Why does my electricity keep tripping?

A trip switch turning off is a safety device doing exactly what it's designed to do: cutting the power when it detects a problem. The aim is to find out what that problem is, rather than repeatedly switching it back on.

Common causes

1. A faulty appliance

This is the most common cause. Kettles, toasters, washing machines, dishwashers, fridges, freezers, and outdoor items such as pond pumps and power tools can develop faults that leak current to earth and trip the RCD.

2. Moisture or water

If your electrics trip when it rains, water is probably getting into an outside light, socket, junction box or damaged external cable. Leaks from bathrooms and tanks into ceiling lights are another common culprit.

3. An overloaded circuit

If a circuit breaker (MCB) trips when lots of high-power appliances are running together — heaters, kettles, tumble dryers — the circuit may be overloaded.

4. Damaged cables or wiring faults

Nails or screws through cables, rodent damage, deteriorating old wiring and loose connections can all cause trips. These need an electrician.

5. An ageing or faulty RCD

RCDs can become over-sensitive over time. Older installations where one RCD protects many circuits are also more prone to nuisance tripping, because small leakages from lots of appliances add up.

Safe checks you can do

1. Look at your consumer unit and note which switch has tripped — an RCD or an individual circuit breaker.
2. Switch off and unplug everything on the affected circuits.
3. Reset the switch. If it stays on, plug appliances back in one at a time, waiting a moment after each.
4. If it trips when a particular appliance is plugged in or switched on, stop using that appliance and have it checked or replaced.

We can help

Our fault finding service uses proper test equipment to trace the exact cause and put it right. For urgent problems, call our emergency line on 07908 263246.