overloaded extension lead

overloaded extension lead

In a welcome move to target dangerous rental properties, the Government are discussing plans to make electrical safety checks a compulsory requirement for landlords. Currently electrical safety checks, normally carried out in the form of an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) are only optional although it is worth making a point that the vast majority of reputable landlords in the Nottingham and Derby area do follow the recommendations of having an EICR carried out every 5 years or with every change of occupancy. Why are electrically dangerous properties still a problem? It is the minority of landlords who continue to let their properties in an unsafe electrical condition that are making the headlines. Indeed the Government have already clamped down on such landlords by increasing fines for non-compliance and educating tenants on electrical safety. Unfortunately it takes a serious electrical injury or even death to bring such cases to the public arena, and it is these cases that highlight the dangerous conditions that tenants are living in, often without their knowledge. Making Electrical Safety Checks Compulsory The introduction of compulsory electrical safety checks is widely supported by landlords who take electrical safety very seriously. The Government is proposing to make electrical safety checks in the form of an EICR compulsory every 10 years. Although this doesn't meet the recommendations, it is a positive step in the right direction and as a result I am confident that it will bring many households in the Midlands out of dangerous electrical conditions. Here at Stator Electrical Solutions we work closely with many landlords in the Derby area all of whom care about the safety of their clients and who are keen for these compulsory changes to go ahead. Is your home electrically dangerous? If you privately rent your home you are more likely to die as a result of unsafe electrics in your home. This is according to a survey carried out in 2013 by the Electrical Safety Council. Additionally over 1 million private rental tenants revealed that they had reported electrical concerns to their landlord who either ignored the problem or responded when an electrical injury had already occurred. With one person being killed every week and thousands injured as a result of electric shock, it is important to identify if your home electrics need attention.
  • Have you seen a dated EICR certificate or other record confirming the electrical system is safe in your home?
  • Have electrical appliances supplied by your landlord been PAT tested?
  • Do you have a modern consumer unit (fuse box) in your home that has RCD protection? (look for the RCD test button on your consumer unit.)
If you have answered no to any of these questions, you are at risk of having dangerous electrics in your home. The government wants every rented home in the UK to have RCD protection and landlord supplied equipment to be PAT tested in the near future. Do you have concerns about your electrics in your rental home? If so it is important to notify your landlord as soon as you notice them. Electrical problems do not go away and the earlier the problem is reported and repaired the better. Ignoring electrical problems puts you and your family at risk of electrical injury and fire. It is important to use the electrics in your property sensibly. Do not overload extension leads and never carry out electrical work yourself – this includes unscrewing sockets and tampering with the fuse box. Landlords who do not comply It is important that landlords respond to electrical safety in their properties. If they fail to follow the recommendations they risk
  • A prison sentence
  • A fine of £20,000
  • Refusal by insurance companies to insure the property
  • Being sued by their tenants
  • Ruining their reputation
  • It is important that landlords in the Derby, Nottingham and Mansfield areas take responsibility of electrical safety seriously and ask a qualified and registered electrician to carry out an EICR on their property if they have not already done so.