Key Takeaways
- PPM is a scheduled programme of inspections and maintenance that prevents electrical failures before they occur
- A PPM programme covers distribution boards, emergency lighting, fire alarms, RCD testing, and PAT testing
- Reactive maintenance costs 3–5 times more than planned maintenance when factoring in downtime and emergency callout fees
- PPM ensures ongoing compliance with BS 7671, BS 5839-1:2025, and BS 5266-1
- Wire Now delivers PPM contracts across London, Hertfordshire, and Essex
What Is Planned Preventive Maintenance (PPM)?
Planned Preventive Maintenance (PPM) is a scheduled programme of inspections, testing, and maintenance carried out at defined intervals to keep electrical systems safe, compliant, and operational. Rather than waiting for something to fail and then reacting, PPM identifies and addresses potential issues before they cause downtime, safety hazards, or compliance failures.
For commercial buildings, an electrical PPM programme is the most cost-effective way to maintain compliance with BS 7671, fire safety legislation, and insurance requirements.
What Does an Electrical PPM Programme Cover?
A comprehensive electrical PPM programme for a commercial building typically includes:
Distribution boards and switchgear: Visual inspection, thermal imaging to detect hot spots, RCD testing, circuit breaker operation checks, labelling verification.
Emergency lighting: Monthly functional tests, annual full-duration discharge tests, lamp replacement, battery condition assessment. All testing documented to BS 5266-1.
Fire alarm systems: Quarterly service visits including detector testing, panel function checks, battery condition assessment, call point testing, and documentation review. Maintained to BS 5839-1:2025.
RCD testing: Regular testing of residual current devices to ensure they trip within required parameters. Critical for protecting building occupants from electric shock.
PAT testing: Scheduled testing of portable electrical appliances based on risk assessment. Typically annual for commercial office environments.
External installations: Inspection and maintenance of external lighting, signage circuits, and any outdoor electrical equipment.
How Often Should PPM Be Carried Out?
The frequency of PPM visits depends on the building type and the systems installed:
| System | PPM Frequency |
|--------|---------------|
| Fire alarm full service | Quarterly |
| Emergency lighting functional test | Monthly |
| Emergency lighting full-duration test | Annual |
| Distribution board inspection | Annual |
| Thermal imaging survey | Annual |
| RCD testing | Annual |
| PAT testing | Annual (offices) / 6-monthly (industrial) |
| Full EICR | Every 3 years (commercial) / 5 years (industrial) |
A typical commercial building requires 4–6 PPM visits per year to maintain all systems. Wire Now schedules these to minimise disruption, often combining multiple inspections into single visits.
How Much Does PPM Save vs Reactive Maintenance?
Reactive maintenance — waiting for failures and then calling an electrician — is significantly more expensive than planned maintenance:
Emergency callout fees: Out-of-hours callouts typically cost 2–3 times the standard rate.
Downtime costs: An emergency lighting failure discovered during a fire authority inspection can result in a prohibition notice. A distribution board failure can shut down an entire floor or building.
Component costs: Emergency replacement of failed components often means paying premium prices for immediate availability rather than planned procurement at competitive rates.
Compliance failures: Missed testing deadlines can result in non-compliant certificates, insurance issues, and enforcement action.
Industry data suggests that reactive maintenance costs 3–5 times more than planned maintenance when all factors are considered, including downtime, emergency rates, and the cost of compliance failures.
How Wire Now's PPM Programmes Work
Wire Now designs bespoke PPM programmes for commercial buildings across London, Hertfordshire, and Essex. Our approach:
- Building survey — We assess all electrical systems and identify the PPM scope
- Programme design — We create a 12-month schedule covering all required inspections and tests
- Scheduled visits — Our directly employed engineers carry out all work to documented procedures
- Reporting — After each visit, you receive a detailed report with findings, recommendations, and compliance status
- Remedial works — Any issues identified can be quoted and resolved as part of the same contract
- Annual review — We review the programme annually and adjust based on findings and any changes to the building
A PPM contract provides budget certainty, compliance confidence, and a single point of contact for all your electrical maintenance needs.
Part of our [How to Choose a Commercial Electrician](/blog/how-to-choose-commercial-electrician) series.
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