Fires due to faulty electrical supply hit a 16-year high of 2,575 in England during 2025/26 according to Home Office data secured by a Freedom of Information request by electrical contractor business, Fusion Electrical. The number of such fires is up by 13% over the past 5 years.

In contrast, Fusion says issues often perceived as major fire risks were becoming less of a hazard. The figures show that over the past 5 years, there was a 36% drop in chip pan fires, a 12% fall in fires from the misuse of equipment and appliances and a 2% dip in blazes from faulty appliances.

Regulation mandates that private landlords and social landlords in England obtain an Electrical Installation Condition Report every five years. But there is no such obligation for owner occupied homes which account for almost two-thirds of residential properties.

James Harrison, managing director at Fusion Electrical said: “Maintenance is the core problem here and it is fixable. An Electrical Installation Condition Report is a formal check that looks at the wiring itself rather than the appliances plugged into it and it costs a fraction of what people tend to assume.”