Check who can authorise the work. A landlord, utility, council or emergency service may be the right first contact. This enquiry form is not an emergency dispatch service. Local reporting contacts are below; this enquiry service does not provide emergency dispatch.
Use direct help for an unsafe situation
Quick answer
Smoke, sparking, exposed electrical parts or a burning smell need direct action appropriate to the risk. This website does not operate an electrical team, dispatch an emergency response or monitor incidents. Do not wait for an enquiry review to make a dangerous situation safe. If there is fire or immediate danger to life, get out, stay out and call 999. For a property fault once people are safe, contact competent urgent help directly and describe the actual symptoms rather than requesting an ordinary appointment through an email form.
Smoke, fire, water and exposed parts
Do this now
Keep clear of affected equipment and do not remove covers or touch wet electrical fittings. Do not use water on an electrical fire. Leave a fire-affected building and call 999 from a safe place. Water reaching wiring or fittings needs assessment before those parts are used again; a dry-looking surface does not prove they are safe. Avoid walking into a flooded area to reach electrical equipment. Follow the emergency service’s instructions and seek direct competent help for the property. Photographs are secondary to keeping people safe.
- Keep people away from damaged, wet or exposed equipment.
- For fire, get out, stay out and call 999.
- Seek direct help; do not wait for this enquiry form.
Network outages and damaged equipment
A loss of supply may involve the network rather than a fault inside the property. UK Power Networks provides the local electricity-distribution contact route through 105. Keep clear of damaged cables and equipment; do not approach them to obtain photographs.
Use the direct network or emergency-service route appropriate to the danger. The electricity retailer, network operator and a private electrician have different roles. An Ipswich enquiry here does not notify the network, dispatch an electrician or guarantee attendance. Planned follow-on work can be described once immediate safety is addressed.
Sources: 105 network route
Damaged outside electricity lines
Treat overhead lines and equipment as live. Do not touch or approach a damaged cable, or anything in contact with it. UK Power Networks advises keeping at least ten metres away from damaged, low-hanging or grounded lines and calling 105; significant public danger needs 999. Keep others away from a safe location. A tree contractor or ordinary property repair attendance cannot substitute for network safety coordination. This website does not report the hazard, and a photograph should never involve entering the danger area.
Recurring trips and temporary safety
Do not repeatedly reset a protective device or defeat it to keep equipment running. A business attending urgently should explain what is made safe, what remains unavailable and what further assessment is needed. Temporary isolation and a permanent repair are different outcomes. Ask how essential needs will be managed safely, especially where occupants rely on medical or access equipment. Do not improvise a supply from damaged wiring or unsafe extension arrangements. Keep a record of the professional’s instructions about equipment that must not be used.
Before a business leaves, ask for a clear statement of the safe temporary arrangement and any restriction on use. Tell everyone responsible for the property, including a landlord or manager, which equipment remains unavailable. If a later visit is needed, agree who arranges it. A temporary measure should not quietly become an indefinite arrangement without the required follow-up.
Useful next steps
Urgent concerns in rented premises
Tell the landlord or managing agent about an electrical concern in rented accommodation through their current reporting route. For council-managed Ipswich homes, the tenant handbook explains the repairs and permission arrangements. Avoid touching exposed parts or opening equipment to describe the fault.
Any separately authorised enquiry should identify the premises, responsible contact and safe access constraints. The business must confirm whether it can attend and what assessment is needed. The form is not a replacement for an emergency-service or landlord emergency report.
Sources: Council tenant handbook May 2025 · 105 network route
An enquiry for safe follow-on work
Once direct safety reporting has been handled, describe the repair, inspection or planned improvement you want. Include what has already been isolated by the responsible professional, available records and any other work taking place. Avoid re-energising equipment to gather more information.
For an Ipswich property with retained historic finishes or a tenancy restriction, flag the permission and access questions early. We review the enquiry and may help connect it with a suitable business; the electrician confirms the assessment, availability and documents. No attendance is promised by submitting this form.
Sources: Listed buildings advice · Council tenant handbook May 2025 · 105 network route