Our policy focus for Wales covers five key areas.
We are recognised by the Welsh Government and industry as the leading campaigning charity and technical authority on electrical safety in the home.
We lobby and advise the Welsh Government, Fire & Rescue Services and other partners on improving policy on electrical safety throughout Wales.
We also campaign on behalf of Welsh consumers to improve regulations and ensure safety messages are appropriate, up-to-date and well communicated.
Our key activities in Wales include an annual Welsh Electrical Safety Week, dedicated to raising awareness about using electricity safely, as well as working directly with tenants, landlords and homeowners to reduce deaths and accidents.
More about our work
More about our work
> Electrical Safety Week
> Improving Electrical Safety and Preventing Fires in Wales
Preventing fires caused by electricity
Wales has a higher proportion (62 per cent) of accidental domestic fires caused by electricity than other parts of the UK (for example, 53 per cent in England).
We want to see:
- An ongoing commitment from the Welsh Government to support Welsh Electrical Safety Week held annually in November.
- Backing from the Welsh Government to undertake regular consumer campaigns to raise awareness about electricity causing fires in Welsh homes.
- Improved reporting of electrical misuse in Welsh homes, such as fires caused by the charging of electronic equipment.
- A campaign to educate people in Wales about the risks of unsafe electrical goods being sold online.
Keeping Welsh homes safe
The Welsh Government has committed to introduce regulations for mandatory five-yearly electrical safety checks on properties in the private and social rental sectors through the Renting Homes (Wales) Act.
But we want to ensure these regulations come into effect as soon as possible.
We want to see:
- Mandatory electrical safety checks introduced in Wales in both the private and social rented sectors.
- Publication of a roadmap on when these checks will be introduced.
- A campaign strategy to make the Welsh public aware of these safety improvements.
Protecting vulnerable people
The number of people in Wales aged over 80 is expected to double by 2035, with an estimated 50,000 people aged 65+ living with dementia.
This presents challenges when it comes to electrical safety. Home safety visits undertaken by the fire services in Wales are vital to prevent electrical fires.
We want to see:
- A review of how home safety visits prioritise and resolve electrical safety issues in Welsh homes.
- The Welsh Government to consider a disrepair scheme to fund electrical safety improvements and checks in vulnerable people’s homes in Wales.
- Every household with a person over 80 to get a free electrical safety check.
- Home safety visits that identify electrical problems to be referred to Care & Repair agencies for people unable to afford improvements, with funding in place to resolve the issues.
Improving consumer safety online
Although the legislation relating to unsafe electrical goods is not devolved, there are many issues to tackle with Welsh consumers buying unsafe electrical goods online.
Our research highlighted that more than one in four Welsh residents (26 per cent) said they would knowingly buy something fake or substandard online if they saw it for a fraction of the price.
And one in 11 Welsh adults had first-hand experience of a shock or fire caused by an electrical product bought online.
We want to see:
- Joined up consumer campaigns in Wales to raise awareness of potential risks associated with electrical goods being purchased from online marketplaces.
- Support given to trading standards to intercept and take enforcement action against unsafe electrical goods being sold in Wales.
- Welsh Government support for legislation in the UK Parliament preventing the sale of unsafe, substandard, and counterfeit electrical goods.
Preparing for future electricity usage in Wales
Increased electrical products in the home, the rise of electric vehicle use, and increased usage of electricity for heating means there is a need to improve homes and street infrastructure.
There is a need to assess whether Welsh houses, some of which are among the oldest in the UK, can meet the challenges of future living.
We want to see:
- A review of housing stock in large urban areas to check if it is up to modern safety standards and able to meet increased use of electricity.
- More charging points for electric vehicles in public places in Wales, especially in residential areas.
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.
Sign up for emails
Whether you are a member of the public or an electrical professional, we will keep you in the know with the latest electrical safety news and information.