22.7 million UK adults don’t know how to switch off their utilities in an emergency

• 1.4 million homeowners and 1.1 million tenants don’t know how to shut off their electricity
• Only two thirds of tenants (68%) are confident that they could locate their electricity consumer unit
• Half of those who needed to turn off their gas in an emergency were unable to do so

Over 22 million adults in the UK are putting themselves at risk as they are not confident they could switch off one or more of their key utilities – gas, electricity and water – in an emergency according to new research¹ by Direct Line home insurance. 

The research reveals that almost 1 in 10 (9%) homeowners don’t know where to switch off the water inside their home and twice as many (20%) don’t know where their external water stopcock is located.

The issue is even more acute amongst those that rent their home. Over a quarter of tenants (27%) who live in homes with a gas supply admit that they wouldn’t know how or where to switch off the gas in the event of a leak. 

Table 1: UK adults who know where to locate utility shut offs in their home

Source: Direct Line home insurance

In fact, the position may be worse than these figures suggest: whilst 4% of owner occupiers admit they don’t know where to switch off their electricity, only 79% say that they know exactly where their consumer unit is. The picture is worse still for those that rent: 7% of tenants say that they aren’t sure where to switch off their electricity but only 68% say they know exactly where their consumer unit is situated.

Worryingly, 3% of people claimed that they didn’t have an electricity consumer unit in their home and 4% said they didn’t have a water stopcock.

Knowing how to switch off the gas, water or electricity in the event of an emergency could help prevent serious property damage or even injury.  And the risk is real – for example a gas leak could lead to a fire or even an explosion, whilst a burst pipe can cause thousands of pounds worth of property damage.

In fact, almost half of people (45%) have had an incident at home where they’ve needed to switch off their electricity, 44% have needed to switch off their water and 31% their gas supply. Shockingly, of those who have needed to switch off their water indoors 31% admit that that they weren’t able to do so. Of those that needed to turn off their gas nearly half (48%) were unable to do so, and 28% were unable to turn off their electricity when an incident occurred.

Dan Simson, Head of Direct Line Home Insurance, said: “It may seem like a small thing, but knowing where and how to switch off your water, electricity and gas is potentially life-saving and could certainly help prevent a lot of damage to your home. Our research also highlights how important it is for landlords to show their tenants where to switch off their utilities in the event of an emergency. Domestic emergencies can happen at any time, so it’s important that everyone in the household knows in advance how to switch off utilities quickly and safely.””

What to do in the event of a water leak

• Water stopcocks are usually found in the kitchen, under the sink. However, in some houses the stopcock is found in the front or back hall. Make sure you know where yours is so you can access it in the event of an emergency. 

• A stopcock looks like a tap but without an outlet spout. It will be situated between two lengths of pipe, acting as a connector. This allows the stopcock to impede the flow of water when it is closed off. 

• In case of a water leak, locate your stopcock and simply turn the valve clockwise to turn off the water supply. Turn on the taps in the sinks and bathrooms to remove any water remaining in the household system. 

What to do if you smell gas

• Turn off the gas at the mains tap. This can usually be located near the gas meter and has a handle that can be turned 90 degrees.

• Open doors and windows to ventilate the property.

Don't:

• Turn any power or light switches on or off.

• Light any sort of flame within the property.

• Use any appliances that could cause a spark.

How to switch off your electricity

• To find your consumer unit, check the most likely locations in your home, such as the hallway, under the stairs, in a cupboard near the front door, or in the kitchen. It will often be located near your electricity meter, which is typically installed where the main electricity supply enters the property. A consumer unit is the central electrical panel for your home, often known as a "fuse box" – it is a metal or plastic box with a hinged lid containing rows of switches or circuit breakers.

• The consumer unit will contain the mains switch that turns off all the power in the property. The mains switch will usually be red and will normally be at the end of the row of circuit breakers.

- ENDS -

Notes to editors:

1. Research conducted by Opinium amongst a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults between 19th and 23rd September 2025. 

For further information please contact:

Direct Line:

Unni Henry

PR Manager

Email : unni.henry@directlinegroup.com

About Direct Line 

Started in 1985, Direct Line became the first UK insurance company to use the telephone as its main channel of communication. It provides motor, home and pet insurance cover direct to customers by phone or on-line and is part of the Aviva Group.

Customers can find out more about Direct Line products or get a quote by calling 0345 246 3761 or visiting www.directline.com