By law we must ensure that electrical installations are maintained in a safe condition throughout your tenancy.

What we must do regarding electrical installation maintenance:

1. We must ensure that the electrical installation and electrical equipment we own in your property is safe

2. We must ensure your property is free of any serious electrical hazards, including:

• Exposed wiring
• Overloaded sockets
• Poorly installed electrical systems

3. We must ensure that any threats from accidental fires are minimised, through:

4. Ensuring Residual Current Devices (RCDs) are fitted.

5. Ensuring the distribution board and wiring are regularly checked and maintained.

6. We must make sure any electrical work complies with the Building Regulations, in particular Part P.

7. Some work (including new circuits, alterations to existing circuits in bathrooms, and replacement consumer units) is notifiable. This must be verified by the issuing of a Building Regulations compliance certificate.

It is recommended best practice that we arrange for an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) to be carried out at least every five years and between tenancies. EICRs are important to verify the electrical safety of properties and spot hazards.

What we’ll do When we visit to check the electrics in your property we may:

Conduct a visual inspection of the electrics, checking:

• The electrical intake (where the electricity enters the property, near to the consumer unit/ fuse box).
• The consumer unit.
• The main protective bonding (which connects pipework with the electrics in a property).
• Any fixtures and fittings (such as light fittings and sockets).
• The state of wires and cables.
• Send a qualified, competent electrician, who may undertake a Periodic Inspection which will result in the creation of an EICR.
• Carry out any necessary repairs or remedial work.

Please allow up to 4 hours for checks to be completed adequately.

What you must do:

• Report any electrical problems as soon as they appear.
• Allow access to undertake the periodic Electrical installation condition report.
• Allow access to undertake any electrical remedial works/ repairs that require rectifying.
• Test smoke alarm and Co detection regularly ideally every week.

Electricity: The Do’s and Don’ts

DON’T DO IT YOURSELF - DIY wiring can lead to electrical parts overheating, causing fires, shocks and death.

DON’T OVERLOAD SOCKETS - Plugging too many devices into one socket, and over-using extension leads, can lead to overheating and fires.

DO BUY REPUTABLE ELECTRICAL GOODS - Cheaper, ‘unofficial’ electrical products such as phone chargers may not meet safety regulations, increasing the risk of fire.

DO ALLOW ELECTRICAL INSPECTIONS TO TAKE PLACE - Regular checks are the best way to be sure that electrical installations are safe, and to spot potential problems before it is too late.

Gifting of Portable Appliances 

If there were any white goods (fridge, freezer) or cooker hub's or any other device that plugs into a normal electric socket when you moved into your home, Halton Housing is now gifting these to you.  Halton Housing do not take any responsibility for maintaining these and therefore you should check with the manufacturers guidance about any checks you should do.  It is also best practice to complete a visual inspection of any portable appliances to check that the appliance is not damaged.  You may want to consider a visual inspection to check;

• Damage (apart from light scuffing) to the supply cable, including fraying or cuts
• Damage to the plug or connector, e.g. the casing is cracking, or the pins are bent
• Inadequate joints, including taped joints in the cable
• The outer sheath of the cable is not effectively secured where it enters the pug.
• If the appliance has gotten wet or excessively contaminated
• Damage to the external casing of the equipment
• Loose parts or screws
• Evidence of overheating (burn marks or discolouration)