Following many electrical inspections in the Worcestershire & Gloucestershire regions, am told many times by my clients that they thought an electrical inspection and test would be costly in both time and money – in reality this is not true – many electrical inspection tests I carry out are absolutely fine and it leaves the homeowner or business owner with peace of mind that their home is electrically safe.
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The majority of my customers don’t understand what Part P registered actually means. However most customers have heard of the ELECSA brand and feel these brand mean’s something good and they should look for them when searching for an electrician. (more…)

The vast majority of landlords nowadays are keen to ensure their tenants are happy – its not just the legal aspect, its also the moral aspect and ‘doing the right thing’ – treat others as you would like to be treated yourself is an age old saying that I live by everyday as do the landlords I carry out work for.

I am all too aware though that there are landlords out there who don’t co-operate when their tenants report a problem. Worse still some landlords do not carry out checks on the property which they should be doing as a legal requirement. Recently I went to a rented property where there had been no electrical inspection carried out on the property – there had been dangerous alternations to the consumer unit and there was no RCD protection – the tenant had been using an extension lead with an incorrect fuse fitted as a means to use a washing machine – there was only 1 socket in the entire kitchen. This all came to light (excuse the pun!) after an electric shower caught fire whilst in use – the tenant thankfully was unharmed.
That was just the electrics…..enough said!

If you are a tenant there are a few things you need to do yourself in order that you stay electrically safe in your home.

• If there is a problem, please tell your landlord as soon as possible. Don’t wait to see what happens.
• When using electrical appliances, always take a few common sense precautions! – don’t use any appliance with damaged cables or plugs, and don’t overload adapters – or even worse – plug 1 adapter into another! (seen this too!)
• Don’t take electrical appliances into the bathroom
• Remove plugs correctly from sockets – don’t pull the cable as this can damage it
• Allow access to an electrician when they come to your home to carry out electrical work or maintenance.
• There is more information on the Electrical Safety Councils website – I’ve only covered the basics here.

http://www.esc.org.uk/public/guides-and-advice/renting-a-property/

Before you move into new accommodation check that

• An electrical report known as an EICR has been carried out on the property confirming the electrics are safe
• Any recent electrical works are certified and carried in accordance with BS7671
• Any electrical appliances provided by the landlord have up to date PAT test stickers, have an
  an instruction manual and in good working order

* Check switches, sockets and other electrical fittings for damage

Most landlords are keen to ensure you are safe in your home – as always its the small minority who make us more wary. If you in doubt, contact your local authority for help – they can take enforcement action against landlords who do not meet their legal obligations.

Think of your fuse board as the main hub of your home – its the ‘thinking centre’ to all electrical aspects in your home. If the job is carried out incorrectly, your home will be in a dangerous condition and your family is then at risk from electrical harm.
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