Electrical safety | Progress Housing Group

We legally have to carry out electrical checks to ensure that your home's electrics are safe.

We check the electrics in our homes every five years or when there’s a change in who lives there.

The law states that we must make sure that the electrical installation and electrical equipment we own in your property are safe
Regular checks are the best way to be sure that electrical installations are safe and to spot potential problems before it is too late
We will arrange an inspection to be carried out at least every five years or when there’s a change in who lives there.

What to expect during an electrical inspection

If your home is due for an electrical check, we will contact you to arrange a convenient appointment for an inspection with a qualified electrician.

An inspection usually takes around three-four hours; it is important that you remain at home whilst the inspection takes place.

Where possible, we will need access to all electrical accessories in your home, such as sockets and switches. For part of the inspection, we will need to turn your electricity supply to your home off at the mains; we’ll agree to this with you in advance so you can plan for it.

What we will look for

Electrical installations which are overloaded
Potential electric shock risks and fire hazards
Defective electrical work
Lack of earthing or bonding – these are two ways of preventing electrical shocks that are built into electrical installations
Serious electrical hazards, including exposed wiring, overloaded sockets or poorly installed electrical systems.

We will also test your property’s ‘fixed’ electrical parts, like the wiring, plug sockets, light fittings in every room, and the consumer unit (fuse box).

We do not test electrical appliances that can be moved around, such as TVs, white goods, kettles or toasters. If we spot something, though, such as an unsafe appliance or extension lead, we will let you know.

We will need access to every room in your property. There should be no mess on the vast majority of electrical inspections. However, there may be occasions where some repair work may be necessary.

What we do if we find something is unsafe

We will try and put it right during our inspection. If this is not possible, we will arrange a suitable appointment with you.

We must make sure any electrical work complies with the Building Regulations. Some work (including new circuits, alterations to existing circuits in bathrooms, and replacement consumer units) is notifiable. This must be verified by issuing a Building Regulations compliance certificate.

Checking who we say we are

Progress Housing Group is registered with the NICEIC. This organisation assesses the competence of businesses undertaking electrical work in the UK. All our electricians hold a relevant qualification in electrical engineering. They all wear a Progress
Housing Group uniform and carry Progress Housing Group identification.

If you’re concerned that an electrician isn’t who they say they are, please get in touch.

Top tips for electrical safety in your home

Check that your fuse box has RCD (residual current device) protection.
Make sure your plug sockets are not overloaded. Electrical Safety First has developed an online 'socket calculator' to help you check that yours are safe.
Ensure plugs and sockets are not damaged.
Check visible cables and leads are in good condition.
Check your light fittings are not visibly damaged and that downlighters are in good working condition.
Check that you are not storing combustible materials around your fuse box, electricity meter, or electrical intake.
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.
Keep all electrical appliances clean, follow the operating instructions and keep them in good working order.
Only use washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers when you are at home and not asleep.
Do not overnight charge items with lithium batteries, such as mobile phones, laptops, e-scooters and e-bikes. Recently, the number of fires caused by lithium batteries has rapidly increased. Over 70% of these incidents in the last three years involved a charger. For more advice on reducing fire risks with lithium batteries, read this advice from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service: Rechargeable Batteries - Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (lancsfirerescue.org.uk)