Electrical Safety
As part of our service to you, we'll carry out a few electrical safety check in your home every five years. But there are also things you can do to protect your home from the dangers of electricity.

REPAIRS

How to stay safe at home: Electrical safety guide

Electrical safety precautions

The number one cause of electrical problems at home is the misuse of electrical equipment. Keep an eye on your appliances on a day-to-day basis and immediately stop using anything that looks damaged.

You don’t need to be an electrician to do basic checks - checking the wires, keeping them away from water and not overloading sockets are simple things you can do in your home to keep things safe.

Top tips to avoid dangers in your home
  • Turn off electrical appliances when you’ve finished using them

  • Check cables - if anything looks worn or loose, don’t use the item

  • Don’t let the leads from your kettle, toaster or other kitchen appliances trail across your cooker
  • If you see burn marks, sparks or your sockets feel hot, call us on 0141 887 8613 straight away and don’t use them until we’ve checked them over
  • Test your smoke alarm on a regular basis, just in case there’s an electrical fire
  • Never use a bulb with a higher wattage than the light fitting says is safe
  • Don’t run the cables from your appliances under carpets or rugs
  • Never overload your sockets or adapters by plugging too many appliances into one place
  • Defrost your fridge and freezer at least once a year
  • Don’t leave your washing machine or tumble dryer on when you’re out of the house or overnight
  • Check that your microwaves, fridges and freezers have enough space around them
  • Never use water to put out an electrical fire! Visit our fire safety page for more information
  • You can find even more electrical safety advice on the electrical safety council’s website.
Electrical safety check

Depending on the age of your wiring, property type and how much use it’s getting we’ll carry out a full electrical safety check in your home about every five to ten years. We’ll come round and make sure your wiring, fuse board and electrical system are all in safe, working condition.

How often we’ll come out to do these checks depends on what type of home you live in. We keep a record of the last checks done and will get in touch to let you know when you’re due the next one. Please help us to help you by making it easy for us to visit your home and complete our electrical safety checks as quickly as possible.

Register your appliances for added safety

Register your appliances for added safety

For extra peace of mind, it’s also a good idea to register your electrical appliances with the manufacturer. This will allow you to check for product recalls or safety repairs.

The Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances (AMDA) is the biggest UK trade association that represents over 85% of all small and large domestic appliances sold in the UK. They keep a database of all registered appliances so that the firms can contact you quickly if they really need to. You can register your appliances online.

Concerned about electrical safety in your home?

If you’re worried about electrical safety in your home, or see burn marks, sparks or your sockets feel hot, call us on 0141 887 8613 as soon as possible. If you ever feel like there’s an immediate risk to your safety call 999 straight away.