Common Electrical Faults in Greenwich Homes

Greenwich and the surrounding SE postcode areas have a varied housing stock — Victorian terraces, Edwardian and 1930s semis, post-war housing estates, purpose-built flats and newer builds. The older properties in particular present a recognisable set of electrical issues that come up repeatedly when we carry out inspections and fault-finding visits. Here's what we see most often.

1. Old or Inadequate Consumer Units

The single most common problem we encounter across Greenwich's older housing stock is an outdated consumer unit. Ceramic rewirable fuse boards, old Wylex boards with cartridge fuses, and even relatively modern boards without proper RCD protection are all common in properties that haven't been electrically updated since the 1970s, 80s or 90s.

These boards don't offer the rapid fault disconnection that modern RCDs provide, and plastic enclosures — which predate the 18th Edition requirement for metal enclosures — are still widespread. Almost every older property we visit in SE10 and SE7 that hasn't had recent electrical work will have this flagged on an EICR as C2 at minimum.

2. Absence of RCD Protection on Socket Circuits

Even some relatively modern installations — late 1990s and early 2000s — may have no RCD protection on socket circuits, or only token protection via a shared RCD covering multiple circuits. Under current regulations, all socket circuits must have RCD protection. Without it, a live fault on an appliance that's plugged in doesn't get disconnected as rapidly as it should.

3. No Main Protective Bonding

Older properties in Greenwich's terraced and semi-detached streets often have inadequate or missing main bonding — the green/yellow conductors that connect the main electrical earth to the gas and water services entering the property. This is a safety requirement that ensures metallic pipework can't become live if there's a fault, and is frequently cited as C2 on EICRs in older properties.

4. Deteriorated or Rubber Wiring

Properties built before the 1960s may still have rubber-insulated wiring or early PVC wiring that has deteriorated significantly. Rubber insulation degrades with age — it becomes brittle, cracks and can expose conductors. We sometimes uncover this in the loft spaces, under floors and in wall voids of older Greenwich terraces. This is nearly always a C1 or C2 finding and requires rewiring.

5. DIY Electrical Work

Greenwich has a high proportion of older owner-occupied and ex-local authority housing where incremental DIY work has been carried out over the decades. Kitchen extensions, converted lofts, added sockets — much of this work was done without Part P notification, sometimes without proper materials, and often without any earthing consideration. This shows up as a range of faults on EICRs, from poor connections to completely inadequate circuits.

6. Overloaded Circuits

Original wiring in older properties was designed for the electrical load of its era — before electric showers, induction hobs, EV chargers and banks of USB charging points. Ring mains that were adequate in 1965 may now be carrying far more load than originally intended. We see this regularly in extended properties and in those that have had kitchens or bathrooms upgraded without any electrical upgrade to match.

7. Moisture-Affected Fittings

Bathrooms, kitchens, conservatories and extensions are the areas where moisture causes the most electrical problems. We regularly attend jobs in Greenwich where a socket, light fitting or fan that's been in a wet zone has developed an earth fault or insulation breakdown due to moisture ingress. This is a common cause of RCDs tripping without an obvious appliance-related cause.

8. Loose Connections

Over many years, connections in sockets, switches, light fittings and junction boxes can loosen. Loose connections cause arcing, which generates heat. This is one of the most common causes of electrical fires and is found regularly during EICR inspections. The problem is often not visible without opening up fittings — one of the reasons why a proper inspection adds real value over a visual check.

What to Do If You Recognise These Issues

If you're in a Greenwich property — whether you own it, rent it, or manage it as a landlord — and you suspect any of these issues apply, the right first step is an EICR. It will give you a definitive picture of the condition of the installation and a prioritised list of what needs addressing.

Message us on WhatsApp with your postcode and property type and we'll confirm a price and date the same day.