Electrical safety for shared owners or leaseholders
Do you have electric storage, panel, or immersion heaters?
Check if you have an older 'RTS electricity meter,' which uses a radio signal to switch between peak and off-peak rates. This service will end on June 30 across the UK, and affected systems may stop working. All RTS meters must be replaced. Your electricity supplier should contact you, or you can reach out to them. Learn more on the Ofgem website.
Keeping you safe in your home is a top priority for us. If you're a shared owner or leaseholder, you are responsible for electrical tests within your own home but we’re responsible for repairing and maintaining any communal installations – such as if you live in a block of flats.
Your responsibilities include the following requirements around electrical safety to make sure that you and your neighbours are kept safe.
- Arranging regular electrical safety tests (at least every ten years) within your own home – if you live in a block, we will arrange these for any communal areas.
- Asking us for permission to carry out alterations, additions and improvements to your home that may affect the electrics.
- If we agree to allow you to make changes to your electrics, we will need a copy of the certification from the electrician, who must be a member of a recognised competency scheme such as the NICEIC, ECA or NAPIT.
- Making sure a qualified electrical engineer carries out any other electrical work.
Please go to this page to find out more about your other responsibilities as a shared owner or leaseholder.
If you have any concern about your electrical safety, please contact us.
Electrical safety tips
If you have an electrical supply, it's really important you know where and how to turn this off in an emergency. (In a house, this is usually located on the ground floor in the hallway, under the stairs or in a kitchen cupboard and normally very close to the electric meter.)
To help keep you, your family and neighbours safe, please follow this safety advice.
- Faulty appliances are a common cause of fires in the home - so check your electrical appliances to make sure there’s no evidence of faults, loose or exposed wires.
- Where possible, turn off and unplug any unused appliances.
- Avoid running appliances like washing machines, tumble dryers or dishwashers running overnight or when you’re out (as you won’t be around to spot any problems). Clean lint from tumble dryers.
- Take care in the kitchen - keep electrical appliances and leads away from water.
- Don’t use the top of the microwave for extra storage.
- Never take mains-powered electrical items into the bathroom.
- Make sure electrical appliances have a British or European safety mark when you buy them and only buy from reputable places.
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 overload sockets or daisy chain sockets together (where you plug multiple extensions into each other) – this is extremely dangerous. Electrical Safety First has an online ‘socket calculator’ to help you check that yours are safe: https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/guidance/safety-around-the-home/overloading-sockets/
- Check that visible cables and leads are in good condition.
- Never trail cables under carpets or rugs.
- Make sure that plugs and sockets aren’t damaged.
- Check that you aren’t storing combustible materials around your fuse box, electricity meter or electrical intake.
- Check that your light fittings aren’t visibly damaged and that downlighters are in good working condition.
- Turn off lights when you’re not in rooms – this is safer and helps saves energy too.
- Check your fire and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors at least monthly.
- Don't cover chargers or battery packs when you’re charging as this could let them overheat.
- Don't over-charge batteries.
- Cheap or faulty phone chargers have also caused several fires in Sovereign homes so only buy products from reputable places.
- Store and charge these safely: don't store or charge them in communal areas of a block (except if there’s a dedicated area for mobility scooters).
- Store these somewhere cool, rather than in a very hot or cold area.
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions when you charge the battery and don't leave this charging constantly, overnight or unattended.
- Make sure batteries are not damaged and let them cool down before you recharge them.