Stalking

2. Electrical Safety

Electrical safety in your home 

Every year an estimated 70 people die and 350,000 are injured in their home, due to accidents caused by faulty electrics and electrical equipment.

More than half of all accidental house fires are caused by electricity. 

As landlord, we are required to ensure your home’s electrical installation and wiring are safe when you move in, and that they are maintained in a safe condition throughout your tenancy. 

We test and inspect all the homes we manage, as well as any communal areas, at least once every five years. We always test and inspect properties before re-letting them to new tenants. We also ensure any appliances we supply are safe to use and are CE marked. 

Reporting a problem 

You must let us know about any electrical problems as soon as they occur and we will arrange an electrician to come to your home. 

Never attempt to carry out electrical repairs yourself. 

Keep you and your home safe 

  • make sure you know where your fuse box is, so you can turn the mains switch off in an emergency 
  • never overload sockets or plug adaptors into other adaptors 
  • maintain any electrical items you bring into your home 
  • ensure plugs and sockets are not visibly damaged and replace if necessary 
  • check visible leads and cables are in good condition and replace if necessary 
  • check light fittings are not visibly damaged and in good condition;  contact us if you think they need repairing or replacing 
  • always use an RCD (residual current device) on outdoor electrical equipment (this instantly turns off the power if there is a fault). You can find these in any DIY store. 
  • never store combustible materials near the fuse box or the electricity metre 
  • never store anything on top of a microwave 
  • never run cables under carpets or rugs 
  • never take mains-powered electrical items into the bathroom 
  • always switch off electrical items when you are not using them. 

Visit Electrical Safety First for more help and advice, which includes an online 'socket calculator' to check your sockets are safe and a Visual Checklist to help you ensure your home is electrically safe. 

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