What to do if you spot an electrical hazard, how to keep your home safe and what we do to keep you safe.

If you spot an electrical hazard

If you notice any electrical damage or faults, report it straight away.

Don't try to fix electrical faults yourself.

Report an electrical hazard

Reduce electrical hazards in your home

There are some simple things you can do at home to keep you and your family safe:

  • Allow us access to your home for electrical safety checks when needed.
  • Report any problems as soon as you notice them. Either tell us about a repair, or if you think it's an emergency, call 0117 922 2050.
  • Do not carry out DIY electrical work unless we have given you permission.
  • Do not overload extension leads.
  • Regularly check appliance leads for damage.
  • Avoid leaving your washing machine or tumble dryer on when you're out or overnight.
  • If you charge electric bikes or scooters at home, do not leave batteries charging while you sleep or are away.
  • Use the correct charging leads for phones and other devices.
  • Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms every month.
  • If you have run out of spare plug sockets, you might think about using a multi-plug adaptor. This can overload the socket and cause a fire, depending on what you plug in. Use this socket overload calculator to check your appliances first.
  • Register your own electrical appliances to give you piece of mind and be the first to hear about safety repairs or recalls.

Electrical safety in the home: Avon Fire and Rescue Service 

Power cuts

If you think you may struggle during a power cut, contact National Grid to join the Priority Services Register.
 
The Priority Services Register supports customers who need extra help due to mobility issues, vision or hearing impairments, or because they're older or unwell.
 

What we do to keep you safe

If we cannot get into your home to carry out important checks, we may take legal action so we can get in and make sure you and your neighbours are safe. If this happens, you may have to pay the costs.

Electrical testing 

Every 5 years, we test and inspect the electrics:

  • in every council home
  • in the communal areas of our blocks of flats

During an inspection, we carry out an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) to:

  • check the safety of your home's electrical systems, including wiring, consumer units and fire detection.
  • identify any hazards and confirm everything is safe

The engineer will need access to all electrical points. An EICR can take up to 3 hours.

If you need any repairs, we may do them immediately, or within 28 days. 

Other work

We also do:
 
  • solar panel inspections every 5 years, where needed, in both communal and residential properties
  • a yearly visual inspection of the electrics in all our blocks

Contact

Electrical safety policy

The  pdf Electrical safety policy(404 KB)  sets out how we meet our legal and regulatory duties as a landlord for testing, maintaining and installing electrical wiring, equipment and appliances.

Elsewhere on the web