Repairs, installations and inspection routes
Electrical Services for Homes and Businesses
Report an electrical fault, plan installation work or choose the right inspection and testing service.
Send the postcode, property or premises type, affected circuits or equipment, exact symptoms and access details. We will use the information to confirm the appropriate electrician, visit purpose and quotation basis.
Choose the closest route
Which electrical service do you need?
An electrical repair, a new installation and a condition report are different jobs. Start with the outcome you need and what has happened, rather than choosing a certificate or repair by name if you are unsure.
Fault finding and tripping circuits
A breaker or RCD operates, power is lost, a circuit behaves intermittently, or there is an unexplained electrical fault.
Repairs and alterations
You need a damaged accessory repaired, an existing point changed, or another defined electrical repair or alteration.
Consumer units, circuits and wiring
You are planning a consumer-unit replacement, a new circuit, additional points, earthing or wider wiring work.
Home or landlord EICR
You need an inspection and condition report for a home or residential rental property, not an immediate fault repair.
Commercial fixed-wire inspection
You need inspection and testing for business premises, common parts, a shared supply or a mixed-use installation.
Portable appliance testing
You need portable or movable electrical equipment inspected and tested rather than the building’s fixed installation.
Start with the symptom
Useful clues for an electrical fault enquiry
Do not dismantle equipment or remove a consumer-unit cover. A clear description of what you can observe safely is more useful than guessing the cause.
Name the room, circuit, socket, light, appliance connection or piece of equipment affected.
State whether an RCD, RCBO, MCB, fuse or main switch moves or trips, if known.
Explain whether the fault is constant, intermittent or linked to one appliance, weather condition or action.
Report heat, smoke, arcing, water, exposed parts, scorching, damage or a burning smell immediately.
Useful information before attendance
Describe the installation as well as the job
The right detail helps distinguish a repair from inspection, installation or specialist work and reduces the risk of a visit being booked without the required access or equipment.
- Full postcode and property or premises type
- Domestic, landlord, communal or commercial use
- Affected rooms, circuits, equipment or distribution board
- Exact symptoms and when they started
- Protective device or fault indication, if known
- Any heat, smell, noise, water or visible damage
- Whether power remains available elsewhere
- Recent building, plumbing or electrical work
- Existing EICR, certificate or remedial schedule
- Safe photographs without removing covers
- Tenant, customer or operational constraints
- Parking, keys, isolation and access arrangements
From enquiry to written record
What happens after you request electrical work?
The outcome of fault diagnosis cannot be guaranteed before testing. The visit scope, additional work and documentation should remain clear at each stage.
Send the brief
Provide the postcode, installation details, symptoms, access and required outcome.
Confirm the route
We check the appropriate service, competence, visit purpose and quotation basis.
Attend and assess
The electrician works within the agreed scope and records relevant findings.
Authorise changes
Parts, extended testing and additional labour are agreed before further work.
Keep documents
Retain reports, certificates, invoices and remedial evidence with property records.
Clear scope and quotation
Diagnosis, installation and inspection are separate services
A quotation should identify the initial task and what is not included. An EICR can identify observations that need remedial or further investigative work, but it does not automatically include correcting them.
Confirm before the appointment
- The property, installation or equipment included
- Repair, installation, inspection or testing purpose
- The agreed visit or quotation basis
- Whether power isolation or operational downtime is possible
- The report, certificate or other record required
- Access, parking and tenant or site arrangements
Usually separate unless written in
- Replacement parts, accessories and equipment
- Remedial work identified by inspection
- Extended tracing, opening up or another distribution board
- Building work, decoration, fire stopping or making good
- Specialist access, permits, shutdowns or out-of-hours work
- A return visit after parts or further authorisation
Electrical fire or immediate danger?
Make the area safe and use the emergency route
Keep people away. Switch off the affected circuit or main supply only if the switch can be reached and operated safely. Do not touch exposed parts, wet equipment, a hot consumer unit or damaged accessories. Call 999 for fire or immediate danger.
Burning smell, smoke or heat
Stop using the affected equipment or circuit. Do not wait for an online form response where urgent danger may be present.
Water near electrics
Keep clear and do not operate wet switches or equipment. Arrange safe isolation and competent assessment.
Exposed or damaged parts
Prevent access and do not apply tape, touch conductors or attempt a temporary repair without competence.
Competence, notification and documents
Ask who will do the work and what record you will receive
HSE says people working on electrical equipment, machinery or installations must be competent for the task. The level of competence depends on the work’s complexity and the knowledge and experience required.
For electrical work in dwellings in England, Approved Document P explains the Building Regulations framework, including work that may be notifiable and routes for demonstrating compliance. Ask before work begins whether notification applies, who will make it and which certificate or report will be supplied. Different requirements may apply elsewhere in the UK.
Rented homes in England
Landlord inspection duties need the correct report route
Current government guidance for England covers electrical safety standards in private and social rented homes. It describes inspection and testing of fixed installations by a qualified person at least every five years, reports for tenants and councils, and remedial duties, subject to the regulations and their exceptions.
This hub does not replace the dedicated EICR guide or legal advice. Use the residential electrical safety certificate page for the inspection scope and price structure, and check the current government guidance for the tenancy.
Postcode-qualified coverage
Electrical enquiries across London and the Home Counties
London, Essex and Kent are the priority areas for regular enquiries. Hertfordshire, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Sussex are also covered, with other UK locations considered by request. Attendance depends on the postcode, installation, access, travel and appropriately qualified electrician availability.
Why use the Upkeepone enquiry route?
A clearer electrical brief before attendance
- Faults, installation work and inspections routed separately
- Property, installation and access reviewed before booking
- Appropriate competence checked for the agreed task
- Parts and further work agreed separately
- No promise that a fault can be repaired before diagnosis
- London and Essex office contact numbers
Common questions
Electrical service FAQs
Straight answers about fault enquiries, inspection reports, competence, Building Regulations, safety and coverage. These visible answers match the FAQ structured data on this page.
What electrical work can I enquire about?
You can enquire about fault finding, tripping circuits, damaged sockets or switches, consumer-unit work, new circuits, rewiring, lighting, electric heating, cooker connections, inspection and testing, and portable appliance testing. Describe the property and the exact job so the enquiry can be matched to the appropriate electrician and service route.
What information should I send with an electrical enquiry?
Send the full postcode, property or premises type, the affected rooms or equipment, what happens and when, any burning smell, heat, noise or visible damage, the consumer-unit details if known, and any relevant report or fault code. Include safe photographs and access information, but do not remove covers or touch exposed parts to gather details.
Why does a fuse or circuit breaker keep tripping?
Repeated tripping can have several causes, including a faulty appliance, damaged wiring, an overloaded circuit, moisture or a protective device operating because it has detected a problem. The cause cannot be confirmed from the symptom alone. Stop repeatedly resetting the device and arrange competent fault diagnosis, particularly if there is heat, damage, smoke or a burning smell.
Is an EICR the same as an electrical repair?
No. An Electrical Installation Condition Report records the condition of an existing fixed installation within an agreed inspection scope. A repair visit investigates or corrects a fault, while installation work adds, replaces or alters electrical equipment. An inspection may recommend remedial work, but that work is separate unless it is expressly included in the quotation.
Who should carry out electrical work?
The person must be competent for the particular task. HSE guidance explains that competence depends on suitable training, knowledge, experience and the complexity of the work. For work in dwellings in England, ask how any applicable Building Regulations requirements and notification will be handled, and retain the certificates or reports provided.
Does domestic electrical work need Building Regulations notification?
Some electrical work in dwellings in England is notifiable under Building Regulations, while other work is not. The route depends on the work and location. Before work starts, ask whether notification is required, who will make it and what compliance documentation you will receive. Approved Document P explains the current framework for England.
What should I do if I think an electrical installation is dangerous?
Keep people away and switch off the affected circuit or main supply only if you can do so safely. Do not touch exposed conductors, wet equipment, a hot consumer unit or damaged accessories. Call 999 for fire or immediate danger. An online enquiry is not an emergency reporting service, so arrange urgent competent help by telephone where it is safe to remain at the property.
Which areas does Upkeepone cover for electrical enquiries?
London, Essex and Kent are the priority areas for regular electrical enquiries. Hertfordshire, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Sussex are also covered, with other UK locations considered by request. Attendance depends on the postcode, installation, access, travel and appropriately qualified electrician availability.
Request the right electrical visit
Send the postcode, installation, symptoms, required outcome and access details
We will use the information to check the appropriate service route, electrician availability and quotation basis. Parts and additional work are not authorised by submitting an enquiry.
