This last weekend I had a call out from a customer in my local area of Nottingham. It was a typical phone call that I am am used to getting out of hours and went along the lines of “my electrics are tripping for some reason”.

Why do electrics suddenly start tripping?

The traditional October half term break is now under way for most parents up and down the country. This time of year is dull and rain is almost definitely likely to feature in the week off. So if your child is done with the Autumn scavenger hunts and the rain is pelting down outside, then they are likely to be indoors making use of electrical items.

There is growing publicity around privately rented homes after startling figures revealed that private tenants were at greater risk of receiving an electrical shock than housing association tenants and home owners.

As an electrician in Nottingham who is passionate about electrical safety, I am concerned about the increase recently in counterfeit products. Counterfeit electrical products have been around for some time and you may have heard about the dangers of buying a 'fake TV' or other electrical items.

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