--- title: "Emergency Lighting South Wales | BS 5266 Install & Annual Testing" description: "BS 5266 emergency lighting design, installation, monthly user testing and full annual discharge testing for HMOs and commercial premises across South Wales." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://asfire.co.uk/#organization", "name": "AS Fire Services Ltd", "alternateName": "AS Fire", "url": "https://asfire.co.uk", "logo": "https://asfire.co.uk/favicon.png", "image": "https://asfire.co.uk/favicon.png", "telephone": "+447360538643", "email": "asmith@asfire.co.uk", "contactPoint": [ { "@type": "ContactPoint", "telephone": "+447360538643", "contactType": "customer service", "areaServed": "GB", "availableLanguage": "en" }, { "@type": "ContactPoint", "telephone": "+441443572076", "contactType": "customer service", "areaServed": "GB", "availableLanguage": "en" } ], "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "Unit 37, Bowen Industrial Estate, Pengam", "addressLocality": "Aberbargoed, Bargoed", "postalCode": "CF81 9EP", "addressCountry": "GB" }, "areaServed": [ "Cardiff", "Newport", "Swansea", "Bristol", "Pontypridd", "Merthyr Tydfil", "Bridgend", "Gloucester", "Cwmbran" ], "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/as-fire-services-ltd/", "https://www.instagram.com/as_fire_services/", "https://www.facebook.com/ASFireServices" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://asfire.co.uk/#website", "name": "AS Fire Services Ltd", "url": "https://asfire.co.uk", "publisher": { "@id": "https://asfire.co.uk/#organization" }, "inLanguage": "en-GB" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Services", "item": "https://asfire.co.uk/services" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Emergency Lighting", "item": "https://asfire.co.uk/services/emergency-lighting" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Service", "serviceType": "Emergency Lighting", "name": "Emergency Lighting", "description": "BS 5266 emergency lighting design, installation, monthly user testing and full annual discharge testing for HMOs and commercial premises across South Wales.", "areaServed": "South Wales", "provider": { "@type": "LocalBusiness", "name": "AS Fire Services Ltd", "telephone": "+447360538643", "email": "asmith@asfire.co.uk", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "Unit 37, Bowen Industrial Estate, Pengam", "addressLocality": "Aberbargoed, Bargoed", "postalCode": "CF81 9EP", "addressCountry": "GB" } } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "How often does emergency lighting need to be tested?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "BS EN 50172 requires a brief monthly function test and a full 3-hour discharge test annually. We carry out and certify both. Many clients also run their own weekly visual checks in between visits, which is common practice." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What does a typical install cost?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Quoted per property after a site survey, with quantities driven by escape-route geometry. We don't publish a per-fitting rate as it varies with access, finish and quantity." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do my HMO bedrooms need emergency lighting?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Bedrooms themselves usually don't, escape corridors, staircases, halls and final exits do. We design directly to the BS 5266 requirements for your property type." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How long do the batteries last?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Typically 4 years before they no longer hold the full 3-hour duration. We log install dates and forecast replacement." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can you test fittings you didn't install?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, we test any manufacturer and any age of fitting, and report individually on results." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What happens if a fitting fails the annual test?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "We replace on-the-day where stock is on the van, or quote a return visit if a specific model is required. The certificate lists pass and fail by fitting." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is LED emergency lighting worth the upgrade?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, running cost drops 80% and design life triples versus older fluorescent fittings. Most installs pay back within 4 years on energy alone." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you cover commercial premises in Bristol?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, Bristol and Gloucester are on our regular routes alongside Cardiff, Newport and Swansea." } } ] } ] --- [asmith@asfire.co.uk](mailto:asmith@asfire.co.uk)South Wales Open 24/7 [07360 538643](tel:07360538643)[01443 572076](tel:01443572076) [![AS Fire Services Ltd](/assets/logo-f-VmegNh.png)](/) Services Service Areas [About](/about-us)[Our Work](/our-work)[Reviews](/reviews)[Resources](/resources)[Specials](/specials)[Contact](/contact-us) [Request Estimate](/contact-us) 1. [Home ](/) 2. Emergency Lighting ![Illuminated green emergency exit light fixture in a commercial corridor](/assets/hero-emergency-lighting-vZ5cGy1u.jpg) [South Wales](/) # BS 5266 Emergency Lighting Design, Install & Testing When the power fails, your escape routes have three seconds to light up, and three hours to stay lit. We design, fit and certify the system that delivers exactly that. [Request an Estimate](/contact-us) [07360 538643](tel:07360538643) Trusted by landlords, developers & letting agents across South Wales. 15+ Years on the tools BS 5839 Certified to standard 24–48h Typical callout window 100% Insured & DBS-checked Service overview ## Emergency Lighting, explained without the jargon ### What it is Battery-backed emergency lighting designed to BS 5266-1, installed at escape routes, open areas, plant rooms and high-risk task areas, and tested to a documented annual schedule. ### Who it's for HMO landlords, commercial occupiers, offices, retail, hospitality and any premises where the public or staff need to escape if mains lighting fails. ### When it's needed On all licensable HMOs, after any fire risk assessment that identifies escape-route lighting as a control measure, on new fit-outs, and after a change of layout that affects escape routes. ### Why professional matters A dark escape route turns a manageable evacuation into a crush incident. The system is cheap; the absence of it is not. The cost of ignoring it ## Where emergency lighting fails inspection ### Risks if left unchecked - ● Batteries that no longer hold the required 3 hours, the lamps come on, then die after 20 minutes. - ● Fittings that have aged out (10-year design life) and now fail discharge tests at random. - ● Coverage gaps at staircase changes of direction, final exits and external escape routes. - ● No documented annual discharge test in the log book, fails fire risk assessment review. ### Common mistakes - ● Treating emergency lighting as 'just bulbs' rather than a tested life-safety system. - ● Disabling fittings during refurbishment and forgetting to reinstate them. - ● Using non-self-contained kitchen-shop LED downlighters with no certification. - ● Logging only the monthly flick-test, never the annual 3-hour discharge. Fire and rescue officers carry a torch into your stairwell. So should your tenants, except they don't, because the building should light their way out. Our process ## A clear path from enquiry to certificate 1. Step 1 ### Survey Walk every escape route with the fire risk assessment open, map exit signs and high-risk task areas, identify any blackspots. 2. Step 2 ### Design Lux-level design to BS 5266 (1 lux at escape route centre-line, 5 lux at points of emphasis), with a fitting schedule and fixed quote. 3. Step 3 ### Install Self-contained LED fittings as standard, with addressable self-test where it pays back inside 5 years. Wired to the local landlord's lighting circuit. 4. Step 4 ### Test & commission First 3-hour discharge witnessed and recorded, every fitting individually labelled, BS 5266 commissioning certificate issued. 5. Step 5 ### Annual testing We diary the annual discharge test, run it, log results to your portal and issue the BS 5266 certificate the same day. Why clients stay with us ## Specific, measurable benefits ### Compliance Designed, installed and tested to BS 5266, accepted by every UK licensing scheme we work with. ### Low energy LED fittings draw under 3W each and last 50,000+ hours. ### Self-test option Addressable self-test fittings remove the monthly flick-test burden and pay for themselves on portfolios above ~20 fittings. ### Tested batteries We log the date of every battery so end-of-life replacement is forecast, not a surprise after a failed discharge. ### Integrated with fire alarm Where useful, we tie discharge testing into the fire alarm system's planned service so disruption is once per visit, not twice. ### Portfolio reporting Multi-site landlords see all properties' next-due dates in one portal screen. Technical detail ## Everything that goes into a proper emergency lighting Emergency lighting is governed by BS 5266-1 (design and install) and BS EN 50172 (the testing regime). Below is how we apply both to the property types we work with most often. ### Lux levels and coverage Minimum 1 lux maintained at the centre-line of all escape routes; 5 lux at points of emphasis (stair landings, changes of direction, final exits, fire-fighting equipment, first-aid points). Open areas above 60 m² require anti-panic lighting at 0.5 lux average over the floor. ### Maintained vs. non-maintained Maintained fittings stay lit at all times, useful for exit signs in hospitality and assembly buildings. Non-maintained activate only on mains failure, used for HMO escape routes and back-of-house corridors. ### Self-contained vs. central battery Self-contained is standard for HMOs and small commercial, each fitting has its own battery. Central battery suits large sites and gives 8-year-plus battery life but requires regulated rooms and quarterly inspection of the central unit. ### Self-test and addressable systems Self-test fittings flash their own status LED monthly; addressable systems report by exception to a central panel. For HMO portfolios with 20+ fittings, addressable pays back in saved monthly inspection labour inside 5 years. ### Testing regime under EN 50172 Monthly: brief function test of every fitting. Annually: full duration discharge test (3 hours for most premises) with every fitting individually verified. We carry out and certify both. Many clients handle their own weekly visual checks in between, which is common practice. ### Common upgrade triggers 10-year fitting age, battery failure rates above 10% on annual discharge, new partition walls that change escape route geometry, or a fire risk assessment that downgrades the existing system. Frequently asked ## Frequently asked questions How often does emergency lighting need to be tested? BS EN 50172 requires a brief monthly function test and a full 3-hour discharge test annually. We carry out and certify both. Many clients also run their own weekly visual checks in between visits, which is common practice. What does a typical install cost? Do my HMO bedrooms need emergency lighting? How long do the batteries last? Can you test fittings you didn't install? What happens if a fitting fails the annual test? Is LED emergency lighting worth the upgrade? Do you cover commercial premises in Bristol? Related services ## Often paired with emergency lighting [ ### Fire Alarm Installation Fixed-price BS 5839 fire alarm installation across Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Bristol and the wider South Wales region. Grade A–D, LD1–LD3, licensing-ready certification. View service ](/services/fire-alarm-installation)[ ### Fire Risk Assessments Type 1–4 fire risk assessments for HMOs, blocks of flats and commercial premises across South Wales. Aligned to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and PAS 79. View service ](/services/fire-risk-assessments)[ ### PAT Testing Portable appliance testing for HMOs, offices and commercial premises across South Wales and Bristol. Digital certificates, full asset registers, fixed pricing. View service ](/services/pat-testing) Browse by area: [cardiff](/service-areas/cardiff)[newport](/service-areas/newport)[swansea](/service-areas/swansea)[bristol](/service-areas/bristol)[pontypridd](/service-areas/pontypridd) ## Ready to make emergency lighting one less thing to worry about? Site survey, written quote the same day, and certified work delivered when we said we would. 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Trusted by HMO landlords, developers and letting agents. - Unit 37, Bowen Industrial Estate, Pengam, Aberbargoed, Bargoed CF81 9EP - [07360 538643](tel:07360538643) - [01443 572076](tel:01443572076) - [asmith@asfire.co.uk](mailto:asmith@asfire.co.uk) - 24 hours, Monday – Sunday [](https://www.linkedin.com/company/as-fire-services-ltd/)[](https://www.instagram.com/as_fire_services/)[](https://www.facebook.com/ASFireServices) ## Services - [Fire Alarm Installation](/services/fire-alarm-installation) - [Fire Alarm Servicing](/services/fire-alarm-servicing) - [Fire Alarm Maintenance](/services/fire-alarm-maintenance) - [HMO Fire Alarms](/services/hmo-fire-alarms) - [Emergency Lighting](/services/emergency-lighting) - [PAT Testing](/services/pat-testing) - [EICR](/services/eicr) - [Fire Risk Assessments](/services/fire-risk-assessments) - [Fire Extinguishers](/services/fire-extinguishers) - [All fire safety services →](/services) ## Service Areas - [Fire alarm engineers in Cardiff](/service-areas/cardiff) - [Fire alarm engineers in Swansea](/service-areas/swansea) - [Fire alarm engineers in Newport](/service-areas/newport) - [Fire alarm engineers in Bristol](/service-areas/bristol) - [Fire alarm engineers in Pontypridd](/service-areas/pontypridd) - [Fire alarm engineers in Merthyr](/service-areas/merthyr) - [Fire alarm engineers in Bridgend](/service-areas/bridgend) - [Fire alarm engineers in Gloucester](/service-areas/gloucester) - [Fire alarm engineers in Cwmbran](/service-areas/cwmbran) - [All service areas →](/service-areas) ## Company - [About AS Fire Services](/about-us) - [Our Work](/our-work) - [Customer Reviews](/reviews) - [Accreditations & Standards](/accreditations) - [Fire Safety Resources](/resources) - [Fire Safety FAQs](/faq) - [Free HMO Compliance Audit](/specials) - [Contact Us](/contact-us) - [Privacy Policy](/privacy-policy) - [Cookie Policy](/cookie-policy) - [Terms & Conditions](/terms-conditions) © 2026 AS Fire Services Ltd. 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