shocking truth behind believe housing’s first electrical safety week

Shocking images of fire-damaged homes have been released by a housing provider, as it launches its first ever Electrical Safety Week. 

County Durham-based believe housing is shining a light on the true cost of not following electrical safety advice at home – which can put lives and property at risk and cost tens of thousands of pounds to repair. 

Potentially-lifesaving tips are now available on the believe housing website and are being shared with customers during its inaugural Electrical Safety Week, from 14 to 18 November 2022. 

This year, there have been fires in five homes managed by believe housing, which were caused by electrical issues such as faulty devices or DIY electrics. 

Fortunately, nobody was seriously hurt, but people have had to leave their homes during renovation work, which has cost £188,000. 

While it is considered too recent and sensitive to share details of those incidents, believe housing has shared photographs from two earlier blazes showing why is it important to be cautious with electrical devices and installations. 

In one, a customer had a lucky escape when the halogen heater he was using to keep warm was knocked over, possibly by his dog, and started a fire in his living room.  

The blaze ripped through his sofa and caused extensive damage throughout the property. Fortunately, he managed to escape without serious injury.  

In another incident, a child returned from school to discover a defective tablet charger had started a fire at the family home, causing £35,000 of damage. 

The charger was not the one originally supplied with the device but is thought to have been bought online, and several sockets and extension cables were found to be overloaded in the property. 

Mark Fort, Electrical Manager at believe housing, said: “Our main priority is always safety. “Our first ever Electrical Safety Week aims to help customers avoid potential hazards in their home and encourage them to work with us, so we can keep them safe. 

“We’re not trying to lecture or frighten people, but instead provide some sound advice we can all follow to look after our homes and loved ones.” 

Top tips include: 

• Don’t overload sockets or extension cables – remember this when putting up Christmas decorations 
• When buying electrical products, including festive lights or gifts, be aware that cheap or counterfeit goods may not meet the correct safety standards. If in doubt, seek advice. 
• Switch off appliances when not in use to reduce fire risk – and save energy and money
• Don’t leave appliances like tumble dryers unattended – using them overnight can be dangerous and few people are on a tariff that makes it cheaper 
• Look for warning signs such as scorch marks, frayed cables, flickering lights or fuses that regularly blow  
• Remember that water and electricity are a deadly mix 
• Check fire alarms every month. 

Every year believe housing carries out thorough electrical safety inspections on about 4,000 homes and operatives regularly fix unauthorised DIY work. 

Mark said: “It’s important that our customers allow us access to carry out EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) inspections, which we’ll contact them about at least every five years. 

“And if they want any electrical work doing in their home, they must contact us first. 

“If people have done their own DIY electrical work, which we know happened more during the Covid pandemic, there might be an increased risk of fire and shock, not just within their own property but also their neighbour’s. 

“Just because something works, doesn’t mean it’s safe. 

“If any customer has an electrical concern, please let us know so we can keep you safe.” 

A video with useful tips for staying safe at home has been produced as part of believe housing’s first Electrical Safety Week. It can be viewed or downloaded here.