Emergency guide
Electrical safety after a flood
Flood water damages electrical installations in ways you cannot see — silt in every connection, moisture trapped in cable insulation, corroded terminals inside sealed accessories. Here is the safe sequence, from the first hour to being re-energised.
If water is still rising
Get out. Call your DNO on 105 and ask for the supply to be isolated at the cut-out. Never wade into water that is in contact with sockets or the consumer unit while the electricity is on.
The six-step sequence
- 1
Do not enter standing water in an energised property
If water has reached any socket, switch or consumer unit and the electricity is still on, do not step into the water. A single compromised accessory can make the whole floor live. If the main switch is dry and safe to reach, turn it off. If not, call the DNO (105) to isolate at the meter.
- 2
Isolate at the consumer unit — main switch OFF
Switch the main switch to OFF, then trip every MCB/RCBO to OFF as well. Label the board "DO NOT RE-ENERGISE — FLOOD DAMAGE". If the consumer unit itself was submerged, do not attempt to re-close it — it needs replacing.
- 3
Photograph everything for insurance before you touch it
Consumer unit, submerged sockets, damaged appliances, high-water marks on skirting, ruined fixed appliances (boiler, oven, dishwasher, boiler controller). Insurers need this evidence and it also gives your electrician a full picture.
- 4
Dry the property thoroughly — this takes weeks, not days
Plaster, floorboards and cable insulation retain moisture long after the surface looks dry. Dehumidifiers, air movers and, if needed, a professional drying company. Re-energising a wet installation risks fires, RCD nuisance tripping and long-term corrosion in every connection.
- 5
Book a full EICR and remedial work before switching back on
Every socket, switch, fixed appliance and cable that was submerged or splashed must be inspected and tested. Typically the consumer unit, all accessories below the water line, and any wired-in appliance affected will need replacing. The EICR provides written evidence to your insurer of the state of the installation and the remedial work carried out.
- 6
Replace every affected fixed appliance — do not just dry it out
Boilers, oven controllers, dishwashers, extract fans, immersion heaters and underfloor heating mats that have been submerged should be replaced, not repaired. Silt and corrosion sit inside the electronics for months and cause delayed failures — often a fire.
Never do this
- ✕Turn the main switch back on "to see if it works".
- ✕Try to dry out a socket or switch with a hairdryer.
- ✕Plug a portable heater into a still-damp socket to speed up drying.
- ✕Reuse an appliance that was submerged, even if it appears to work.
- ✕Attempt any DIY electrical work in a flood-damaged property — it is a full EICR job.
What your insurer will want
- • Dated photographs of the damage.
- • A NAPIT or NICEIC registered electrician's report.
- • An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) to BS 7671 with the damage schedule.
- • An Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) for any replaced sections (consumer unit, circuits, sockets).
- • Notification to Building Control for any notifiable work (Paul can self-certify via NAPIT).
Rebuilding after a flood — Paul can help
Paul carries out post-flood EICRs, consumer unit replacements and full rewires across Brighton, Hove, Sussex, Kent and London, and provides all the certification your insurer will ask for. Emergency isolation call-outs available 24/7.