No electricity in rented flat

[JH20000]

I’ve just helped a friend move into a rented flat, she’s set up her energy utility account with the current supplier etc etc and they have confirmed they are supplying the flat with no issues. Meter looks to be working OK too.

She still doesn’t have electricity in the flat though. She has been advised it’s probably an electrical fault rather than a supplier fault (if that makes sense?) Fuseboard etc all look absolutely fine.

Landlady isn’t interested sadly and is refusing to send someone out to assess the situation.

Bit stuck here on what to suggest? Surely landlady has to legally get this sorted?

Has she checked the fuse box? May well be a simple fix

Scrap that I've just seen you've said it looks fine.

It's abhorrent that the landlady isn't interested.
Citizens advice bureau and the council would be useful even if it's private rent it's against human rights not to have basics like that.
They should have an on call council number all though I wouldn't know how to find that.

Checked the fuse box?
Checked neighbours have power to rule out area power cut?

Definitely get onto the landlady again, you're correct it is her duty to sort it if the utility company doesn't have any faults their end.

Sorry I just saw that you've checked the fusebox.

Who has advised her that it's probably an electrical fault?

Zero electricity? Ie no lights or plug sockets working?
Make sure everything is off. Throw all the switches on the fuse board up and down, main RCD last. Then try switches one at at time. Could also turn all switches on the fuse board off and then test them one at a time with the main RCD on too, which would hopefully tell you which circuit has the problem.assuming they are labelled.
Also check your meter, if it's a digital one, is the display on? That shows there's supply and it's definitely any issue with something in the flat. If it's a dial one, is the dial moving.

Thanks for the comments - it was the electricity supplier who said that it must be an electrical fault. Obviously not saying that’s 100 percent correct but I’m popping around tomorrow with her to try and sort it.

As for the meter yes it’s on and display is on. If no luck then it’ll be time to start asking the landlady again.

Oh and yep, no lights and no plug socket is working so nothing. Bit frustrating for her as she needs to live there (obviously) but needs to move in asap!

Assuming a power cut has been ruled out, the LL can’t just refuse to help. Is it let through an agency?

As someone above said, you can flip off all the RCD (fuses) on the fuse board and then back on one by one to test each circuit.
Then switch back on main one.
Then, one by one, switch on the other fuses. If you switch on the one for the lights, go test the lights work. Then switch off the light and the RCD.
Move to next one, say the sockets, and again, plug somethign into a socket to test it. If that doesnt work, turn off RCD.
Keep moving along the line of the fuseboard.

Do you have any neighbour or handy / vaguely understand these things you can ask for help from? I know I have helped neighbours with similar issues before.

Are all the neighbours power on?

Have you checked any hall cupboards / fuses in common areas of the flat? Would a neighbour know where these might be at?

When you say checked the fuse box what do you mean? It might look fine but have you tried all the switches?

Because it just sounds like the electricity has just been switched off. Either turn the big main switch back on or see if any of the other switches have tripped.

I assume that by fuseboard you mean consumer unit with circuit breakers, not old fashioned fuses? If so, test them all as a PP suggested.
The LL can't just ignore this. The flat isn't habitable if there's no lighting or power sockets to use.

It's outrageous that the LL is ignoring this. I wish they had to have a licence with the council so that there was an intermediary you could complain to.

Apologies my terminology in this department is rubbish, yes all circuit breakers on the fuseboard were on, we flicked them off and on again but to no avail. Will try again tomorrow but was in such a rush to get other stuff sorted we had to leave soon after.

Theres no agency, it’s direct to landlord.

We’ll have more time tomorrow in the property to sort this issue and will help to pursue the landlady if needs be.

The lights in the hallway of the block were working and we could see the lights on downstairs and in the flat next to hers, alongside hearing their TV so we are assuming it’s isolated to just her flat.

The flat was completely renovated before her tenancy started, no one has lived in the flat since December 2023 apparently.

Do knock on a neighbours door - it sounds like you have been 'turned off' somewhere, and this may not be in the flat if there are external meter or fuses or switches.

Tell her that you contact environmental health at the local council if she doesn't get an electrician out sharpish.

Did she get a copy of the most recent electrical check when she signed the tenancy? My understanding there has to be some electric running to conduct the test

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housingadvice/repairs/electricallsafetyinnrented_homes

Is it a prepayment meter?

I was thinking the same thing - have just asked her and she said yes she received one, this test/inspection was done in November.

Actually from what I remember the lights were working on Monday when she signed the tenancy. I went with her to collect keys from the landlady and the lights definitely worked then.

Thanks for all your help, she’s vulnerable and escaping a really shit family situation and I’ve been helping her with this so I wanted to get some advice in case I was missing something!

No, at first that’s what we thought and could potentially explain why suddenly no electricity.

If she has any appliances plugged in it may be worth unplugging before flicking the RCD again.

Is the electricity meter in the flat or elsewhere? If it’s elsewhere, could there be a master switch there?

It’s in the main hallway, in a panel with the other 4 flat’s meters. Will investigate more tomorrow as we were only there for a fleeting moment! Thank you

Is there a flat above? Sometimes a water leak can short electrics as the water can travel through electrical wires.

so the energy company aren’t helping and saying they see no issue their end.

landlady has been contacted again and she is saying we need to take it up with the supplier and she isn’t wanting to get an electrician sent out.

Where can we go from here? We’ve tried everything suggested - no neighbours in but can hear a TV from downstairs (they’re not answering the door though)

I feel annoyed for my friend, this sounds more like an electrical issue so in my opinion the LL should be doing more.