Your electrics, electric heating and lighting
If you have a minor maintenance issue or want to understand more about some of the systems in your home, here are some useful tips, including links to video guides on some very basic electrical issues you may come across. If you don't feel confident carrying out the work, please don't try.
If you have an emergency, please call us on 0300 5000 926.
Electrics
What seems to be the problem?
It's a good idea to have a torch handy in case your electric goes off. Check the following:
- If you have a pay as you go meter, check your meter to make sure you're in credit.
- That the street lights and your neighbours have power? If they are working, the fault is likely to be with your home.
- Your fuse board.
You need to know where your fuse box and mains switch are so you're prepared if your electric supply goes off for any reason.
Your fuse box will either have fuses or trip-switches. Modern fuse boxes are fitted with a circuit-breaker fuse system.
- If there's a fault, a switch is tripped and the circuit is blown. Older fuse boxes have fuse holders and when a fuse blows it must either be replaced, if it's a cartridge, or rewired using special fuse wire of the correct amperage.
- If you have a tripswitch, check if any switches on the fuse box have turned to the ‘off’ position, and reset them to 'on'.
- If a fuse continues to trip or blow, this may be due to a faulty electrical appliance. Unplug all of your appliances from their sockets and then plug in each appliance one at a time and switch it on. This way, if the fuse blows again, you’ll know you've found the faulty appliance. It's best to get this appliance checked by a qualified electrician, or recycle it if it's beyond repair.
- If you can’t find a tripped switch (or similar) in the fuse box, check with your neighbours to see if there’s been a power cut.
Keep fuse wire or replaceable cartridges handy in case a fuse blows. Before replacing a fuse, turn off the electric supply at the isolation switch (this is the main switch on the fuse box). Then replace the fuse with the fuse wire or cartridge.
Energy theft is dangerous – it costs lives, causes injuries, and destroys homes every year.
Meter tampering (or meter cheating) involves altering or bypassing a meter, so it doesn’t record full energy usage. This might seem like a shortcut to just save money, but it poses enormous safety risks to everyone nearby.
- Gas meters: Damaging a gas meter can cause leaks, turning a room into a potential explosion. Even a small spark - like switching on a light, can ignite the gas, endangering everyone inside.
- Electricity meters: Tampering with an electricity meter can cause appliances to become live, leading to electric shocks, burns, fires, and overheating - putting everyone in the building at risk.
For more information on spotting gas and electrical meter tampering, please visit the Crimestoppers website 
.
If you suspect anyone of energy theft, you can report it anonymously by calling 0800 023 2777 or using the Stay Energy Safe online form and help prevent the risk of harm.
Heating
How do I get the best out of my storage heaters?
Storage heaters are designed to heat up at night when electricity is cheaper and then release the heat gradually during the day. Here are a few helpful tips to help you get the best out of your storage heaters:
- Keep the grills on your storage heaters closed at night to save as much heat as possible.
- When you want to release more heat, open the grills and adjust them to suit your needs.
- Avoid using your immersion switch (for extra hot water) as this uses more electricity so it will increase your electricity bills.
Using your electric storage heaters
Watch the video below to find out how to use your electric storage heater effectively to help save you money.
Watch the video, 'Using your electric storage heaters effectively' with audio description .
Read a transcript of the video 'Using your electric storage heaters effectively' .
Using your off-peak immersion tank
Watch the video below to find out how to use your off-peak immersion tank effectively to help save you money.
Watch the video, 'Using your off-peak immersion tank' with audio description .
Read a transcript of the video 'Using your off-peak immersion tank' .
Lighting
The video below will show you the different types of light bulb you might find in your home.
Watch the video, 'Different types of lightbulb in your home' with audio description .
Read a transcript of the video 'Different types of light bulb in your home' .
Below are links to some other helpful video guides about your lighting:
Ventilation
Ventilating your home correctly helps to reduce condensation and the conditions that can lead to mould. It can also improve the quality of the air in your home.
- Never isolate an extractor fan as the moisture from showers, baths and cooking will stay in your home.
- If your home has a positive input ventilation (PIV) unit , this is designed to run automatically so don’t turn it off. These units draw in drier fresh air, filtering and warming it to replace moist unhealthy air in your home. They are very quiet, energy-efficient and only cost a couple of pence a day to run but reduce the excess moisture that leads to condensation and mould.
Visit our webpage for more detailed tips to avoid condensation, damp and mould.
Staying safe in your home
- Take care in the kitchen – don't leave cooking unattended and keep electrical appliances and leads away from water.
- Faulty appliances are a common cause of house fires - so check your electrical appliances to make sure there’s no evidence of faults, loose or exposed wires. Cheap or faulty phone chargers have also caused several fires in Sovereign homes.
- Don't overload sockets or daisy chain sockets together (where you plug multiple extensions into each other) – this is extremely dangerous.
- Avoid running appliances like washing machines, tumble dryers or dishwashers overnight or when you’re out (as you won’t be around to spot any problems). Clean lint from tumble dryers.
- You can register your domestic appliances to be the first to find out if any safety issues or recalls affect you. It's easy to do and free.
- Don’t burn candles in your home and keep soft furnishings away from anything that generates heat, including light bulbs.
Visit our safety in your home webpages for lots more safety information and advice.