Most of this subject can wait a few days while you note times and take photographs. One part of it cannot.
If any of the following is happening in an Ely property with loft activity, the sequence changes.
The signs that mean act now
- A smell of burning or hot plastic, at any strength
- Scorch marks, or discoloration around a light fitting, switch or socket
- A circuit breaker or RCD that trips, particularly one that trips again after being reset
- Lights flickering or dimming without another explanation
- Sockets or lights that have stopped working, especially a whole circuit
- Buzzing or crackling from a fitting, a switch or the consumer unit
- A fitting or a switch plate that is warm to the touch
What to do, in order
- Isolate the circuit at the consumer unit if you can identify it. If you cannot, and there is a smell of burning, switch off at the main switch
- Call a qualified electrician. This is the part that does not wait, and it is a separate trade from the pest work
- Do not go into the loft to investigate. Treat every cable as live
- Then call 01502 630 122 about the activity itself
The electrical work does not wait for the pest work, and the pest work does not wait for the electrician. They are separate jobs and both are needed. Sequencing them one after the other is how a fortnight goes by with damaged cable live in a roof full of insulation.
Why cable is the one that matters
Squirrel incisors grow continuously and are worn down on whatever has the right resistance. PVC cable sheathing is close to ideal, and cable runs conveniently along the tops of joists at exactly the height an animal travels at. It is not targeted; it is simply available.
What follows is exposed conductors in a space filled with loose mineral wool and dry timber. That is a recognised fire risk, and it is the reason this page exists separately from the general advice about when to call.
What to check from the hatch
Without climbing in: look along the tops of the joists near the hatch and towards the eaves, where cable is usually clipped. Bright copper showing, white inner sheathing visible through grey outer, or cable that looks chewed rather than cut. Photograph it rather than touching it.
Everything else can wait a few days
With no electrical symptoms, the sensible sequence is the usual one: note the times for two or three days, photograph the roof line from the ground, look from the hatch, then call. That short delay makes the visit considerably more productive.
Questions
The lights flicker but there is no smell. Is that urgent?
Treat it as urgent enough to get an electrician promptly. Intermittent symptoms are consistent with a fault that is not yet constant.
Can the pest company do the electrical work?
No. It is a separate trade and needs a qualified electrician.
Should I turn off the whole house?
Isolate the affected circuit if you can identify it. If there is a burning smell and you cannot, switch off at the main switch.
Squirrel Control Ely
Squirrel control in Ely is £280 fixed cost. Proofing work, where it is needed afterwards, is £180. Call 01502 630 122 and tell us what you have heard or seen.
For squirrel control in Ely, call 01502 630 122, or read the Ely squirrel control page.