Our policy focus for Scotland covers six key areas.
We work closely with the Scottish Government, members of the Scottish Parliament, and other policymakers in Scotland to ensure people are kept electrically safe in their homes.
Electricity causes more than two-thirds of all house fires in Scotland each year. The key issues we work on include a reduction in accidental house fires caused by electricity, a common standard for electrical safety in all homes, and safeguards against dangerous electrical products.
We also want to see improved safety of domestic electrical installations and a clear focus on the future challenges for electrical safety, from the decarbonisation of energy in housing to the mainstreaming of electric vehicles.
More on our work
More on our work
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A cross-government plan for electrical safety
The percentage of domestic fires in Scotland caused by electricity has remained at similar levels in recent years despite the overall number of fires slowly falling.
We are concerned about increasing fire risks from new electrical products which the current recording system doesn’t capture.
Older and vulnerable people often live in old or poor-quality housing with faulty electrics and older appliances, and they are more likely to be unable to afford essential electrical repairs.
These risks can also be heightened by degenerative conditions such as dementia.
We want to see:
- A cross-government plan to reduce the number of electrical house fires, ensuring better targeting of resources for the most vulnerable.
- A more up-to-date incident recording system (IRS) which allows for better recording of fires caused by modern technology.
A common standard for electrical safety in all homes
Housing legislation and standards are subject to a ‘tenure lottery’ with different levels of protection for different tenures.
All electrical installations deteriorate with age and use. They need to be inspected and tested at regular intervals.
There are now protections for tenants in both the private and social rented sectors. But not in the owner-occupied sector which is most of Scotland’s housing and is home to the largest number of older people.
There are also risks associated with the divergent safety regimes for mixed-tenure housing blocks.
We want to see:
- A common electrical safety standard for all homes implemented during the lifetime of the current Scottish Parliament.
- Mandatory, five-yearly electrical safety checks across all tenures.
Consumer safeguards for unsafe products
Electrical products cause the majority of house fires in Scotland. Although misuse is a key factor, an increasing number of other reasons could be tackled with early policy intervention.
Product recalls are an ongoing concern as is the safety of white goods. And our research has also indicated a particular problem with the sale of counterfeit and substandard electrical items online.
We want to see:
- An inquiry on the safety of electrical products and harm caused to consumers.
- Opportunities to be identified across all government areas to introduce measures for both promoting and/or requiring the registration of electrical products.
Measures to ensure the safety of electrical installations
Sub-standard electrical work and failings in workmanship can result in death, injury and loss of property through fire.
But the benefits of using a registered electrician are not known or understood by many consumers.
There are avenues for consumers to find competent and qualified individual electricians, but there is no comprehensive register and low recognition among consumers for the multiple databases that do exist.
We want to see:
- Creation of a single register to make it easier for consumers to identify registered electricians, supported by a long-term awareness campaign.
Improved plans for safely heating 'net zero' homes
The Heat in Buildings Strategy recognises the role of electricity in achieving 'net zero homes' through heat pumps and heat networks, but the regulatory proposals have not assessed the preparedness of domestic electrical systems.
New build homes can and must plan for the electrification of heat, but existing housing stock is a bigger challenge, particularly older housing which is likely to contain outdated electrics.
The huge increase in electrical appliances, electric boilers, and heat pumps, combined with a shortage of trained installers, will impact on electrical safety.
We need to see:
- A national study to examine the physical condition and preparedness of Scotland’s domestic electrical installations for future demands.
- Policymakers must include electrical safety as a key factor in its policymaking towards achieving net zero homes.
Better infrastructure for EV charging
With electric vehicles (EVs), there are issues with drivers charging vehicles dangerously due to a lack of public infrastructure and appropriately installed domestic charging facilities.
This particularly impacts those living in high density housing areas, renting, or in flats and tenements, where there are extra challenges to accessing safe charging points.
New build homes must plan for the electrification of transport, but existing homes are more difficult to adapt.
We need to see:
- A change to building regulations to require all new-build homes with a dedicated car parking space to be fitted with an EV charging point.
- A focus on delivering charging options for residents without private parking, such as upgrading streetlamps and creating charging hubs in communities.
- Amend the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 to allow a tenant or co-owner to install a charging point more easily.
- Update the Scottish secure tenancy agreement in liaison with landlords to make it simpler for tenants to install EV charging points.
We run consumer campaigns to increase awareness of the dangers of electricity, and encourage people to make simple changes that will help them stay safe in their homes.
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