Emergency electrical work advice for London

electrical emergency

What counts as an electrical emergency?

Which electrical problems need someone tonight and which can wait: shocks, burning smells, water in fittings, loss of power, and what to do first.

electrician call out charge

Emergency electrician call out in London: what affects the charge

What changes an emergency electrician call out charge in London: time of day, parking, the Congestion Charge and ULEZ, parts, and make safe or repair.

power cut london

Power cut or a fault in your home? How to tell in London

Lights out in your London home? How to tell a network power cut from a fault in your own electrics, when to call 105 and when you need an electrician.

priority services register

The Priority Services Register in London: who can join and what it does in a power cut

The Priority Services Register is free extra help in a power cut. Who in London should join, how it works with UK Power Networks or SSEN, and its limits.

ssen power cut

Power cut in Ealing or Hounslow: why your network is SSEN, not UK Power Networks

Ealing and Hounslow are served by SSEN, not UK Power Networks. Who to call in a power cut, what 105 does, and when the fault is in your own home.

half my house has no power

Half my house has no power: what it means

Half the house off and half still working? The usual reason is one RCD tripped on a split board. What to check, what not to touch, and when to call 105.

communal lights not working

No power in your flat but the hallway lights are on, or the other way round

Flat dark but the corridor lit, or communal lights out but your flat fine? How flat supplies and landlord supplies work in London blocks, and who to call.

rcd keeps tripping

RCD keeps tripping at night or every few hours

RCD tripping overnight or every few hours? Timed loads, fridge freezers, damp and small leaks adding up are the usual causes. How to track it down.

fuse box keeps tripping

Why do my electrics keep tripping? A checklist for London homes

Fuse box keeps tripping? How to tell an RCD from an MCB trip, the unplug and reset method, and why 1930s London semis with mixed wiring trip more often.

electric shower keeps tripping

Electric shower keeps tripping the fuse box

Electric shower tripping the RCD or breaker? A failing element, burnt terminals or cable too small for a bigger shower are the usual causes.

oven tripping

Oven, kettle or immersion heater tripping the electrics

Why an oven, kettle or immersion heater trips your RCD, how to prove which one it is, and when to call an electrician in Romford and across London.

rcd trips when it rains

Electrics trip when it rains: outside lights and garden sockets

RCD trips every time it rains? Water in outside lights, garden sockets or buried cable is the usual cause. What to check, and why Bromley sees it often.

afdd

AFDDs: do London flats and HMOs need arc fault protection?

When arc fault detection devices are required under BS 7671 Amendment 4, when they are only recommended, and what that means for Hackney flats and HMOs.

bs7671 amendment 4

BS 7671 Amendment 4: what changed in 2026 for London homeowners and landlords

Amendment 4 to the wiring regulations is now the only current version. What changed for EICRs, consumer units and AFDDs, in plain English for London.

change fuse box

Old fuse box with wire fuses: replacing it in a 1930s semi

How to tell if you have an old rewireable fuse box, what testing finds first in 1930s Harrow semis, and how a replacement with RCD protection runs.

cost to replace consumer unit

What changes the cost of a new consumer unit in London

The things that decide the price of replacing a consumer unit in London, from test results to meter position and Part P paperwork. Croydon examples.

consumer unit metal

Why new consumer units are metal, and what it means for your home

Why consumer units in homes now have metal cases, whether your plastic board must be replaced, and what an EICR says about it. Hounslow and Chiswick notes.

old electrical wiring

Rubber wiring in London homes: how to spot it and why it matters

Black rubber cable was phased out in the 1960s but still turns up in London homes. Signs to look for, why it fails, and what to do if you find it.

electric shock from tap

Electric shock or tingle from a tap or radiator

Felt a tingle from a kitchen tap, bath or radiator in your London home? What it usually means, what to do first and why it needs an electrician soon.

no power to sockets but lights work

No power to sockets but the lights work and nothing has tripped

Sockets dead but lights on and no switch tripped? Usually a loose or burnt connection on a ring circuit. What to check safely and how fault finding works.

plug socket sparked

Plug socket sparked when I put the plug in: is it dangerous?

A tiny blue flash can be normal. A loud crack, scorch mark or repeated sparking is not. How to tell the difference and what to do, with Kingston notes.

burning smell from fuse box

Burning smell from the fuse box

A burning smell at the fuse box is an emergency. Switch off at the main switch if safe, work out whose equipment it is, and when to call 105 or 999.

burning smell from plug socket

Burning smell from a plug socket: what to do now

A burning or fishy smell from a socket means heat at a connection. What to do in the next five minutes, what causes it, and when to call 999 in London.

plug socket hot

Plug socket hot to touch

A hot plug socket usually means a loose connection or too much load. What to check safely, when to switch off, and why it matters in Barnet flats.

eicr certificate cost

EICR cost in London: what changes the price

What sets the price of an EICR in London: number of circuits, access, older wiring and repairs. Why the report fee and the remedial work are priced apart.

eicr london

EICRs for rented flats in Hackney

How EICRs work for Hackney rented flats: converted Victorian terraces, shared meter cupboards, the landlord supply, HMOs and AFDDs, and the 28 day rules.

landlord electrical safety certificate

Landlord EICR rules in England: every 5 years, 28 days, and fines up to £40,000

Landlord electrical safety rules in England: an EICR every 5 years, who gets a copy and when, the 28 day repair window, and fines up to £40,000.

eicr unsatisfactory

EICR unsatisfactory: what a landlord must do next

An unsatisfactory EICR means C1 or C2 faults. The 28 day repair window, the written confirmation step, and how it works in Wandsworth converted flats.

eicr c2

EICR codes C1, C2, C3 and FI explained

What C1, C2, C3 and FI mean on an EICR, with real examples, and the Amendment 4 change that stopped FI failing a report on its own.

emergency electrician christmas day

Need an electrician on Christmas Day or a bank holiday?

Power gone or a burning smell over Christmas or a bank holiday in London? What to do first, what can safely wait, and how to make things safe meanwhile.

lights flickering in house

Lights flickering in the house: bulb, dimmer or wiring?

Why lights flicker in London homes, how to tell a bulb or dimmer problem from a wiring fault, and when a flicker across the house means calling 105.

light switch buzzing

Light switch buzzing or warm

A buzzing or warm light switch can be a dimmer under strain or a loose terminal. How to tell, what to do now, and what to expect in older Ealing homes.

electrical safety after a flood

Electrics after a flash flood: what London learned in July 2021

Flash floods in July 2021 hit 24 London boroughs. What to do with your electrics during and after a flood, and how to wire for the next one.

who is responsible for electrics in leasehold property

Leak from the flat above has reached your electrics: who fixes what

Water from the flat above has reached your lights or sockets. What to do now, who usually handles which part in a London block, and why testing first.

water leaking into light fitting

Water leaking through a light fitting: what to do

Water dripping from a ceiling light or spotlight? Switch off safely, stop the water, and get the circuit tested before the lights go back on. London guide.