Sockets not working in one room: what to check before you call an electrician
- Checked October 2026
- 5 min read
- By PROS AI editorial team
Quick answer
The short version, before the detail.
When several sockets in one room go dead together, the usual cause is a circuit breaker or RCD that has tripped on the consumer unit, often because of a faulty appliance. Unplug everything on that circuit, reset the switch once, and test the sockets with a lamp you know works. If it trips again straight away, will not stay up, or nothing on the board has moved, leave the sockets alone and call a registered electrician.
What is the likely cause?
Most common first, with how to tell. A breaker is one of the narrow switches on the consumer unit, each for one circuit; the RCD is the wider switch with a Test or T button, and it can cover several circuits.
A tripped breaker or RCD.
How to tell: one switch on the consumer unit is in a different position from the rest, and only a group of sockets or rooms has gone off. NICEIC calls this one of the most common reasons sockets stop working.
The appliance, not the socket.
How to tell: the thing you plugged in does not work anywhere. NICEIC's test is to plug it into a socket in a different room; if it still does not work, the appliance is the problem.
A blown plug fuse or an overloaded extension lead.
How to tell: only one appliance or one extension lead is dead, and the wall socket works with something else. NICEIC notes that a plug fuse can blow when several high-powered appliances share one socket through an extension lead.
A blown fuse in an older fuse box.
How to tell: the board has pull-out fuse holders rather than switches, so nothing looks tripped. NICEIC says fuses blow for the same reasons breakers trip.
A loose connection or a damaged cable.
How to tell: the sockets work some of the time, or they stopped after drilling or floor work in that room. NICEIC says wiring can work loose or get damaged over time, and the fault can come and go.
A faulty socket.
How to tell: one socket is dead, others on the same circuit still work, and nothing on the board has tripped. NICEIC's advice is not to touch it, because it may still be live even though it does not work.
What can I safely check myself?
Everything here is done at the plugs and on the front of the consumer unit. Never remove a socket faceplate or the cover of the consumer unit, never push anything into a socket, and never replace a fuse with a higher rating or with wire, foil or a paperclip.
- Test with something you know works, such as a lamp that worked in another room today. Make sure each socket's own switch is on, then try every socket in the room and note which are dead.
- Look at the consumer unit. Find the switch that is in a different position from the rest. NICEIC says each device should be labelled with the circuit it protects, so the label should match the dead room. If nothing has moved and your board has switches, not fuses, stop and call an electrician.
- Unplug, then reset once. Unplug everything on that circuit and switch it off at the wall, then push the breaker or RCD back up. If it stays up, plug things back in one at a time, a minute apart. The one that trips it again is the culprit; leave it unplugged. The full method is in RCD keeps tripping.
- Check the plug fuse if only one appliance is dead. Take the plug out of the socket first. Electrical Safety First says to replace a fuse only with one of the same rating: 3A for lamps, TVs and computers, 13A for kettles, washing machines and fridges. If the new fuse blows, the appliance is faulty; stop using it.
- Lighten the load. If an extension lead was involved, Electrical Safety First's rule is one extension lead per socket and never one lead plugged into another.
- Leave old fuses alone. If your board has pull-out fuses rather than switches, do not take them out or rewire them; that is a job for an electrician.
When do I stop and call an electrician?
- Burning smell, scorch marks, discolouration, melted plastic, buzzing, crackling, or a socket or wall that feels hot: switch off at the main switch if it is safe to reach, keep that socket out of use, and call an electrician. If there is smoke or fire, get out and call 999. See burning smell from a socket or the fuse board.
- Water in or near a socket or the consumer unit: switch off at the main switch only if the unit is dry and safe to reach; if it is wet, do not touch it and call an electrician.
- Stop if the switch trips again the moment you reset it or with everything unplugged, if nothing has tripped but the sockets are still dead, if they work on and off or died after drilling, or if anyone has had a shock. Loose or damaged wiring is, in NICEIC's words, "definitely a job for a registered electrician".
- Use an electrician registered with NICEIC or NAPIT, the government-approved competent person schemes; check the firm on electricalcompetentperson.co.uk. If the consumer unit needs replacing, that work is notifiable and a registered firm can self-certify it.
What does it cost in London?
A weekday daytime call-out in London is £60 to £150 and includes the first hour, then £60 to £80 an hour. A replacement socket usually fits inside the first hour, so the call-out is the price. Fault-finding is £80 to £150 for the first hour and most faults come to £100 to £250; a damaged cable behind plaster can take two or three hours. A faulty breaker or RCD is £80 to £200 fitted. A socket that has stopped can usually wait until the morning: a daytime call-out is £60 to £150, against £100 to £200 for the first hour at night.