Do I need surge protection (an SPD)?

For most new work under the 18th Edition as amended (Amendment 2, 2022), the answer is now effectively yes — a Surge Protection Device is required unless a documented risk assessment justifies leaving it out, and for dwellings the old “skip it to save money” get-out was largely removed. On an existing installation it’s a different question, and usually a C3.

What an SPD does

An SPD protects the installation and connected equipment from transient overvoltages — the short, sharp spikes from lightning activity or switching events on the network. It clamps the spike and diverts it safely to earth before it reaches your consumer unit and everything plugged in downstream.

New installations: the A2 position

Amendment 2 strengthened the requirement. Protection against transient overvoltage must be provided where the consequences could affect safety, public services, commercial or industrial activity, or a large number of people — and for other cases a risk assessment decides. Crucially, A2 removed the previous option to omit an SPD from a single dwelling purely on cost grounds. In practice, most new domestic boards now get an SPD, and its absence needs a justified reason on record.

Existing installations: what code?

Finding no SPD on an older board during an EICR does not automatically make the installation dangerous — it isn’t. Absence of an SPD is generally coded C3 (improvement recommended), because it falls short of current standards without presenting a direct danger. If the board predates the requirement entirely, some inspectors record no code at all and simply note it. This is one of the genuine group-chat splitters, which is exactly why the observation should carry the reasoning and the reg behind it.

The reg to cite

Surge protection sits in Section 443 (when it’s required) and Section 534 (how it’s installed) of BS 7671. Cite the section that applies and record your reasoning — a coded observation with the reg behind it is a judgement; one without is an opinion.