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only way to be sure if the wiring is safe is to get a qualified electrician to test it.

If your home does need rewiring, it’s easiest to use an electrician registered with one of the Government’s competent-person schemes, such as NICEIC (www.niceic. com), as they can self-certify that their work complies with building regulations.

If they don’t belong to such a scheme, you can get their work checked and signed off by a building control inspector (either from your local council or a private firm).

The key thing is to get a completion certificate from a recognised body to prove that the electrical work is safe and legal.