Electrical inspections

But what can you expect during an electrical safety check and why is it so important?

What takes place during the visit?

The safety check will be conducted by a certified electrician, who will check for any potential electrical issues that could cause fire or electric shocks. This involves checking and testing all wiring, light fittings, fuse boxes, switches and power sockets are safe and working properly.

During the visit, the electrician will look for any flaws, defects, damages, or potential hazards and use equipment to check the electrics are all safe and working properly. During these tests the electric supply will need to be disconnected from the mains power supply. After the tests have been done, the electrician will issue an electrical installation condition report (EICR) which includes details of any faults or risks that were found. If repair work is needed, we will organise this and let you know when this will take place.

Remember, personal electrical appliances such as ovens, washing machines, dishwashers, laptops, and TVs are your responsibility and so won’t be checked during the visit.

What do you have to do?

We will write to you every five years with details of when the engineer will visit your property. Please make sure you are in (or arrange for someone else to be there) in order to allow access. If no one is in when the engineer calls, we have to return on another day which wastes valuable time and money for everyone.

If you need to rearrange the date or time, we can easily re-book your appointment for a more convenient time, just contact us by:

• Email: safetyserviceselectrical@southampton.gov.uk 
• Phone: 023 8083 4696

We can offer school run appointments between 9.30am and 2.30pm so you don’t have to worry about missing the engineer when you are taking or collecting children from school.

Before the visit it would be helpful if you can clear away personal items to ensure the electrician can easily access all fuse boxes, sockets, and switches in your home.

Why is it so important?

Electrical fires can kill so it is crucial that you help us to keep your home safe by allowing access for the safety check. It is a legal requirement for us to ensure that all our council homes have an EICR every five years.