In a recent conversation with local electrician, Pieter De Villiers of iSparkElectrical, I was surprised to learn that many homes in the UK fail to reach the basic requirements for electrical safety. In fact Mr. De Villiers and his team discovered that only 3% of homes inspected in the past 6 months complied fully with the latest wiring regulations (BS7671:2008) as published by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). This means that many of us could be taking health and safety risks that we are completely unaware of within our own homes.
For example, many of us have gas boilers in our homes but do all such homes have carbon monoxide detectors installed? Most of us have heard or read about cases where the lack of such detectors has resulted in illness or even death yet more than half of homes surveyed had no carbon monoxide detector.
iSparkElectrical also found that at least three homes in every four that they surveyed have had no electrical inspections in the past 25 years. This means that over three-quarters of homes have electrical systems that have been deteriorating over the decades and could struggle to cope with modern demands.
...and how many of us have adorable pets which refuse to stop gnawing electrical cables?! The safest way to ensure that there are no accidents when the inevitable happens is to install a Residual Current Device, RCD – a simple device, far more effective than circuit breakers or fuses. RCDs have been proven to save lives.
Another surprising fact is that nearly two-thirds of homes have smoke detectors which are powered using batteries rather than the mains supply. Of course there is no way of knowing when a battery is about to go flat and if this happens while you are away on holiday, you’re home is at increased risk.
For more details of survey results, visit their website here. If you would like a report on whether you home is electrically safe or not, iSparkElectrical are currently offering a FREE electrical inspection. To book one, call them on (01372) 826 204.
