Lost power, a circuit that keeps tripping, or a burning smell from a socket. Some of these can wait until morning and some genuinely cannot — this page is about telling them apart.
Burning smell, scorch marks or sparks?
Turn that circuit off at the consumer unit and call us. Do not wait to see if it settles.
Any burning smell, scorch marks, or a socket or switch that is warm to the touch
Sparks, or a buzzing or crackling noise from a socket or the consumer unit
Water that has reached wiring, a socket or the consumer unit
Anyone has had a shock from an appliance, a switch or a tap
Exposed or damaged cable anyone could reach
Total loss of power when your neighbours still have theirs
Usually safe until morning
One light or one socket not working, with nothing else odd
A bulb or a fitting that has gone
An outside light or a garage circuit that is out
If the whole street is dark it is a network fault, not your wiring. Call the national power cut
line on 105 — it is free, and it will be sorted faster than we can.
Before we arrive
Look at the consumer unit and see which switch has tripped. Note the label.
Unplug everything on that circuit, then reset it once. If it trips again immediately, leave it
off — something on that circuit is faulty and repeated resetting is not harmless.
If it only trips when one appliance is plugged in, you have found it. Leave it unplugged.
EICR inspections for rented property
Every rented home in England needs an Electrical Installation Condition Report at least every
five years, and at the start of a new tenancy. The report grades any problems:
Code
Means
What happens
C1
Danger present
Made safe immediately, on the visit
C2
Potentially dangerous
Must be fixed for the report to pass
C3
Improvement recommended
Still passes; worth planning in
FI
Further investigation
Needs a closer look before signing off
A C1 or C2 means the report is unsatisfactory and the work has to be done, normally within 28
days. We can inspect and carry out the remedial work, so you are not booking two contractors and
waiting twice. On a monthly plan we track the renewal dates and chase them
before they lapse — see landlord maintenance.
Other work we cover
Consumer unit replacements and upgrades
Additional sockets, lighting and outdoor power
Fault finding on circuits that trip intermittently
Making safe after a leak or a flood
Between-tenancy checks and repairs
Need someone now?
Our emergency line is answered 24 hours a day, every day of the year.