Why is my home at extreme risk of electrical fire according to my building insurer?

Question

Accepted Answer

Your insurer has flagged your home as extreme electrical fire risk most commonly due to an outdated consumer unit (fuse box), lack of RCD protection, aluminium wiring, or a failed or overdue Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). The single most important action is to book a qualified electrician to carry out an EICR immediately. Do not ignore this warning as it may affect your insurance cover. Avoid using high-load appliances until the installation has been assessed. Receiving a letter from your building insurer telling you that your home is at extreme risk of electrical fire can be alarming, but it is important to understand what it means and what to do next.

Insurers use a range of data to assess electrical fire risk. This includes the age of your property, postcode data, previous claims history, and increasingly, whether a valid EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is on record. If your home has never had one, or the last one is more than ten years old (or five years old for a rented property), this alone can trigger a high-risk flag.

The most common reasons your home might be flagged include:

1. An old-style fuse board with rewirable fuses and no RCD protection.
2. Wiring that has never been updated, especially if the property was built before 1970.
3. Aluminium wiring, which was used in many homes built between 1965 and 1975 and is known to cause connection problems over time.
4. No record of a recent electrical inspection.
5. Signs of DIY electrical work or unpermitted alterations.

What you can safely check yourself without touching any wiring:

Look at your consumer unit (fuse box). If it is made of wood or has a row of rewirable fuses rather than modern circuit breakers, it is likely outdated. Check whether there are any RCD devices fitted, which look like switches with a small test button marked T or Test. If there are none, your home lacks a vital layer of fire and shock protection.

Check whether you have any certificates or reports from previous electrical work. If you cannot find anything, there is a good chance no formal inspection has ever taken place.

What to do next:

Do not attempt to investigate the wiring yourself. Contact a qualified electrician registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC, NAPIT, or SELECT (in Scotland). Ask them to carry out a full EICR. If serious faults are found, the report will classify them and the electrician can advise on remedial work. Share the completed EICR with your insurer as this may resolve the risk flag and protect your cover.