How do I know if I need an electrician?

You’ll need an electrician to spot whether you have problems with your electrical installation, or with the light or socket fittings themselves. Common problems include faulty fuses, old light fittings at the end of their useful lives, water damage or a wiring fault.

Sudden loss of power can be very dramatic, but that doesn’t mean you have a serious problem. If you can reset your fuse box yourself, its likely that the trip was caused by a faulty appliance which should be replaced. We’ll give you tips on how to reset the fuse box. But if the fuse box switch won’t stay up, or trips repeatedly in a short period of time, you will need an electrician to diagnose what is going wrong.

Do get your light fittings and/or sockets checked out if you’re in any doubt as their safety following water damage. If there’s only been a small leak, allow a few days to elapse before checking: often the water dries out on its own. In most cases there’ll be no permanent damage, but its always best to check if you’re in any doubt.

If the electrics fail suddenly in your home, check what’s going on in neighbouring properties. If these are dark too, there’s probably been a power cut. An electrician can’t help you. Please contact your electrical supplier: whose number will be on your electricity bill. Alternatively, UK Power Networks on 0800 0280247 may be able to help.

You can’t let people in or the bell doesn’t work. The problem needs investigation by an electrician.

Unless the problem involves just changing the fittings and accessories, you now need an approved electrician to do this work.

BT is the first port of call as they can test your incoming line and check your master socket. But other sockets, which are left out of such inspections, can also be cause a problem.

An electrical certificate assures prospective buyers that the house is safe, and removes potential negotiations over price. We give more details about electrical certificates for your home. Changing light fittings, switches and sockets might enhance the value of your home, just like redecoration prior to sale.

If you’re buying a property, a qualified electrician should inspect the electrics on your behalf to find out whether anything is wrong, and, if so, how much it would cost to repair. This should be a full inspection and test, and sellers should not object to giving access for such a test.

We give more details about electrical certificates for your home. Some electricians offer what they call a “visual check”, but these do not provide fully documented evidence as to the condition of the installation.

If you’re selling, it might be a smart move to present potential vendors with an in-date electrical certificate. This will enhance the readiness of your home, and cut down on the scope for price renegotiations.

Fridges, freezers, cookers, washing machines, dryers, microwaves should be repaired by specialist companies. The same goes for faulty TVs, DVDs, VCRs and sound systems.