Scorch marks around a socket, a switch that crackles, a fuse box with no test button: small signs like these are often the first clue that a home’s electrics are getting old. Voltify Contractors provides property maintenance in Plumstead as part of its documented SE18 coverage, including electrical repairs, plumbing, decorating and handyman work. This page sets out which signs to take seriously, a two-minute check you can do yourself, and when to book an inspection or a repair.
Signs your electrics need looking at
Electrical Safety First, the UK electrical safety charity, lists warning signs that call for a professional check, including:
- burn marks or other visible damage on plugs or sockets;
- crackling sounds from light switches, light fittings or sockets;
- sockets mounted in skirting boards.
Other things worth mentioning when you get in touch are a circuit that trips repeatedly, lights that dim when an appliance switches on, and relying on extension leads and adaptors because a room has too few sockets. None of these proves the wiring is unsafe, but each is a reason to have it looked at rather than lived with.
Check whether your home has RCD protection
A residual current device (RCD) cuts the power very quickly if current leaks to earth, for example through a damaged cable or a person. Modern consumer units include them. To check yours:
- Open the cover of your consumer unit (fuse box) and look for a button marked “Test” or “T”.
- If there is one, press it. It should switch off the circuits it protects, which confirms it is working.
- Switch it back on. If it will not reset, or nothing happens when you press the button, have it looked at.
If there is no test button at all, the installation probably has no RCD protection. Electrical Safety First suggests using plug-in RCDs in the meantime. Whether the consumer unit should then be upgraded depends on the condition of the wiring behind it, which is assessed on site. Our consumer unit and fuse box services page explains the options.
How often should the electrics be inspected?
Electrical Safety First recommends an inspection of an owner-occupied home at least every 10 years. For privately rented homes the rules are stricter: government guidance requires the installation to be inspected and tested at least every five years, with a copy of the report given to tenants.
If you have just moved in and do not know when the electrics were last checked, or you are about to redecorate a room where sockets might move, that is a good moment to arrange it. Repairs identified by an inspection, such as replacing damaged accessories or fixing a faulty circuit, come under our electrical services.
Other work in the same visit
An electrical visit is often combined with jobs that depend on it. A new electric cooker or induction hob may need its own circuit before appliance installation can go ahead. A bathroom extractor fan involves both electrics and making good. Leaks, dripping taps and toilet problems are plumbing jobs; filling and repainting where old accessories have been removed is decorating; and fixing shelves or mounting a TV where the cables run is handyman work. Mention everything when you book, so the visit can be planned in one go.
Booking electrical work in Plumstead
Tell us which signs you have noticed, send a photo of the consumer unit if you can, and say roughly how old the property’s electrics are if you know. Standard working hours are 7am–5pm, Monday to Friday, and the documented standard minimum call-out is £80 for the first hour, with the final price depending on what is found.
If you can smell burning, see sparking or find exposed live wiring, switch off at the consumer unit if it is safe to do so and do not use that circuit. Out-of-hours emergency call-outs are available at different pricing. Call 020 3411 1855 or email info@voltifycontractors.co.uk.
Plumstead shares its SE18 coverage with Woolwich, Plumstead Common, Shooters Hill and the Royal Arsenal. See all areas we cover or our services.
