Reporting an urgent issue
In an emergency, if you’re in danger or your home is at immediate risk you may need to call the emergency services.
Follow advice on this page to troubleshoot other critical issues.
If there's a problem in a communal area of your building or property boundary, this needs to be raised with your managing agent or landlord. Check your home user guide for contact details.
Gas, electricity or water supply
Some issues, especially those relating to gas, electricity or water supply, will need emergency repairs.
Here you’ll find general guidance. However, your home user guide will help you to diagnose any issues specific to your home.
The gas emergency number to report a leak is – 0800 111 999.
- Do not switch on any lights or equipment.
- Turn off the gas supply at the meter – your home user guide will tell you where to find this.
- Open all the windows and doors.
If you’re advised to contact your managing agent or landlord, contact details are found in your home user guide.
Thankfully, a power outage doesn’t happen very often. When it does, there are a variety of steps you can take to identify the cause.
If following the steps below doesn't solve the issue and your situation is urgent, please call us on 0300 100 0301.
- Check with your electricity supplier that the mains has not been turned off for service, or if there is a local power failure. Your home user guide will have contact details of your utility providers.
- If you have a pre-paid meter, make sure there is credit and top-up if you need to.
- Check and reset the master trip switch, it may be a fuse has blown. Your home user guide will help you to locate your fuse box.
- If your fuse box keeps tripping it could be as a result of old, damaged or faulty electrical appliances. Unplug all your appliances, reset the switch, and reconnect one at a time to discover which item is causing the trip.
- If you suspect lighting is causing your fuse box to trip you can re-set it safely and replace the light bulb. This is not a defect.
If you're sure the issue is the result of a defect that needs to be investigated, report a defect. We’ll need a detailed description of the fault, including which area of the property it is in, and photos of the steps you have taken to confirm that it's not a common problem as outlined above.
Check your home user guide for how to check it isn’t a battery issue. If that’s not the issue report a defect or call us on 0300 100 0301.
Plumbing and leaks
- Check your thermostat is working, and is set to the correct temperature.
- If you have a pre-paid meter, make sure there is credit and top-up if you need to.
- Check you haven't set any timers that may be causing the issue.
- Turn off all devices and re-set any appliance you suspect may be causing the issue (the user manual for the appliance will guide you).
- Check with your electricity or gas supplier, that the mains supply has not been turned off for service, or if there is a local power failure.
- Don't forget to check your home user guide for further information on reporting defects.
If you have followed advice but there is still a problem, report a defect. You’ll be asked to supply evidence of the steps you’ve taken to resolve the issue yourself. This will help you avoid receiving any non-defective repair charges.
If you've tried all the above and still have no heating and hot water, please call us on 0300 100 0301. Details of all steps you have taken to resolve the issue are required to help us understand the problem better.
If you have a small leak, isolate the supply if you can and contain the leak and raise a defect order.
If it cannot be contained and is causing damage or leaking into an electrical fitting, follow these steps:
- Your home user guide has information specific to your home, fixtures and fittings.
- See if you can isolate the leaking appliance: individual WCs, basins, baths and showers can all be isolated by shutting the valve. Using a screwdriver, turn the centre screw in either direction until the slot is at 90 degrees to the pipe.
- If you need to turn off the water supply to your home, you can usually find your stopcock under the sink. Your home user guide will help you locate it.
If you’re able to isolate and contain the leak, report a defect.
If you’re not able to isolate or contain the leak and it’s causing damage, please call us on 0300 100 0301. Have details to hand of the steps you have taken to resolve the problem to help us understand the issue.
One of the biggest issues in the UK's drains right now is the flushing of wet wipes, contributing to more than 90% of sewer blockages in the UK. Any blockages that are found to be caused by the flushing of non-flushable materials will not be covered by your defect period.
More information on the effects of flushing wet wipes can be found in this article from the Natural History Museum, ‘why you should never flush wet wipes down the toilet’.
Regular cleaning and maintenance will help you prevent drainage issues, but if you do have an issue first try to clear the blockage yourself - anything you can see and reach safely.
Advice and information tailored to your property can be found in your home user guide.
Extra guidance is freely available online. For example, advice on how you can:
- Unblock a clogged bath or shower.
- Unblock a sink.
- Unblock a toilet with or without a sink plunger.
- Maintain and clean your drains.
- Shower with no hot water.
- Identify water gullies and maintain them.
- Deal with your toilet not flushing.
- Remove or replace a toilet seat.
If you've followed guidance and you’re still experiencing problems, or you have a survey report to show there's a defect, raise a defect order. If you have no useable toilets, or a back-surge of foul water, call us on 0300 100 0301. Have details to hand of the steps you have taken to resolve the problem to help us understand the issue.
- Your home user guide has contact details of your utility providers.
- Check with your supplier for any local supply failures or repairs - visit Water.org.uk.
If you've followed the guidance and you’re still experiencing problems report a defect. You’ll be asked to supply evidence of the steps you’ve taken to resolve the issue yourself. This will help you avoid receiving any non-defective repair charges.
If there is no water supply to the home, and you've confirmed it's not a problem with the incoming mains supply, please call us on 0300 100 0301. You’ll be asked to supply evidence of the steps you’ve taken to resolve the issue yourself. This will help you avoid receiving any non-defective repair charges.
Home safety
If you’re in danger, or your home is unsafe call the emergency services.
For structural issues not caused by accidental damage or general wear and tear you’ll need to call us on 0300 100 0301.
We’ll need a detailed description, including which area of the property the issue is in. Photos will also be really useful to help us understand the situation.
If you're not in immediate danger you can report a defect.
- If the door or ground floor window in question is the only access to your home, your home cannot be made secure, or the issue has been caused by accidental damage or break in call the police for assistance. Consider raising a claim with your insurance company.
- If it's possible to satisfactorily secure your home (and you have other access) and if the issue is caused by a door or window not operating properly, you may need to report a defect.
- Problems caused by accidental damage, loss of keys or similar are not defect issues.
For accidental damage or break in issues you and/or your insurance company are responsible for repairing damage.
For defect issues, rather than accidental damage, report the defect or call us on 0300 100 0301. We’ll need a detailed description, including which area of the property the issue is in, and photos to help us understand the situation.