Emergency lighting installation means fitting battery-backed lights and exit signs that switch on automatically if the mains supply fails, so people can find their way out safely. It is usually needed where a fire risk assessment identifies dark or complex escape routes. BritCertify installs and replaces emergency lights across London for £129 per fitting inc. VAT, tested and certified to BS 5266-1:2025.
When do you need new or replacement emergency lighting?
Usually when a fire risk assessment calls for it, or when existing fittings fail their annual test. Emergency lighting is needed wherever escape routes or working areas would be dangerous in a power cut, and it has to stay lit for its full rated duration.
The situations that most often lead to an installation job are:
- a new or reviewed fire risk assessment recommending emergency lighting on the escape route;
- fittings failing the annual duration test recorded on an emergency lighting certificate;
- converting a house into flats or an HMO, or changing a building’s use to commercial premises;
- refurbishment that moves walls, doors or the route people take to leave the building;
- outdated fluorescent bulkheads and text-only exit signs that are due for replacement.
Where should emergency lights be positioned?
Along every escape route, and at specific points of emphasis set out in BS 5266-1:2025. The aim is that someone leaving in a power cut can see the route, the hazards on it and the equipment they might need.
| Location | Why it needs cover |
|---|---|
| Each exit door intended for emergency use | People must be able to find it and open it |
| Near stairs, so each flight receives direct light | Falls on unlit stairs are a serious risk during evacuation |
| Each change of direction and corridor intersection | Keeps the route clear when people cannot see far ahead |
| Each change of floor level | Steps and ramps are easy to miss in the dark |
| Outside and near each final exit | Leads people safely away from the building |
| Near fire alarm call points and firefighting equipment | So they can be found and used |
| Near first aid points | So help can be given during an incident |
Beyond escape routes, larger open areas may need anti-panic lighting, and high-risk task areas, such as a commercial kitchen or a plant room with machinery, may need lighting that allows a process to be shut down safely. Exit signs should use the running-man pictogram, with arrows that match the actual route.
Which type of fitting is right for your building?
That depends on how the building is used and how it needs to look. The main choices are between maintained and non-maintained operation, and between manually tested and self-test fittings.
| Fitting | How it works | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Non-maintained bulkhead or downlight | Lights only when the normal supply fails | Communal stairs and corridors, plant rooms, bin stores |
| Maintained fitting or exit sign | Lit at all times, and stays lit when the supply fails | Premises open to the public where normal lighting may be dimmed |
| Emergency version of a standard fitting | Normal light fitting with an integral battery and emergency module | Offices, reception areas and residential lobbies where appearance matters |
| Twin-spot unit | Two adjustable heads on a single battery unit | Large open spaces, stores and plant rooms |
| Self-test fitting | Runs its own scheduled tests and shows the result on an indicator | Buildings where access for monthly testing is difficult |
For blocks where people sleep, fittings are typically rated for 3 hours. In period mansion blocks with decorative common parts, slim LED fittings or emergency versions of the existing lights are usually far more acceptable to freeholders and residents than surface-mounted bulkheads.
What does a professional installation include?
A compliant installation is more than fixing a light to the ceiling. Our electricians:
- agree fitting positions against the escape routes and your fire risk assessment;
- connect each fitting to the unswitched live of the local lighting circuit, so it comes on if that circuit fails as well as during a full power cut;
- fit test key switches so monthly tests do not mean switching off lighting circuits at the board;
- label the fittings and update the logbook so whoever carries out monthly checks knows what to test;
- certify the electrical work and complete the emergency lighting records required by BS 5266-1.
New batteries need to charge before they can deliver their full rated duration, so the commissioning duration test takes place once they are charged; we explain the timing when we book. Electrical inspections are carried out by NICEIC / NAPIT registered electricians, qualified to BS 7671, and our engineers have been certifying London properties since 2018.
What do we find when upgrading emergency lighting in London?
Most upgrade work falls into a few patterns. In converted terraces, the original installation often covered the top landing only, leaving the lower flights and the ground-floor lobby without cover. In HMOs created from family houses, basement rooms and rear escape routes are commonly missed. Shops with flats above sometimes share a rear exit that nobody has lit, because it sits between two responsible persons who each assumed it was the other’s job.
Older buildings raise another point before any drilling starts. Any building built or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos, including textured ceiling coatings in communal areas, and the duty to manage asbestos under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 applies to those common parts. Please share any existing asbestos information before we start. Where we suspect asbestos and nothing is recorded, we pause and advise an asbestos survey before work continues.
How should you prepare for the installation?
- Send us the latest fire risk assessment, or the relevant extract, so fitting positions match its recommendations.
- In blocks, confirm who holds keys to the landlord’s distribution board, risers and plant rooms.
- Give residents or staff notice that communal lighting will be off for short periods while fittings are connected.
- Tell us about high ceilings, open stairwell voids or anywhere that needs a tower or long ladder, so we bring the right access equipment.
- Let us know about parking and loading restrictions outside the building.
What happens after installation?
The new system has to be maintained like any other: a monthly functional test recorded in the logbook, and an annual full-duration test by a competent person with a certificate. LED fittings use little power and rarely need lamp changes, but batteries still deteriorate with age, and the annual test is what reveals it.
If a fitting fails soon after installation, tell us, and we will investigate whether the cause is the fitting, the battery or the supply it is connected to. Prices are £129 per fitting inc. VAT, so a stairwell needing three new fittings costs £387. Once you know how many fittings you need, you can request a quote.
Emergency lighting installation prices in London (inc. VAT)
| Option | Price (inc. VAT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 fitting | £129 | Installation or replacement |
| 2 fittings | £258 | Installation or replacement |
| 3 fittings | £387 | Installation or replacement |
| 4 fittings | £516 | Installation or replacement |
| 5 fittings | £645 | Installation or replacement |
All prices include VAT and are charged per fitting installed or replaced. Central London parking or Congestion Charge may be added; we always confirm before booking.
Book this serviceWhat's included
- Site survey with positions agreed against your fire risk assessment
- Emergency luminaires and exit signs with pictogram signage
- Connection to the unswitched live of the local lighting circuit
- Test key switches where required
- Commissioning test once batteries are charged
- Electrical certificate and BS 5266-1 records
- Logbook set up for monthly and annual tests
How it works
Survey and plan
We review your fire risk assessment and the escape routes, then confirm fitting positions, types and the per-fitting price.
Installation
Fittings and exit signs are installed and wired to the local lighting circuit, with test key switches where needed.
Commissioning
Once batteries are charged, each fitting is tested for its full rated duration and checked against the agreed layout.
Certification
You receive electrical and emergency lighting records, an updated logbook and guidance on monthly testing.
Emergency Lighting Installation: frequently asked questions
How much does emergency lighting installation cost in London?
Installation or replacement costs £129 per fitting inc. VAT. One fitting is £129, two are £258, three are £387, four are £516 and five are £645. Positions are agreed on survey against your fire risk assessment. Central London parking or Congestion Charge may be added; we always confirm the total before booking.
What is the difference between maintained and non-maintained emergency lighting?
A maintained fitting is lit all the time and stays lit when the mains fails, which suits exit signs in premises open to the public. A non-maintained fitting only comes on when the normal supply fails, which is the usual choice for communal stairs and corridors in blocks of flats. Both must be tested monthly and annually.
Are self-test emergency lights worth it?
They can be, particularly where access for monthly testing is difficult. Self-test fittings run their own functional and duration tests on a schedule and show the result on an indicator. Someone still needs to check those indicators, record the results in the logbook and arrange repairs, so they reduce the work rather than remove it.
Who arranges emergency lighting in a block of flats?
The responsible person for the common parts, usually the freeholder, managing agent or RTM company. Leaseholders do not normally commission communal fire safety work themselves. Fitting positions should follow the building's fire risk assessment, and the responsible person keeps the logbook and certificates. Emergency lighting is rarely needed inside individual flats.
Can existing light fittings be converted to emergency lights?
Often, yes. Many fittings are available in an emergency version with a built-in battery and emergency module, which keeps a lobby or office looking consistent. Whether this is suitable depends on the fitting, its position and the light level needed on the escape route. We confirm on survey whether a conversion or a dedicated fitting is the better option.
How long does emergency lighting installation take?
Replacing a few fittings in a communal stairwell is usually completed in a single visit. Larger jobs take longer, depending on cable routes, ceiling construction and access to the lighting circuits. The lighting circuit is isolated for short periods while fittings are connected, so we let you know in advance what residents or staff should expect.
Sources and official guidance
Written and checked by the BritCertify technical team. Last reviewed 6 October 2026.