NEN 3140 inspection takes place at regular intervals.
For an ordinary home it is usually NEN 1010 that applies: was the installation installed correctly and is it still safe? For businesses and landlords, NEN 3140 comes into play as a recurring check. In practice the two complement each other: NEN 1010 makes sure it starts well, NEN 3140 makes sure it stays well. We tell you honestly which of the two fits your situation, so you do not pay for an inspection you do not need.
When is an inspection useful or required?
An inspection is not legally required in every situation, but there are moments when it is sensible or even necessary. At handover of a new build, the installation should demonstrably have been installed and tested to NEN 1010. After a renovation in which circuits, wiring or a new meter cabinet have been added, an inspection shows that the added work is correct and works safely with the rest.
When buying a home, certainly an older one, an inspection is a sound investment. You then know what you are buying: an installation that can last for years, or one that needs a fuse box or new wiring in the short term. The same applies to an installation that is simply old, still with a fuse box using screw-in fuses, without an RCD or with discoloured sockets. Then an inspection is the starting point for asking what is still safe and what deserves renewal.
For letting there is an additional responsibility: as a landlord you want to be able to demonstrate that you are providing a safe installation, and an inspection report helps with that. Finally, insurers sometimes ask for one, for example after a claim or with a specific risk. If something goes wrong with electrics that were not installed to the standard, an insurer can call the cover into question. An inspection and a report remove that nagging uncertainty.
What is checked, and how does it work?
During a NEN 1010 inspection the electrician looks at and measures the whole installation. The earthing is checked: is it present, properly connected and low enough in resistance to be safe? The RCDs are tested for their switching time and sensitivity, so they really switch off in time in the event of a fault. For each circuit the check is whether the breaker matches the wiring and the load, and whether too many things are hanging off one circuit.
Beyond that, the wiring and connections are examined: are the connections secure, is there any damage, discolouration or overheating, and does the cross-section of the wire match? The meter cabinet itself gets attention, because that is where everything comes together: the main connection, the distribution across the circuits and the protection. Where appropriate, sockets and switches are spot-checked. It is a combination of visual inspection and actual measurement with test equipment.
An inspection takes, depending on the size of the home and the installation, about half a day. You do not have to do much yourself: making sure the meter cabinet is accessible is usually enough. Afterwards you receive an inspection report with the findings: what is in order, what is a point of attention and what is a defect that needs addressing. For any defects we explain in plain language what it means and what is needed to make it safe again. What an inspection costs exactly depends on your situation; feel free to ask for a quote so you know upfront what to expect.
At a glance
NEN 1010 versus NEN 3140
Two standards that are often mixed up. Broadly, this is the difference, so you know which one fits your situation.
| Aspect | NEN 1010 | NEN 3140 |
|---|---|---|
| What it is about | Safe installation of the electrics | Safe upkeep of an existing installation |
| When | At new builds, renovations or new work | Periodically, at regular intervals |
| Mainly for | Homes and new or changed work | Businesses, landlords and health and safety obligations |
| Character | Design and installation standard | Inspection and management standard |
| Result | Installation demonstrably meets the standard | Inspection report on the safe condition |
Not sure which of the two you need? Call us with your situation and we will tell you honestly.
Read also
Read on and arrange it
Want to look further or take the step? These pages help you on your way, from spotting a good professional to safe installation.
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