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Report unsafe electrical work

Unsafe electrical installations should be investigated and made safe as soon as is feasibly possible. We always recommend using a qualified, competent and registered electrician to undertake any electrical installation or inspection and testing work.

Find one here: https://www.electricalcompetentperson.co.uk

What to do if you find instances of unsafe or non-compliant electrical work in your home.

What to do if you find of non-compliant work in your home
Yes
No
Can you isolate your electrical supply by turning off the MAIN SWITCH in your electrical consumer unit (Fusebox)
Signs to indicate the electrical installation could be dangerous include: experiencing an electric shock when touched, exposed copper conductors, signs of overheating- burn marks, fishy smell, yellow discolouration, buzzing noise around electrical accessories, which could be a sign of a loose or failing electrical connection. This list is not exhaustive.
Do you know who undertook the electrical work that is of concern?
Yes
No
Isolate your electrical supply now by turning off the main switch.
Dial 105 and ask for your electrical supply to be immediately isolated.
Yes
No
Yes
Was the electrician registered with a UKAS accredited, Government authorised Competent Person Scheme? You can check this here: www.electricalcompetentperson.co.uk.
In cases where the electrician is unknown, no enforcement action can be taken. The unsafe or non-complaint electrical work in your home should be resolved as soon as possible. Contact a registered electrician to investigate this and make the electrical installation safe for you. Find one at: www.electricalcompetentperson.co.uk
No
Contact the electrician immediately and request they come out to investigate and rectify the electrical installation work of concern. If they are unable or refuse, follow the route identified below, depending on when the electrical work was completed.
Electrical work completed within the last 24 months
Electrical work completed over 24 months ago
Contact your Local Authority Building Control department to report the non-compliant or un-safe electrical work in your home: www.gov.uk/find-local-council They have powers to take enforcement action against the unregistered electrician.
Contact your Local Trading Standards department to report the non-compliant or un-safe electrical work in your home. They have powers to take enforcement action against the unregistered electrician: www.gov.uk/find-local-trading-standards-office
We encourage you to report any instances of unsafe or non-compliant electrical installation work via this online form. This will help us improve our understanding of the type and scale of unsafe and non-compliant electrical work in homes throughout the UK. This data will be used to consider whether legislative changes are needed to enhance electrical safety standards and will NOT be used to undertake any enforcement action.
Click here to download this flow chart as a PDF
Yes
No
Can you isolate your electrical supply by turning off the MAIN SWITCH in your electrical consumer unit (Fusebox)
Signs to indicate the electrical installation could be dangerous include: experiencing an electric shock when touched, exposed copper conductors, signs of overheating- burn marks, fishy smell, yellow discolouration, buzzing noise around electrical accessories, which could be a sign of a loose or failing electrical connection. This list is not exhaustive.
Do you know who undertook the electrical work that is of concern?
Yes
No
Isolate your electrical supply now by turning off the main switch.
Dial 105 and ask for your electrical supply to be immediately isolated.
Yes
No
Yes
Did you use an electrical company registered with a Government authorised scheme? You can search for this information here: www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/find-an-electrician/ scotland
Firstly, contact the electrician you used, and request they come and rectify the fault/s. If they do not do this, contact the Scheme Operator with which they are registered with as they have established complaints procedures when work carried out has not been done to a high standard and will help resolve any unsafe or non-compliant electrical work
In cases where the electrician is unknown, no enforcement action can be taken. The unsafe or non-complaint electrical work in your home should be resolved as soon as possible. Contact a registered electrician to investigate this and make the electrical installation safe for you. Find one at: www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/find-an-electrician/ scotland
No
Firstly, contact the electrician you used, and request they come and rectify the fault/s. If they are unable or refuse to assist with rectifying any unsafe or non-compliant electrical installation work, you could contact Trading Standards. Additionally, Citizens Advice provide a template to compose a letter to the tradesperson (if not registered) that can be found here. (This is under Consumer Rights Act 2015). If the electrician claims to be registered with a Certification Scheme, and is not, you should report them to the scheme operator in question so that they can take action against them.
We encourage you to report any instances of unsafe or non-compliant electrical installation work via this online form. This will help us improve our understanding of the type and scale of unsafe and non-compliant electrical work in homes throughout the UK. This data will be used to consider whether legislative changes are needed to enhance electrical safety standards and will NOT be used to undertake any enforcement action.
Click here to download this flow chart as a PDF
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