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One in twelve repair call-outs needed a plumber, a reset or no repair: what 2,290 sheltered housing jobs show
We went back through 2,290 repair jobs in Anchor sheltered housing for Axis Europe and counted the ones where the answer wasn’t an electrical repair. 197 needed a plumber, a reset or nothing at all.
Written by Michael Simm, Co-founder and Operations Director, SEGplc. Published 28 October 2026.
Why we counted the call-outs that weren’t electrical faults
Since July 2025 we have carried out responsive electrical repairs in Anchor sheltered and retirement housing for Axis Europe. When a resident reports a cold shower, no hot water or a dead heater, the job often comes to the electrician first. Usually that’s right. Not always.
Our records hold 2,452 Anchor repair jobs issued between 15 July 2025 and 4 August 2026. 2,290 of them have engineer notes. We searched those notes for jobs where the answer was a plumber, a reset or no fault at all, then read every match by hand. We found 197, at 188 addresses. That is about one in twelve: 8.6% of the jobs with notes, and 8.0% of all 2,452.
| What the engineer found | Jobs | Addresses | Share of 2,290 jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| A plumber or heating engineer was needed | 98 | 94 | 4.3% |
| Nothing fitted: switched off, tripped or needed a reset | 68 | 66 | 3.0% |
| Nothing fitted: working when we checked | 31 | 31 | 1.4% |
| Total | 197 | 188 | 8.6% |
Each job is counted once. If the notes said a plumber was needed, the job is in the first row, even if something was also reset. Jobs where we fitted a part or repaired wiring are not counted.
98 jobs: a plumber or heating engineer was needed
In these jobs the notes say the repair needed a plumber or heating engineer. In most of them, our engineer first checked the supply, switch or connections.
| What the job was about | Jobs |
|---|---|
| Immersion heaters and hot water | 33 |
| Showers | 33 |
| Heating, radiators and towel rails | 18 |
| Pumps, flow switches, macerators and assisted baths | 7 |
| Leaks, other or not stated | 7 |
So is an electric shower that isn’t working a job for a plumber or an electrician? It depends which side has failed. If the pull-cord, the supply and the connections are sound, the fault is often on the water side: low pressure, a pump or flow switch, water inside the unit, or a shower that needs replacing. The same goes for immersions. 29 of the 98 notes mention a heating element, and changing an immersion element means draining the cylinder.
Nine notes said the shower, heater, radiator or towel rail wasn’t electric at all. In 17, our engineer disconnected, isolated or made the appliance safe so the plumber could start straight away.
68 jobs: something was switched off, had tripped or needed a reset
| What fixed it | Jobs |
|---|---|
| A breaker, RCD, fused spur, isolator or switch that was off or had tripped | 35 |
| A thermostat or thermal cut-out reset or adjusted, mostly on immersion and water heaters | 18 |
| A time switch, timer or clock set wrong | 6 |
| Other resets and settings: storage heaters, fans, showers, doorbells and lighting controls | 9 |
Some of these could have been checked by phone before anyone travelled: a pull-cord left off, a breaker that tripped once, a timer showing the wrong time after a power cut. Others could not. An immersion thermostat’s cut-out sits behind the cover, next to live terminals, so resetting it is an electrician’s job. If it keeps tripping, the thermostat or element needs replacing. A breaker or RCD that trips again after one reset needs an electrician too: see RCD keeps tripping.
31 jobs: working when the engineer arrived
On 31 jobs nothing was fitted and the notes say the light, fan, socket, heater, hot water, doorbell or shower was working as it should. Some were intermittent faults that had cleared. Some needed the settings explaining or adjusting for the resident. Two were booked as emergencies. Across all 197 jobs, at least 17 were booked as emergency jobs.
A visit that finds nothing still reassures the resident and puts the fault on record. But a two-minute phone check can often save it.
Five questions to ask before you book an electrician
These are for scheme managers and repairs desks. Never ask a resident to take a cover off or touch wiring. If there is a burning smell, scorching, sparking or water near electrics, treat it as electrical and urgent.
- Is it a water problem or a power problem? If the shower or immersion has power (pull-cord on, indicator light lit) but the flow is weak or it’s leaking, book a plumber first, or both trades together. See electric shower not working.
- Is it electric at all? Check the asset record before raising the order. Nine of our jobs were for items that weren’t.
- Is everything switched on? The pull-cord, the fused spur, any isolator and the breaker on the fuse board. Reset a tripped breaker once. If it trips again, leave it off and call an electrician.
- Is the timer right? Immersions and storage heaters often run on a timer or off-peak supply. After a power cut or clock change, check the time and the boost button. See immersion heater not working.
- Is it faulty right now? Ask when it last failed and whether it works at the moment. Put intermittent faults on the order, so the engineer knows what to look for.
None of this changes who is responsible. Where section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 applies (England and Wales), the landlord must “keep in repair and proper working order the installations in the dwelling-house for the supply of water, gas and electricity and for sanitation”, and those “for space heating and heating water”. Triage is about sending the right trade first, not about delaying the repair.
For social landlords, Awaab’s Law extends to electrical hazards and excess cold from 30 November 2026. The government’s guidance says “Landlords are required to triage hazards on a case-by-case basis”, and that “an electrical hazard should be investigated and remediated by a qualified and competent electrician.” If in doubt, book the electrician.
How SEGplc reports back so the right trade goes next
Every job sheet records what our engineer tested, what they found and what should happen next. If the fix is plumbing, the notes say so in plain words. If the appliance is unsafe, we disconnect it, make it safe and say so. That is how we could count these 197 jobs, and it means the next visit can be the right trade.
Sources and method
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11: legislation.gov.uk
- Awaab’s Law Phase 2: guidance for social landlords, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: gov.uk
Method: our job records for Axis Europe in Anchor sheltered housing, 2,452 jobs issued from 15 July 2025 to 4 August 2026, 2,290 with engineer notes. Notes were first sorted by keyword: plumber, heating or gas engineer named; part fitted (left out); switched off, turned back on or reset; working on arrival or no fault found. We then read all 230 matches and took out 33 where a part or wiring repair was done, a supply or appliance fault was found, the job was left unresolved, or the note held only billing codes. The breakdowns within each group are by keyword, and 162 jobs have no notes, so treat the figures as a guide. Engineer notes are not published, as some contain residents’ details. Sources checked 27 October 2026.
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