We get a lot of calls from tenants when they have a power outage. Here’s what you can do.
Firstly, make sure that there is money on your electricity meter, or that you are up to date with your payments. It’s also a good idea to check with your power suppliers – on their website or over the phone – if there are any known faults or cuts due to maintenance works.
Many homes are now installed with modern fuse boxes called ‘consumer units’, which contain circuit breakers or trip switches. If a fault occurs, these circuit breakers switch off power to prevent injury.
Switches can be tripped for various reasons, including:
- an overloaded circuit, for example too many appliances being used at once;
- faulty or misused appliances, for example cookers and extension leads;
- unclean cookers or toasters;
- overfilled kettles;
- faulty immersion heaters; and
- light bulbs blowing.
If your lighting stops working, check that the trip switches marked ‘lights’ are switched on. If any are off, switch off the main switch (usually the red one at the end), reset the circuit breaker and switch the main switch back on. Check to see which light has ‘blown’.
If your sockets stop working, unplug all electrical appliances, switch off the main switch (this is usually the red one at the end), reset the circuit breaker and switch the main switch back on. Go around the house plugging the appliances back in until you find the one with the fault.
If an appliance is faulty, do not use it. You may need to have it replaced or repaired by a qualified electrician.
If you have rewireable fuses instead of trip switches, we recommend that you do not attempt to repair or replace them – call us on 0115 916 6066 to book a qualified electrician.
Warning – never tamper with the electricity supplier’s fuse, meter or seals.