Electrical Safety Advice for Students

Advice for students living away from home

Being away at university or college is exciting but it’s important to stay safe in your accommodation, as there are many electrical risks you may not be aware of.

Lots of accommodation for students in the UK is in older buildings, whether it’s a hall of residence or a rented house. This could put the electrical installation at greater risk of being faulty or the electrical equipment in the property may be old.

Making sure your electrics are safe

Your landlord is legally obliged to ensure the electrical installation is safe for continued use and is kept in proper working order.

They should be able to provide you with an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) which shows an inspection and test of the electrical installation has been carried out by a registered electrician.

It should be done at least every five years or when a new tenancy starts.

When you first move in

Check that all equipment supplied with the property is in proper working order and shows no signs of damage or age.
Look out for cuts or abrasions to the cabling, non-standard plugs, loose parts or screws, and signs of overheating or burning.
Make sure the landlord has registered electrical products with the manufacturer if they have been provided as part of the rental agreement. This means if there is a fault, a recall, or safety notice about the product, the manufacturer can let them know.
Any of your own electrical equipment you bring into the property should also be registered.
Make sure your landlord hasn’t overloaded any sockets or extension leads prior to your arrival. This could cause overheating and even a fire, so check how the electrical equipment supplied with the property are set up when you first move in.

While living in the property

Your property should be fitted with a working smoke alarm on each floor. Test the alarm(s) when you first move in and again at regular intervals throughout each year.
Report any electrical issues to your landlord such as constant tripping of circuit breakers and/or RCDs, flickering lights, or scorching around plug sockets.
If they refuse to put the situation right or ignore your request, contact your local authority which can ensure a landlord is meeting their legal obligations and can take enforcement action against them.
Never carry out any electrical work in the property yourself even if your landlord asks you. Fixing electrical problems is the landlord’s responsibility and they should employ a registered electrician to do all electrical work.
There should be certification confirming that any electrical repairs meet the UK national standard BS 7671.
Ensure you and your housemates don't store anything on top of the microwave as this can cause it to overheat.
Never cook when drunk. Although arriving home from a night out may seem like a great time for a fry up, your responses will be slow, and you are more at risk of leaving ovens and hobs unattended, as well as suffering burns.

Be vigilant in the garden

There are many electrical hazards in the garden to be aware of in a rented property.

If you are working with electrical equipment in the garden, always use an outdoor waterproof electric socket protected by an RCD.
Cordless power tools are also a safer option.
Lawn mowers, hedge cutters and all electrical tools must be stored safely in a shed or garage.
Tools can cut through their own electric cables when in use, causing a risk of electric shock.

Stay safe with electrical products

Check plugs and sockets

Don't ignore burn marks, ‘arcing’ (buzzing or crackling) sounds, fuses blowing, circuit-breakers tripping, or if it feels hot to touch.

Unplug and contact the retailer, manufacturer, or a qualified repair technician.

Protect with an RCD

An RCD (residual current device) in your consumer unit (fusebox) protects you from electric shocks if a product is faulty.

If you don’t have RCD protection, use an RCD plug on the socket where the product is plugged in.

Fit smoke and heat alarms

Ensure there is at least one smoke or heat alarm per floor in your property. Fit enough alarms to cover all areas where a fire could start.

Test alarms at least once a month. Replace them every ten years or when the replace by date is reached.

Selected FAQs

Answers to commonly-asked questions we receive about electrical safety.

View all our FAQs

I have contacted my landlord on several occasions but they won’t do anything about my faulty installation, what should I do?

As first port of call, contact the Building Control department of your Local Authority; they should be able to advise you of your rights as a tenant.

Citizens Advice may be able to provide you with further help.

How many smoke alarms and heat detectors are needed for 3 floors?

There should be a minimum of one smoke alarm per floor with a heat detector in the kitchen. You should fit enough alarms to cover all areas where a fire could start. Make sure they are tested regularly - ideally every week.

Does a 1980s house need rewiring?

It depends on its condition rather than its age, if it has been tested and is in good condition and everything is working effectively there is no requirement to rewire. However, you may wish to consider adding RCDs to enhance the safety of the installation.

A qualified electrician will say if your home needs rewiring and what can be achieved within a specific budget.

You can find an electrician local to you here.

How can I find out if an EICR has been carried out on a property in the last 5 years?

For privately rented properties, your landlord or letting agent should have given you a copy of an EICR carried out on your rental property, but also kept one for themselves, so you should be able to ask them for a duplicate.

For owner occupied properties, there may be a label in the fuse box / consumer unit that states when the last inspection and test was done.

If there isn't one present we would suggest arranging one with a registered electrician.

You can find an electrician local to you here.

Has your electrical product been recalled?

Electrical products are recalled more regularly than you might think, but the response rate to a recall is often worryingly low. This means there are potentially millions of recalled electrical items still in UK homes.

Check your appliances

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