Our Twelve Top Tips for Homeowners (part 2)
Like the second round of present opening that one looks forward to after the Christmas dinner, our helping of top tips for homeowners follows on from last week and seeks to deliver knowledge and enjoyment in equal measure.
Please read and enjoy our gift to you: the benefit of our experience with homeowners’ electrical needs. And happy Christmas!
7. Do use smoke and heat alarms
They are not just for Christmas, smoke alarms should be installed in your home and tested regularly to check they work. If we could give you a gift this Christmas, it would be a reminder to check your smoke alarms. Fires can happen all year round, but this seems like a good time to remind you.
8. Do turn off
Make sure you turn your electrical decorations and lights off when you go to bed. Simply flip the switch off or have smart timers or plugs to ensure when the household is sleep or out items are not left on.
9. Do look for the mark
Currently electrical items should have a CE mark on them, this should be on the product itself not just the box. If the mark is just on the packaging this may suggest that the product is fake. From the 31st December 2022 the EC mark will be replaced with UKCA.
10. Be careful with portable heaters
It is that time of year when temperature drops and we turn up the heat in our homes. Be mindful this Christmas if you use portable heaters. They should be kept away from fabrics such as curtains and make sure they are on a stable surface, so they do not fall over and pose a fire risk.
11. Get an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
If you live in an older property and the electrics have not been touch or looked at for years, make it a priority going into the New Year to get an EICR carried out. An EICR should be carried out every ten years on a domestic property and every five years or at change of tenancy if the property is rented out. This report will flag up unsafe parts of your electrical installation and parts that could become unsafe if remedial work is not carried out.
12. Do not play with electrics
Although it is tempting to try and sort your own electrics, please leave it to the professionals. There are lots of things that homeowners can repair around their homes to save money, but I would never recommend that electrics is one of them. Your life is worth more than saving a few bob here and there; when electrics go round they can go fatality wrong. Stay safe this Christmas time and when in doubt, call an electrician.
We wish all of our clients and customers a very happy, very enjoyable and very safe Christmas and New Year.
