We know money’s tight right now – but never do electrical work in your house unless you know what you’re doing.
Recent findings by the ESC (The Electrical Safety Council) have found that an astonishing amount of Brits have taken recently to a spot of DIY electrical lately in order to save cash. Under law, carrying out electrical work is illegal unless you have prior planning from a local building control office.
Even with the prior planning having a lack of the necessary knowledge to conduct the work is beyond dangerous, and the ESC also found that at least one person dies in their home every week thanks to dangerous electricity; in addition, almost 1000 people injured every day as a result of dodgy electrical installations.
The survey carried out by the ESC found that one in seven Brits have tried to rewire their homes, one in five have changed fuse boxes, one in six have attempted an electrical installation in the garden and one in eight have even tried to install electrical components under floor areas in their home.
The survey also found that a result of this more than a third of registered electricians are called to fix botched electrical work at least once a month, and almost one in five contractors have seen electrical work that has caused injuries.
If you put all of the figures in perspective this could mean that around 6.2 million Brits could be living in dangerously wired properties – a hazard that could easily be avoided by using fully registered contractors.
The survey also found that one in six people didn’t have a clue that carrying out work themselves in properties that doesn’t comply with building regulations is completely illegal.
We can’t stress enough the importance of not tampering with electricity. Incorrect installations can lead to all sorts of nasty aftereffects such as severe electrical shock or house fires, so it is always best to find a fully certified electrician who knows what they’re doing.
Phil Buckle, director general of the Electrical Safety Council, was shocked by the findings. “Some of the figures from this survey are truly alarming.” he said. “There is clearly a need to continually educate homeowners on the dangers of electricity in the home.
“With this in mind, the Electrical Safety Register was launched by our charity in partnership with the Electrical Contractors’ Association to offer consumers an easy to use database, where they can find a certified contractor and be sure that the work that is carried out will be safe and up to standard.
“We hope that by launching the Register, we can help to reduce the number of deaths and accidents that occur each year through incorrect electrical work.”
The Electrical Safety Register is a new, joint venture between the ESC and ECA (Electrical Contractors Association) designed to give consumers a place to search for local, fully qualified electricians.
It’s the first step towards creating a more electrically safe Britian, and the site already has 32,000 registered contractors available in its database.
Tony Cable, spokesperson for the Electrical Safety Register, adds: “These shocking survey results really do highlight the importance of the Electrical Safety Register.
“It is vital that people make sure that the electrician is registered, especially since less than a quarter of those asked even bother to check their sparky is fully certified.
“When looking for someone to carry out electrical work, too many homeowners are making their decisions based on cost, rather than credentials; a mistake that can prove to be deadly. Therefore we are urging people to use the Electrical Safety Register to help them to find a competent local electrician, so that they can stay safe in their home.”
