The Regulator of Social Housing’s plans to introduce Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) on electrical safety have been given a cautious welcome by the Electrical Safety Roundtable (ESR).

The ESR is a cross-industry body with over a decade promoting electrical safety in the home, social housing and workplace.

The Regulator has asked stakeholders if they agree or disagree that the proposed TSM will provide an appropriate level of information about landlord performance in carrying out required electrical safety checks.

The Social Housing Sub-Group of the ESR has responded to the RSH’s consultation, saying they partially agree, but there are concerns about whether routinely providing full electrical safety certificates directly to tenants will significantly improve residents’ understanding of landlord performance, which is the primary aim of the TSM.

Martin Simmonds, Chair of the ESR Social Housing Sub-Group, said: “The ESR support the intention behind the TSM and its role in strengthening resident safety and confidence, and we welcome any initiative that will improve electrical safety for tenants and their families.

“The proposed TSM should provide a useful level of information regarding landlord performance in carrying out required electrical safety checks, supporting greater transparency and accountability, helping ensure landlords remain focused on meeting their statutory safety obligations.

“However, we do have concerns about whether routinely providing full electrical safety certificates directly to tenants will significantly improve residents’ understanding of landlord performance, which is the primary aim of the TSM.”

The ESR response to the consultation also warns about the risk of unintended consequences. While certificates demonstrate technical compliance, they are often complex documents that can be difficult for residents to interpret and may lead to confusion or misinterpretation of findings.

The ESR has already seen examples of unintended consequences where measures intended to improve electrical safety have added additional costs and admin to social housing providers.

New electrical safety regulations came into force in England, requiring social landlords to inspect and test electrical installations in their properties at least every five years and carry out necessary works.

These changes took effect in November 2025 for new tenancies and will come into force in May 2026 for existing tenancies. These requirements are already in place in Scotland and Wales, and there is support to see them extended to the social rented sector in Northern Ireland to ensure consistent safety standards across the UK.

Social landlords will also be required to inspect and test any electrical appliance they provide as part of a tenancy.

Martin Simmonds added: “There are notable administrative and cost implications associated with distributing certificates, alongside the likelihood of increased customer contact relating to technical queries that may not provide additional assurance. This could divert resources away from delivering safety improvements and remedial works, ultimately reducing the effectiveness of the measure’s intended outcomes.”

The ESR has called for the introduction of an annual compliance summary issued to residents which would present key safety information in a clear and accessible format and could incorporate all relevant compliance areas, including electrical safety, gas safety, and fire risk assessments (where applicable within blocks), as well as other statutory checks.

The ESR has previously published guidance documents aimed at landlords and social housing tenants to explain electrical safety legislation and how they will be impacted.

Earlier this year the ESR launched a new campaign to promote electrical safety for social housing tenants.

The Let Me In! campaign aims to engage social housing providers and tenants to ensure the safety of electrical installations and equipment within their properties. This tenant-focused campaign aims to educate and allow access for essential safety checks across the UK.

The campaign media pack that promotes the key message ‘Safety Starts at Your Door Let Me In!’. It includes free resources such as posters and leaflets, accessible documents and social media images and captions.

The campaign materials include statistics and information explaining the dangers of electricity, why electrical checks must be carried out and what happens during an electrical inspection.

The ESR also launched guidance on how to find a Competent & Qualified Person for Landlord Electrical Safety Checks with a summary of what is contained in an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), which could be amended to explain TSMs in an easy-to-understand format.