Most homeowners never think about their wiring until something goes wrong. But old or deteriorating wiring is one of the leading causes of house fires in the UK. If your property is more than 25 years old and hasn't been rewired, it's worth knowing what to look for. Here are the five most common warning signs.
1. Rubber or Fabric-Covered Wiring
If you can see the cables in your loft, under floorboards, or at the back of a socket and they're covered in rubber, black cloth, or fabric braid — your wiring is old. Modern wiring uses PVC insulation. Rubber-insulated wiring (common before the 1960s) becomes brittle and cracked over time and poses a genuine fire risk. This wiring should be replaced.
2. Regularly Tripping Circuits
An RCD or MCB that trips occasionally when a specific appliance is plugged in is usually that appliance's fault. But if circuits are tripping regularly without an obvious cause, or if you find yourself resetting the board frequently — that's a sign of either deteriorating wiring, overloaded circuits, or a fault that needs investigating.
3. Flickering or Dimming Lights
Lights that flicker or dim, especially when other appliances are in use, suggest a loose connection, overloaded circuit, or wiring that can't handle the load. On its own it might be a simple fix — but in older properties it's often a symptom of wiring that's past its best.
4. Burning Smell or Scorch Marks
A burning smell from a socket, switch or anywhere near electrical fittings is a serious warning sign. So are any brown or black scorch marks around sockets, switches or the consumer unit. Don't ignore these — turn off the affected circuit at the board and get an electrician in promptly.
5. Old Round-Pin Sockets or Bakelite Switches
Round-pin sockets and cream or brown Bakelite light switches are a clear sign of very old wiring. If these are still in place, the wiring feeding them almost certainly predates current safety standards. Even if everything appears to work, the insulation on wiring this old can be dangerously degraded.
What to Do Next
If you've noticed any of these in a property in Pinner, Hemel Hempstead, Harrow, Ruislip, Uxbridge, Ealing, or anywhere nearby — the first step is an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report). This will tell you definitively what condition the wiring is in and what needs to be done.
A full rewire of an average 3-bedroom house typically takes 5–7 days. I work room by room to minimise disruption, fill and plaster as I go, and issue a full installation certificate when done. Call 07405 629 940 for a free survey and fixed price.
Update, 27 October 2026 — Hemel Hempstead
In Hemel the houses are not one job. A 1950s or 1960s New Town house in Adeyfield, Bennetts End or Highfield often still has the original board, and PVC that is tired at the fittings. That is frequently a partial rewire, or a consumer unit from £500, rather than the whole house. Old Town, along the High Street, is slower: solid walls, and wiring that has been added to. A full rewire for a typical 3-bed New Town house starts from around £3,500 and usually takes 3–5 days. Older houses take longer, which is why the general range above is wider. I quote the Hemel job after a free survey.
The Hemel rewire page is where that survey is booked. The Hemel rewiring article sets out the cost and the timescale. An EICR, from £80, is the test that says whether you need either. If the house is in Pinner, the Pinner rewire page is the booking page for HA5, and the first step is still an EICR on the Pinner EICR page.