The government introduced five-yearly electrical safety checks for the private rented sector in England in June 2020. They’re now looking at implementing the same for the social rented sector too, but we’ve decided to get ahead of the changes to help keep you safe.

Five-yearly electrical checks are being carried out to ensure wiring and electrical installations are in safe working order, so if you hear from our electrical contractor, you must allow us to have access to your home.

The electrical contractor will test and inspect the fixed electrical installations in the property, including:

• Wiring
• Plug sockets
• Light fittings
• Fuse boxes
• Electrical showers
• Extractor fans
• For electrical showers and extractor fans we only check the hard wiring and not the usage. If they don’t work please contact the repairs team to request a day-to-day repair.

Any immediate hazards found in your home will be made safe before the electrical contractor leaves your home.

On occasions, major electrical work is needed to bring the property up to modern standard. Where this is the case our Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) team will contact you to discuss this.

The electrical contractor won’t check the safety of items that can be moved around such as TVs, white goods, kettles, or toasters.

Our electrical contractor is registered to carry out inspections and repair work, so you have nothing to worry about.

Things that you can do that can help us along the way include:

1. Report electrical faults as soon as you spot a problem
2. Allow access for repairs and safety inspections
3. Make sure that your appliances are safe
4. You can carry out a visual safety check but don't try to do electrical repairs yourself
5. You can report issues to us online by signing in to your housing account.

When the engineer is on site, they will also inspect the condition of your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Where these are not present, or require upgrading, the engineer will upgrade/ install new detectors to current regulation. This will provide an early warning in the event of an incident so you and your loved ones can get to safety.

To find out more information about electrical safety, detection or to request a visit from our electrical contractor, please email: MandEteam@stevenage.gov.uk or call 01438 242242 to speak to a member of the M&E team.