With another academic year starting, students are busy getting to know one another, finding their way round a new city and generally just enjoying life.

With the excitement of moving into a new house or even halls of residence, it is easy to overlook essential safety features within your living quarters – things like electricity, gas and water for example. (Would you know what to do if your lights went out?)

With the August bank holiday approaching, many people are thinking about getting away from it all for a few days. In typical British style, the weather isn't looking too great, however don't let bad weather deter you from checking out the electrical safety of your holiday accommodation. Whatever type of accommodation you stay in, from caravans to self catering cottages and hotels to tents, you can pretty much guarantee that electricity will feature somewhere in your holiday.

Summer and gardening go hand in hand this time of year, however you would be surprised by how easy it can be to receive an electrical shock or injury as a result of carrying out a seemingly ordinary gardening task.

Many of the blogs that I have written in the past mention how important it is to have an RCD fitted in your home. Although I've explained the importance of having one, I've never actually explained what an RCD does and how it protects the household.

What is an RCD?

As a house holder in Nottingham, you will no doubt be aware of some of the dangers that electricity can present in the home, but what do you classify as a problem?

Many homes in Nottingham already have electrical dangers present that the householders are not aware of. This doesn't mean necessarily mean there are dangerous electrics in the home, it is often as simple as how you use electricity that can make it dangerous.

If you are like many people, dubious about where to find a qualified and registered electrician to work in your home, you will be pleased to know that a new search facility was officially launched by the Government which lists all fully qualified and registered electricians who work in England and Wales.

Reducing shoddy and dangerous electrical work

Having made the decision to replace your old fuse board, it is important to ensure that this important job is completed by a competent domestic electrician who is both qualified and registered with a Part P scheme provider such as the NICEIC, NAPIT or ELECSA. Think of your fuse board as the main hub of your home – it is the 'thinking centre' to all electrical aspects in your home. If the job is carried out incorrectly, your home will be in a dangerous condition and your family is then at risk from electrical harm.

We have seen a real improvement in the weather all over the UK over the past week. With it, has seen the expected increase in bbq's and garden parties – and of course I wouldn't be doing my job properly if I didn't tell you what fire and electrical risks I have seen in my local area around Nottingham.

Beware of fire!

A Government notion may soon see the provision of a smoke alarm a compulsory requirement in privately rented properties. A YouGov survey carried out nationwide revealed that 1 in 5 privately rented properties did not have any form of fire alarm. Did you know you are four times more likely to die in a house fire? This is because fires often go undetected, and fire alarms are the alert to warn of a potentially serious house fire.