Electrical safety

We carry out electrical safety inspections to check how safe your home is.

During the inspection, we'll look at things like the age of your home, the contents, how you use it, and any other risks.  

It's like a car MOT inspection for your home.

As a landlord, we have a responsibility and duty to make sure that our homes are safe to live in.

As we can't see electricity with the naked eye, the inspection is a way of making sure any issues are found, so they can be properly dealt with.

Electrical safety inspections are sometimes called EICR or periodic inspections.

During the inspection

Your appointment will be a 4 hour slot, either morning (8am to 12noon) or afternoon (12.30pm to 4.30pm).

The inspection will take about 2 to 3 hours to complete. We'll use the extra time to make any small repairs that are needed.

The inspection will not cause any damage to your home.

We'll need access to all areas and rooms. This includes:

• all light fittings
• light switches
• sockets
• cupboards
• lofts
• the consumer unit
• gas meter
• water stopcock

If any electrical work has been done outside, we'll need access to outside areas too (e.g. garden or outhouse).

During the inspection, we will need to:

• turn off the electrical supply to your home for around 1.5 to 2 hours
• remove a sample of lights, sockets and switches from each circuit to carry out the tests
• turn your electrical supply on for a small part of the inspection (this will use a small, insignificant amount of electricity)

We may need to plug in our equipment (the electrical tester or drilling machine).

The inspection will be carried out by one of our Property Services Electricians or an approved subcontractor. The person doing the inspection will have the required qualifications and knowledge.

The electricity that is used during the inspection will not be reimbursed, as it is such a small amount.

After the inspection

If we find any small repairs that need to be done, we'll do these straight away.

If we find any large repairs that need to be done, we'll arrange a separate appointment with you.

A Team Leader and Electrical Surveyor will be involved, and will explain the repair work that's needed. We'll work with you to make sure that the repair work causes minimal disruption and damage.

We'll keep a record of the electrical safety inspection, including when it was carried out and what we found.

When your home will get an inspection

Usually, your home will need an electrical safety inspection:

• within 5 years of its full electrical rewire
• then every 5 years after that

If the Electrician thinks an inspection is needed sooner, the time between inspections can be shorter.

We also carry out an electrical safety inspection when:

• there is a change of occupancy (either through the Homefinder team or a Mutual Exchange)
• there has been a fire
• some types of intermittent faults have been reported
• there is DIY work which is a danger to life

If we did work to your home through the Decent Homes Programme, we will have done a full electrical safety inspection or rewire during this.

We keep detailed records of all electrical safety inspections that have been carried out in our homes.

Organising an appointment

When your home is due an inspection, we will contact you.

Our Electrical team will contact you by either letter, a phone call or an automated booking text.

Make sure you are in for your appointment. If you are no longer available for your appointment, please let us know so that we can rearrange.

If you need to rearrange your appointment, or if you have any queries, email ElectricalSafetyInspections@southtyneside.gov.uk.

If you don't allow us to do the inspection

Electrical safety inspections are mandatory.

It's important that we carry out the inspection in your home when needed.

Your tenancy agreement states that you must allow us access to your home for maintenance purposes.

If you don't allow the inspection to be completed, this is a breach of your tenancy agreement. This means we can take legal action.

If you're not in for your appointment (or if you don't let us in), we'll put a 'no answer' card through your door. The card will let you know how to rearrange your appointment.

We'll keep a record and evidence of any times that we can't access your home for an appointment.

If you continually don't allow us access to complete the inspection, we can apply to the Magistrates Court for a warrant to allow us to force entry to complete the electrical safety inspection.

Post occupancy electrical safety checks are completed for all new tenancies, to make sure new tenants are aware of possible electrical hazards and risks within their home.

This helps tenants reduce the risk of accidental damage or alterations that may cause:

• an electric shock or fire risk
• loss of electrical supply
• extensive electrical repairs

If you have a query, or want to request an appointment for an inspection, contact us at electricalsafetyinspections@southtyneside.gov.uk.

Below is a list of some of the information that is provided.

Consumer unit access

The consumer unit is the electrical device with all the safety protective devices that control the home's circuits.

Access must always be available so the electrical supply can be safely turned back on after the issue. This is even more important in emergency situations, such as finding water coming out of the electrical fixtures, where isolation must be quick.

Keeping the area clear also helps limit the risk of an electric fire or shock from damaging the equipment accidentally.

Loft space storage

It is recommended not to store any belongings within the loft space. Loft spaces can be a dangerous confined space of a home due to roof joists being hidden behind the loft insulation.

Access should only be attempted by a skilled person, with the correct access equipment and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for the task.

If you store belongings in the loft space you must place them carefully so they do not fall between the roof joints. Do not place them on top of electrical wiring, gas, water, or heating pipework that might be below the loft insulation.

The weight of the belongings must also be suitable.

Overloading of sockets and extension lead use

Adding too many appliances with a large electrical load into sockets or accessories could cause an electric fire risk. The use of extension leads should be limited and never plugged into other extension leads to reach hard to access areas. 

It is recommended they are checked for damage and are fitted with a surge device.

For more information see, Electrical Safety First: Overloading sockets.

White Goods Recall Register

Approximately 43 fires start from faulty or incorrectly maintained kitchen white goods in the UK each week. It is important that tenants follow the manufacturer's instructions for using all white goods, such as regularly cleaning lint from tumble dryer filters, or making sure items with wear and tear are not used.

Any white goods that have a fault or are not used correctly may lead to an electric fire or shock risk. Manufacturers regularly update any recall notices of affected items on the Product Recall Register.

Weekly fire detection testing

Fire detection has proved to save lives by providing early warnings to occupants and allowing the best chance of escape.

It is recommended that all tenants test the fire detector in their property on a weekly basis.

Any issues or concerns are to be reported to the Customer Contact Centre on 0300 123 6633. A skilled electrician will then be arranged.

Read more about fire safety.

Residual Current Devices (RCD) testing

RCDs are safety devices fitted within a home's electrical fuse board. They make electric trips to avoid electric shocks during a fault, such as:

• faulty accessories (kettles, irons)
• fixed equipment (fridges, cookers)
• a wiring fault

Tenants should check the test button on their RCDs every 6 months to make sure they are working correctly. You can do this when the clocks go back and forward as an easy way to remember.

Any issues or concerns are to be reported to the call centre on 0300 123 6633. A skilled electrician will then be arranged.

For more information see, Electrical Safety First: RCDs explained.

Tenants electrical alterations

Any electrical alterations must be completed following the tenant's alteration procedure.

Simple tasks such as changing light switches or light fittings require permission, as well as large tasks such as installing relectric cookers, showers, or external works.

All electrical work needs to be completed by a skilled registered electrician, to make sure it is completed correctly. A list of registered electricians can be found at Electrical Safety First: Find an electrician.

Portable electrical heaters

There are various types of portable electric heaters available (convection, halogen, fan or oil filled) that have different benefits and risks.

Most portable electric fires start due to misuse, such as knocking over the heater or using them to dry laundry.

To avoid an electric fire:

1. Place the heater on a flat level surface
2. Keep the heater away from flammable materials
3. Don't leave them on overnight or unattended
4. Don't plug heaters into extension leads

For more information see, Electrical Safety First: Portable heaters.

Electric vehicles and charge points

Electric vehicles are becoming more affordable and common method of transport.

Any tenant that wishes to charge their electric vehicle at their home must follow the tenant's alteration procedure. This is to make sure the charger is electrically fit for purpose, safe, and installed by a registered electrician.

Energy saving devices and fake accessories

Various plug-in energy saving devices are available that claim to be able to save you 35% on electrical bills. Electrical Safety First received a number of reports saying that they may not provide any savings and might actually be electrically unsafe. 

In the UK, online stores such as Amazon, eBay and Wish are not bound to the same laws as traditional retailers. Only purchase and use electrical accessories from a trusted provider, see Electrical Safety First: Spot the fake.

If you are struggling to pay or read your energy bills, or require additional advice, there's some helpful guidance on our struggling to pay your energy bill web page.

Ventilation and black spot mould

We use extractor fans and positive input ventilation units to help with excessive moistureand humidity in the home. Too much moisture could lead to condensation and black spot mould.

It is recommended that units are clean from dirt and used following the manufacturer's instructions.

Any issues with the operation or a request for cleaning of a ventilation device should be reported to the Contact Centre on 0300 123 66 33. A skilled electrician will then be arranged.

For other ways to reduce condensation see our guide to damp, mould and condensation.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels

Some properties have solar PV panels fitted to the roof to help provide electricity during the day. These panels will be fully tested and inspected during the electrical safety check of the property.

A PV inverter is located in the loft space and must be kept clear for essential access for repairs and maintenance.

Any concerns of the PV operation can be reported to the Contact Centre on 0300 123 66 33. The systems will be checked remotely before a site visit is arranged with the responsive repairs team.

Electric vandalism and theft

Northern Power Grid (NPG) are responsible for the property's electrical supply and incoming wiring. Your chosen electrical supplier is responsible for your property's electrical meter.

Any damage or vandalism to either of these items must be reported to us immediately, due to the possible danger of an electric shock and fire.

Bypassing electrical meters for electricity theft is not only a dangerous risk for the property and tenants, but also a criminal act that may result in arrest and prosecution.

Carrying out your own electrical work can be tempting.

There is a lot of conflicting advice out there around what you are allowed to do, and what has to be left to a professional.

Most tenants attempt to carry out smaller electrical jobs like installing light switches and light fittings, but we have been called numerous times to fix faulty wiring that has been caused by tenants attempting to carry out jobs themselves.

This costs us a lot of money to fix and these costs could be rechargeable to you as the tenant.

In most cases it would be cheaper and safer to apply through our alterations procedure, gain approval and hire a professional in the first place.

After gaining approval for the works, always use a qualified electrician. Check South Tyneside Council safetraders.

On completion of work, make sure that you have been provided the certification as required and store this in a safe place as you are more than likely going to need it at some point.

Electricity is extremely dangerous. It can kill. Leave it to the professionals.

Extensions and cables

Many portable electrical items like lamps and radios are supplied with relatively short cables. So sometimes it is unavoidable not to have to use an extension, but beware of the dangers:

• Overuse of multi-way adapters or adapter blocks, which increases the risk of fire.
• An extension lead should only be used when it is not possible to reach a wall socket with the equipment cable.

When the use of an extension cable is unavoidable, follow these simple suggestions:

• Only use an extension lead which was bought ready-assembled.
• We recommend that no extension lead be more than 15 metres long.
• Only use extension leads fitted with suitably insulated connectors and plugs (never join two lengths of flexible cable by twisting the bare ends of wires together).
• Position an extension lead carefully to prevent any risk of damage or tripping.
• Always check that leads, plugs and sockets are undamaged.
• Always check the extension lead plug contains the correctly rated fuse for the equipment being used.
• If using a cable drum extension lead, it should be completely unwound to avoid overheating.
• For general use, 2-core extension leads should not be used.
• Get rid of and replace damaged extension leads - never repair them. Sticky tape isn't enough. It's not strong enough and won't provide enough protection from electric shock.

General home electrical safety

Make sure you stay safe when dealing with electricity. 

Here are some handy tips for staying safe in your home:

• Don't overload sockets
• Make sure that plugs and sockets are not damaged
• Check that visible cables and leads are in good condition
• Check that your light fittings are not visibly damaged
• Check that you are not storing combustible materials around your fusebox, electricity meter or main electric supply cable
• Don't use the top of the microwave for extra storage
• Never trail cables under carpets or rugs
• Never take mains-powered electrical items into the  bathroom
• Always switch off your electrical items when they are not in use

If you're unsure or need to report a repair, call 0300 123 6633.

Tumble dryers

There is a recall of up to 500,000 tumble dryers which pose a fire safety risk.

This issue refers only to tumble dryers manufactured between April 2004 and September 2015. Anything manufactured after this date is not affected.

The affected brands are:

• Hotpoint
• Indesit
• Creda
• Swan
• Proline

Anyone still owning an affected dryer to contact the company immediately on 0800 151 0905 or visit Hot Point: Appliance Safety Notices. 

Other products

For a list of electrical products that have been recalled, go to Electrical Safety First: Product recalls.