The installer’s declaration (YDE): what it is and what goes with it

In Greece, the YDE — the Installer’s Responsible Declaration — is the document with which a licensed electrician certifies that an internal electrical installation has been inspected and is fit for safe operation. Most countries have an equivalent installer’s certificate or declaration; whatever it’s called, it’s your signature on the safety of the installation, not a piece of red tape.

Below, using the Greek YDE as the example, we look at what the file contains, when it’s required and which mistakes get it sent back by the network operator.

When it’s required

• For a new electricity connection to a property.
• For reconnection of a supply that had been cut off.
• For alteration or extension of an existing installation (e.g. a new board, new circuits, an increase in capacity).
• At the required periodic inspection, depending on the type of premises.

The last one is systematically forgotten — and it’s the biggest source of repeat work for an electrical contractor. We go into it in when a periodic inspection is due.

What the file contains

The YDE isn’t submitted on its own. The complete file normally includes:

1. The Installer’s Declaration itself, with details of the property, the owner, the installer and the supply number.
2. An Electrical Installation Handover Report — what the installation includes, capacity, type of premises, observations.
3. A Test Report with the measurements: continuity of protective conductors, insulation resistance, automatic disconnection of supply, RCD tests, earth resistance.
4. A single-line diagram of the board showing the circuits and their protective devices.
5. A floor plan showing the routes of cables and the outlet points, where required.

The measured values aren’t “filling in boxes”: they’re the evidence that the inspection really took place. What is measured and against which criteria is covered in electrical installation testing.

Who can sign it

Only a licensed electrical installer with a valid licence, in the category and speciality that matches the installation. The signature carries liability for the safety of everyone who will use the installation — which is why a declaration is never signed “remotely”, without a site visit and measurements.

The mistakes that get the file sent back

• A wrong or incomplete supply number — the most common mistake, and the easiest to avoid.
• A mismatch between the single-line diagram and the actual board.
• Blank measurement fields, or out-of-range values with no comment.
• Dates that don’t match across the documents in the file.
• Failing to note which parts of the installation weren’t accessible during the inspection.

Keep a copy — and keep it organised

The file goes, the liability stays. A copy with the measurements, photos of the board and the diagram, filed by installation, protects you if anything is disputed and saves you half the work at the next inspection of the same property.

In ElectroPro the declaration and its measurements are stored on the board record, together with the date of the next periodic inspection.

Note

Requirements and forms are set by the legislation in force and may be updated; this article describes the Greek procedure. Before submitting a file, confirm the current forms and specifications in your country with the competent authority or your professional association.