NICEIC launches “MOT Your Home” campaign
New research from NICEIC has revealed that homeowners are risking their lives by not getting their electrics fully checked, leaving potentially deadly faults lurking in thousands of homes.
Each year there are around 43,000 fires in UK homes, of which over 8,170 are caused by electrical faults and unsafe electrics.
The survey revealed that nearly nine out of ten (89%) homeowners don’t really think about getting their electrics fully tested, with eighty eight percent (88%) confessing that getting their gas boiler checked is more important to them. Worse still, over a third (32%) admitted they have never had the electrics in their home fully tested.
That’s why NICEIC has launched ‘MOT Your Home’, a national consumer safety campaign warning homeowners about the dangers of electrical DIY.
Fronted by home-improvement expert Linda Barker, the new campaign encourages homeowners whose property is over 10 years old to employ a registered electrician to carry out a Periodic Inspection Report, which acts like an MOT for the property.
Linda Barker says: “I’ve teamed up with the NICEIC to encourage consumers to get their homes checked and make electrical safety a top priority. Even though it’s tempting to try and save a few pennies where possible at the moment, a simple home MOT could save lives.”
Homeowners polled by NICEIC ranked their top priorities in the following order:
1. Getting their smoke alarm tested – 33%
2. Getting their gas checked – 31%
3. Getting their car serviced – 17%
4. Having their electrics fully tested and checked – 10%
5. Getting their cholesterol checked – 5%
6. Talking the dog for a walk – 4%
Tony Cable from NICEIC added: “Nearly half (48%) of homeowners admitted to asking a friend or partner to have a go at electrical work in their home. This means there are potentially deadly underlying electrical problems in homes across the UK as a result of botched DIY jobs. Our campaign aims to change the public’s mindset about getting their electrics checked by a registered electrician, in order to keep their home and family safe.
“Many NICEIC contractors offer a Periodic Inspection Report which will reveal if electrical circuits are overloaded, find potential hazards in the installation and identify faulty DIY work. Homeowners will then receive a report which details the overall condition of all their electrics and points out any work that might need to be carried out.”
To ensure any reports or electrical work carried out is safe and complies with BuildingRegulations, it’s advisable to employ an NICEIC electrician.
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