Electricity causes half of all fires in England’s homes. And recent tragic events at Grenfell Tower have made everyone much more aware of the risks from electrical products – items we use unthinkingly, every day. That’s why Vicky Ford MP joined with leading safety charity, Electrical Safety First, to help protect constituents in their home.
“White goods, such as dishwashers, tumble dryers, and fridge freezers, are one of the leading causes of electrical fires in England’s homes”, explains Mrs Ford. “Last year, they caused almost 2,000 fires - the equivalent of over five fires per day. I am pleased to support Electrical Safety First’s and to find out more about how I can help Chelmsford stay electrically safe at home – especially now, as winter has arrived and older people in particular, are at greater risk of an electrical accident. I would like to encourage people to sign up and support this campaign by visiting www.supportsaferhomes.com.”
Electrical fires in the home are generally caused by misuse of appliances, poor regulation of electrical safety checks - particularly in the private rented sector - faulty appliances and electrical distribution faults. Electrical Safety First believes these issues must be tackled in tandem to make a real impact on the problem. So it is calling on the Government to establish a package of measures to reduce electrical fires by 10% over the next five years. These include introducing compulsory, five-yearly electrical checks in privately rented homes and boosting the Fire Kill’s campaign to focus more on electrical fires.
In the meantime, the charity has developed a range of resources to help check the safety of a property. This includes a mobile phone app, which provides a quick visual check of the electrics in a home, plus a link to find a registered electrician in your area.