Frequently Asked Questions

Tell-tale signs include an old fuse board with rewireable fuses rather than breakers, rubber, fabric or lead-sheathed cabling, frequent tripping or blown fuses, scorch marks or a burning smell around sockets, and a lack of earthing. If your wiring is more than about 30 years old, or you're unsure, an EICR will tell you its true condition.

An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is a formal inspection and test of your fixed wiring against BS 7671. It grades any issues (C1, C2, C3 or FI) and confirms whether the installation is safe. Landlords in England legally need one at least every 5 years; for owner-occupied homes it's recommended around every 10 years, or when buying or selling.

Yes. Since 2020, private landlords in England must have the fixed wiring inspected and tested (an EICR) at least every 5 years, give the report to tenants, and ensure any required remedial work is completed within 28 days. You also need working smoke alarms on each storey and CO alarms where required.

Tripping usually means the system is protecting you from a fault, often a faulty appliance, moisture in a circuit, an overloaded circuit or a wiring fault. Unplug appliances on the affected circuit and try resetting; if it trips again, don't keep forcing it. We can carry out fault finding to trace and fix the cause safely.

A consumer unit is the modern name for your fuse board; it distributes power and protects each circuit. Older boards often lack RCD protection, which guards against electric shock and fire. Upgrading to a modern 18th Edition metal consumer unit with RCBOs is one of the most worthwhile safety improvements you can make.

Some minor jobs, such as adding a socket or light to an existing circuit outside a bathroom, aren't 'notifiable', but all electrical work must still comply with BS 7671. New circuits, consumer unit changes and work in a room with a bath or shower are notifiable under Part P and should be done by a registered electrician who can self-certify the work.

Part P of the Building Regulations covers electrical safety in homes in England and Wales. Certain work must either be carried out by an electrician registered with a competent-person scheme, such as NAPIT, or notified to Building Control. Using a registered electrician means the work is certified and Building Control is notified for you.

Yes. We're NAPIT-approved, and all our work is completed and certified to BS 7671 (the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations). For notifiable work we self-certify and notify Building Control, so you receive the relevant compliance certificate for your records.

It depends on the job; a small repair, a call-out, a full rewire and a fuse board upgrade are all very different. Rather than a one-size-fits-all price, we assess the work and give you a clear, itemised quote up front with no hidden extras, so you know exactly what you're paying before we start.

If it's safe to do so, switch off the affected circuit (or the main switch) at your consumer unit, keep clear of any water near electrics, and don't touch damaged cables or fittings. If you smell burning, see sparking or scorching, or get a shock, call us straight away; our team is on call 24/7 for electrical emergencies.

A Residual Current Device (RCD) is a life-saving switch that cuts the power in a fraction of a second if it detects a fault, such as electricity flowing to earth through a person. Modern installations use RCD or RCBO protection; if your board doesn't have it, we'd strongly recommend a consumer unit upgrade.