Answer library
Electrical questions, answered
This library holds 143 answers to the questions UK homeowners, landlords, tenants and buyers ask most often about domestic electrical work — EICRs and their classification codes, consumer units, tripping circuits, rewiring, landlord duties and Part P. It is general information about the regulations and the work, not advice about a particular property.
The same library answers questions in the assistant on this site. Nothing here quotes a price or states the business’s own credentials — those are confirmed directly.
Browse by topic
Safety and emergencies
6 answers
Faults and tripping
11 answers
Fuse box / consumer unit
11 answers
EICR and certificates
10 answers
Landlords and lettings
7 answers
Buying or selling a home
5 answers
Rewiring and renovation
9 answers
Regulations and Part P
6 answers
Lighting and switches
9 answers
Sockets and power
7 answers
Kitchens
5 answers
Bathrooms
6 answers
Outdoor and garden
6 answers
EV charging
5 answers
Smoke and heat alarms
8 answers
Electric heating and showers
6 answers
Older properties
6 answers
Earthing and bonding
4 answers
Enquiries and quotes
8 answers
About Big Volt Electric
8 answers
Every question in the library
- What counts as an electrical emergency?
- How do I safely turn off the electricity?
- A socket or plug is hot or discoloured — what should I do?
- My consumer unit is buzzing or humming — is that normal?
- I have no power at all — is it a power cut?
- Is it my meter, my supplier or my electrician?
- Why does my RCD keep tripping?
- A breaker or RCD will not stay on — what now?
- Why does the electricity trip in the middle of the night?
- Half the house has no power — why?
- One room has no sockets working
- Why are my lights flickering?
- My bulbs keep blowing — what causes that?
- The power trips when I use the washing machine or kettle
- A light switch stopped working
- The fault comes and goes — can it still be found?
- What is the difference between a fuse blowing and a breaker tripping?
- Where is the consumer unit usually located?
- My consumer unit is not labelled — does that matter?
- Do I need a new consumer unit?
- Does my plastic consumer unit have to be replaced with metal?
- I have an old fuse box with rewireable fuses
- What is the difference between an RCD board and RCBOs?
- What is an SPD and do I need surge protection?
- What is an AFDD?
- What are meter tails and do mine need changing?
- Will the power be off while a consumer unit is changed?
- Why did faults appear after a new consumer unit?
- What is an EICR?
- What do C1, C2, C3 and FI mean on an EICR?
- My EICR came back unsatisfactory — what now?
- Can someone else do the remedial work from my EICR?
- How often should a home have an EICR?
- What happens during an EICR and will the power be off?
- What are "limitations" on an EICR?
- What certificate should I get after electrical work?
- I have lost my electrical certificate — can I get a copy?
- What is the difference between an EICR and PAT testing?
- Do landlords legally need an EICR?
- Who do I have to give the EICR to?
- How long do I have to fix EICR faults in a rented property?
- What happens if a landlord does not have an EICR?
- Are the rules different for an HMO?
- Do landlords have to PAT test appliances?
- I am a tenant and I think the electrics are unsafe
- My survey said to get the electrics checked
- Should I get the electrics inspected before or after I buy?
- What electrical paperwork do I need to sell my house?
- Does a new build need an electrical inspection?
- I am buying a Victorian or 1930s house — what should I expect?
- What are the signs a house needs rewiring?
- Do I need a full rewire or a partial one?
- Can I live in the house during a rewire?
- Does rewiring mean damage to walls and floors?
- What do first fix and second fix mean?
- When should I involve an electrician in a renovation?
- Can my existing supply handle an extension?
- What electrical work does a loft conversion need?
- How do I get power to a garden office or outbuilding?
- What is Part P and which work is notifiable?
- How does notifiable work get signed off?
- What electrical work can I legally do myself?
- What is BS 7671 / the 18th Edition?
- Does old wiring have to be brought up to current regulations?
- Will bad electrics affect my home insurance?
- My LED lights flicker or buzz on a dimmer
- Can I just swap a switch for a dimmer?
- How does two-way and intermediate switching work?
- What should I know about fitting downlights?
- How many downlights does a room need?
- Can I add a light where there is no fitting?
- What do I need for smart lighting?
- What lights can go in a bathroom?
- Can I have sensor or timer controlled lights?
- Can I have extra sockets added?
- What is a spur and how many can I have?
- Are USB sockets worth fitting?
- Can a damaged socket just be swapped?
- Is it safe to use extension leads and adaptors?
- What height should sockets and switches be?
- What is a ring main and is it better than a radial?
- What electrical work does a new kitchen need?
- Does an electric oven or hob need its own circuit?
- How do built-in appliances get isolated?
- Can I have under-cabinet lighting?
- How is a cooker hood or extractor supplied?
- What are bathroom zones?
- Can I have a socket in my bathroom?
- Do I need an extractor fan in the bathroom?
- Does my bathroom need supplementary bonding?
- What is involved in electric underfloor heating?
- Can I fit a heated mirror or towel rail?
- Can I have an outdoor socket fitted?
- What is involved in garden lighting?
- How is cable run to the bottom of the garden?
- Why does my outdoor circuit trip when it rains?
- What supply does a hot tub need?
- Are ponds and water features treated differently?
- What is involved in installing an EV charger?
- Will my supply cope with an EV charger?
- Is there a grant for an EV charger?
- Can I charge an EV at a flat or with no driveway?
- Why does an EV charger need special earthing?
- Where do smoke and heat alarms need to go?
- Do alarms have to be interlinked?
- Are battery alarms good enough?
- What alarms must a landlord provide?
- Do I need a carbon monoxide alarm?
- What do Grade D and LD2 mean?
- My smoke alarm keeps beeping or going off for no reason
- What are the Scottish alarm rules?
- What does an electric shower need?
- My immersion heater is not working
- How do storage heaters and Economy 7 work?
- Can I fit electric radiators or panel heaters?
- Is electric underfloor heating expensive to run?
- What about heat pumps, solar panels or batteries?
- I have old black rubber or fabric wiring
- What do the old red and black wire colours mean?
- There is no earth wire at my light switch or ceiling rose
- I have round-pin sockets — how old is that?
- Could there be asbestos around my old fuse box?
- What about rewiring a listed or conservation-area property?
- What is main protective bonding?
- What are TN-S, TN-C-S and TT earthing?
- Do I need an earth rod?
- My pipes are plastic — does bonding still apply?
- How do I get a quote?
- How much does the work cost?
- What information should I include in my enquiry?
- Can you quote from a photograph?
- Do I need to be at home for the work?
- Which areas do you cover?
- What happens to the details I send?
- How soon can the work be done?
- Who are Big Volt Electric?
- Where are you based?
- Are you registered, qualified and insured?
- Is the work guaranteed?
- What are your hours, and do you do emergencies?
- How do I contact Big Volt Electric?
- Do you do plumbing, gas or general building work?
- Are you a real person?