Ten tips for electrical safety at home
1) Check your consumer unit (fusebox) includes an RCD (Residual Current Device).
This important safety device automatically cuts the power if it detects a problem, helping protect you from electric shock. If your home doesn’t have one, plug-in RCD adapters can be used with individual sockets for extra protection.
2) Arrange regular electrical safety checks for your electrical installation.
Homeowners should have their electrical installation inspected by a competent registered electrician at least every ten years. For rented properties, landlords are legally required to have the electrical installation inspected and tested at least every five years.
3) Store combustible materials safely.
Keep items such as clothes, paper, and cleaning materials away from the service head (cutout fuse), electricity meter and consumer units. Particularly if these are under the stairs, an escape route from upper floors.
4) Don’t overload socket-outlets or extension leads.
Plugging too many appliances into a socket-outlet or extension lead can be dangerous, especially high-powered appliances such as kettles, irons and heaters.
5) Keep portable heaters away from flammable materials.
Such as paper, curtains, and furniture. Never use one to dry clothes and always follow the instructions.
6) Turn off electrical appliances when not being used.
Particularly at night when fire can quickly spread unnoticed and cause more damage.
7) Check cables for damage, wear and tear.
And that the plug is fastened securely to the cable. Don’t use an appliance unless both it and its cable are in good condition.
8) Take extra care with electrical appliances that get hot during use.
When you have finished using heated items such as hair dryers and straighteners, switch them off, unplug them and put them somewhere safe to cool down. Some hair straighteners and beauty products come with heatproof pouches.
9) Check socket-outlets and extension leads regularly.
If your socket-outlets have burn marks or they feel hot, get a competent registered electrician to check them. Any visible damage to extension leads, or if they feel hot, replace immediately.
10) Have a working smoke alarm on each floor.
All smoke alarms have sensors that deteriorate over time, so they become less effective at detecting fires. Check your smoke alarm's expiry date, usually they last around ten years.
Ten tips for electrical product safety
1) Buy from a reputable retailer.
And follow manufacturer instructions when installing, using, and maintaining appliances.
2) Don’t leave washing machines, tumble dryers or dishwashers running unattended.
Especially overnight or when you are out.
3) Don’t ignore a strange noise or appliance not working properly.
Unplug it and contact the manufacturer or a qualified repair technician.
4) Don’t overload washing machines or tumble dryers.
Take bulky items such as duvets to the dry cleaners.
5) Check plugs and socket-outlets regularly.
Any burn marks, sounds of 'arcing' (buzzing or crackling), fuses blowing, circuit breakers tripping, or if it feels hot to the touch, contact a competent registered electrician to check your electrics.
6) Keep fridges and freezers away from cookers, radiators, and direct sunlight.
They will have to work harder to maintain the required internal temperature.
7) Clean behind the fridge and freezer regularly.
To prevent lint and dust from building up. Make sure there is enough room behind them for air to circulate freely.
8) Clean the oven and hob regularly.
And always clear spillages immediately to avoid a build-up of food debris and fat, which is a fire risk.
9) Only cook suitable food in the microwave.
Follow instructions on the food packaging. Only put food in the microwave which is clearly marked as microwave-safe.
10) Register electrical appliances.
The manufacturer can contact you if there’s a problem.
Stay safe with electrical products
Check plugs and sockets
Don't ignore burn marks, ‘arcing’ (buzzing or crackling) sounds, fuses blowing, circuit-breakers tripping, or if it feels hot to touch.
Unplug and contact the retailer, manufacturer, or a qualified repair technician.
Protect with an RCD
An RCD (residual current device) in your consumer unit (fusebox) protects you from electric shocks if a product is faulty.
If you don’t have RCD protection, use an RCD plug on the socket where the product is plugged in.
Fit smoke and heat alarms
Ensure there is at least one smoke or heat alarm per floor in your property. Fit enough alarms to cover all areas where a fire could start.
Test alarms at least once a month. Replace them every ten years or when the replace by date is reached.
Selected FAQs
Answers to the most commonly-asked questions we receive about electrical safety.
A periodic inspection is an inspection and associated testing to check whether an electrical installation is in a satisfactory condition for continued service. On completion of the necessary inspection and testing, an Electrical Installation Condition Report will be issued detailing any observed damage, deterioration, defects, dangerous conditions and any non-compliances with the present-day safety standard which might give rise to danger.
It is recommended that periodic inspection and testing is carried out at the following times:
- for tenanted properties, every 5 years or at each change of occupancy, whichever is sooner
- at least every 10 years for an owner-occupied home
- at least every 5 years for a business
The Landlords and Tenant Act 1985 requires landlords of properties with short leases to keep the electrical wiring in repair and in proper working order. We recommend landlords arrange for periodic inspection and testing to be carried out by a registered electrician at the relevant intervals shown above.
Periodic inspection and testing of the electrics should be carried out more frequently on the places and premises listed here:
- 3 years for a caravan
- 1 year for a swimming pool
Periodic inspection and testing should be carried out only by electrically competent persons, such as registered electricians.
First, you need to find out whether the electrician you used is actually registered. To do this, contact the operator of the scheme they have claimed to be part of, and they will tell you whether this is the case. If they are registered, the scheme operator can guide you through their complaints procedure.
If you find out the electrician misled you and is not registered, you should report this to your local Trading Standards Department as they are breaking the law. We would also recommend that you get an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) carried out on your home; this will assess any work that has been undertaken and will act as sufficient documentation to certify that work. This needs to be carried out by a registered electrician and unfortunately will be an added cost for you.
To find a registered electrician near you, please go to the Find an Electrician section of this website where you will find information specific to your region of the UK.
The average success rate of an electrical product recall in the UK is just 10-20%.
Often the manufacturer has no way of directly contacting those who purchased the item.
This means millions of potentially unsafe product remain in use, putting owners at risk of electrical shocks, fires, or even death.
Registering your product makes it easy for the manufacturer to get in touch with you if there is a problem.
The easiest way is to register online and you’ll usually need:
- Brand name
- Model (usually either a name or a number)
- Serial number
- Date of purchase (or as near to it as you can remember)
Visit our Product Registration page for more information and to register your electrical products.
Electrical products are recalled more regularly than you might think, but the response rate to a recall is often worryingly low. This means there are potentially millions of recalled electrical items still in UK homes.
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