In our latest Technical Bulletin Cole, our Trainee Building Services Engineer, takes a look at BS 7671:2028 Amendment 4 of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Wiring Regulations, published on 15 April 2026, and its impact.
Amendment 4, officially titled BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, reflects the continued evolution of electrical building services and the changing technologies now being integrated into modern buildings. While compliance with the Wiring Regulations remains fundamental, Amendment 4 recognises that electrical installations are no longer limited to traditional power distribution, lighting and life safety systems.
New and updated requirements relating to stationary secondary batteries, Power over Ethernet, ICT earthing and other specialist systems highlight the increasing need for electrical designs to be coordinated with digital infrastructure, energy storage, smart controls and future operational flexibility.
For design teams, this reinforces the importance of early-stage coordination and future-ready design thinking. As buildings become more connected, lower carbon and more reliant on intelligent systems, electrical infrastructure must be planned with sufficient capacity, resilience, containment strategy and maintainability.
At Bennett Freehill, our approach is to consider these requirements from the outset, ensuring that electrical systems are not only compliant at handover, but capable of supporting the changing demands of building users, technology and energy performance over the life of the asset.
