Is my home at extreme electrical fire risk according to my insurance company?

Receiving a letter or call from your insurance company telling you your home is at extreme electrical fire risk can feel alarming. The good news is that once you understand what they mean and take the right steps, the problem can almost always be fixed. What does extreme electrical fire risk actually mean? Insurance companies use risk assessment surveys, satellite data tools, or in-person inspection reports to grade properties. An extreme risk classification typically means one or more serious issues have been identified or are strongly suspected based on the age and type of your property. This is not a routine warning. It means they believe your wiring or electrical installation could cause a fire. The most common reasons a property gets this rating include: 1. Old wiring such as rubber-insulated cables from the 1960s or earlier, which can crack and arc. 2. A consumer unit made from or housed in a plastic or wooden enclosure with no RCD protection. 3. No residual current device protection, meaning a fault may not be detected before it ignites. 4. Overloaded circuits or evidence of DIY electrical work. 5. An installation that has never been formally tested and has no EICR certificate. What can you safely check yourself? You can look at your consumer unit and check whether it is a modern metal-clad unit with RCDs or RCBO protection visible. You can look at visible cables such as those in the loft or garage and check whether they have orange, black, or rubber-insulated fabric-wrapped coverings, which are signs of old wiring. Do not open any electrical panels, touch any wiring, or attempt to carry out any investigation inside the consumer unit yourself. What you should do next: 1. Ask your insurer for a written copy of the specific risks they have identified. 2. Book a registered electrician, ideally one on the NICEIC or NAPIT register, to carry out a full EICR. 3. Share the insurer's concerns with the electrician before the inspection begins. 4. Once you have the EICR, share any C1 or C2 codes and remediation work with your insurer. Most insurers will not cancel your policy immediately, but many will require evidence of remedial work within a set timeframe. Act quickly, document everything, and do not attempt any electrical work yourself.