The Truth About the 19th Edition Wiring Regulations and 18th Edition Amendment 4  

Right, so rumours about a brand-new 19th Edition Wiring Regulations book have been doing the rounds on social media, WhatsApp groups, and even a few training-provider blogs. Some posts claim a 2025 release, others insist you should “hold off booking your 18th Edition exam because the new book is around the corner.” 

Honestly? None of that chatter lines up with actual facts from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) or the British Standards Institution (BSI), the only two bodies authorised to publish the UK wiring regulations. 

Below is a clear, source-driven update you can actually trust, plus practical advice for learners who still need to sit their 18th Edition course (C&G 2382-22) or who worry about amendments invalidating their qualification. 

Where We Actually Are in the Update Cycle 

No Publication Date for the 19th Edition 

The IET has not announced a draft, consultation, or timetable for a 19th Edition. Let me repeat that, there’s nothing official. If history is any guide, a brand-new edition lands roughly every ten years (17th Edition in 2008, 18th Edition in 2018). That rhythm alone suggests the full rewrite is several years away, not around the corner. 

Amendment 4 to the 18th Edition Is Next 

What is actually in motion is Amendment 4 to the 18th Edition. A committee draft already exists, and the IET currently lists publication for 2026. Amendment 4 will fold in changes to dozens of harmonised European standards the UK is obliged to adopt within a set window. So yeah, changes are coming, just not a whole new edition. 

What Amendment 4 Is Likely to Cover 

Look, the draft can still change before 2026, but the working group has flagged six headline topics: 

Stationary secondary batteries – guidance on Li-ion rack safety, thermal-runaway mitigation, and isolation. (Basically, making sure battery storage doesn’t become a fire hazard.) 

Low-voltage generating sets – clearer requirements for micro-grids and combined heat-and-power units. 

Power over Ethernet (PoE) – cable selection, current limits, and separation from LV circuits. (Because PoE lighting and systems are everywhere now.) 

Energy-efficiency measures – new informative annex aligning with EN 50600 data-centre standards. 

Functional earthing for ICT – updates to bonding and isolation for comms racks and 5G edge cabinets. 

Functional equipotential bonding – emphasis on electronic loads that require dedicated reference conductors. 

Each section reflects technologies already on site, battery storage, PoE lighting, edge computing, which simply outpaced the 2022 Amendment 2 (“brown book”) wording. To be fair, the regulations are just catching up with what’s already happening in the real world. 

Why Waiting for 2026 (or Later) Hurts Your Career 

We hear from learners who consider delaying their 18th Edition assessment “until the 19th comes out.” Honestly? That choice costs you in four ways: 

The thing is, delaying doesn’t actually save you time or effort, it just puts your career on hold. 

How Existing Electricians Stay Compliant 

If you’ve already got your 18th Edition, here’s what you need to do: 

Keep the brown book handy, that’s Amendment 2 (ISBN 978-1-839530-16-9). 

Download Amendment 3 (2024), a free PDF bolt-on that corrects minor typographical errors and clause references. (Yes, it’s annoying that they keep adding these, but it’s also free, so…) 

Plan for Amendment 4, mark a 2026 refresh in your diary. Most training centres will offer a short update course or webinar rather than a full exam retake, which is honestly the sensible way to do it. 

Remember: amendments do not automatically invalidate earlier 18th Edition certificates. Industry best practice is to read each amendment, update your on-site method statements, and only retake the exam when a new edition arrives. You’re not suddenly unqualified just because Amendment 4 drops. 

Spotting Misinformation (Because There’s a Lot of It) 

A single blog post recently claimed the 19th Edition would appear in 2025 “to align with new EU battery rules.” The claim lacked references and contradicted the IET’s own roadmap, which should’ve been a massive red flag. 

Always cross-check with: 

• theiet.org/bs-7671, official code and amendment announcements 

• bsigroup.com, publication dates and ISBNs 

• Electrical Safety First newsletters, plain-language summaries once drafts go public 

If a site can’t cite one of those sources, treat the date as speculation. Honestly, there’s so much rubbish floating around on social media that you need to be critical about where your information comes from. 

Training Options If You Still Need the Regs Ticket 

Elec Training Birmingham delivers the City & Guilds 18th Edition Wiring Regulations course (2382-22) in three formats: 

All versions include: 

• Up-to-date brown-book training materials 

• Amendment 3 PDF and printed errata sheet 

• Mock exams with instant feedback 

Book any 2025 course and you’ll receive a free Amendment 4 update webinar in 2026, so your knowledge stays current without extra fees. (Which is honestly a pretty good deal.) 

Lets keep it Simple  

Let’s recap what you actually need to know: 

No 19th Edition in sight. Ignore unreferenced 2025 rumours. They’re nonsense. 

Amendment 4 lands in 2026. It refines the 18th Edition, it doesn’t scrap it. 

Stay employable now. Passing C&G 2382-22 today keeps you working. The amendment will be a quick CPD session later, not a career-disrupting event. 

Use official channels. Trust information only from the IET, BSI, or accredited training centres. Seriously, ignore the WhatsApp group speculation. 

Electrical compliance isn’t a one-off milestone, it’s a rolling commitment. Secure your 18th Edition certificate now, keep an eye on official amendment drafts, and you’ll never fall behind, no matter how many new battery chemistries or PoE standards hit the next brown book. 

For all your electrical training, from beginner courses to NVQ Level 3 Electrical, you can trust Elec Training. We’ve been doing this long enough to know what actually matters and what’s just noise.