How to avoid electrical fires

• Always check that you use the right fuse to prevent overheating.
• Make sure an electrical appliance has a British or European safety mark when you buy it.
• Certain appliances, such as washing machines, should have a single plug to themselves, as they are high powered.
• Try and keep to one plug per socket.
• Keep your eyes peeled for signs of dangerous or loose wiring such as scorch marks, hot plugs and sockets, fuses that blow or circuit-breakers that trip for no obvious reasons, or flickering lights.
• Check and replace any old cables and leads, especially if they are hidden from view - behind furniture or under carpets and mats.
• Unplugging appliances helps reduce the risk of fire.
• Unplug appliances when you're not using them or when you go to bed.

Safe use of extensions and adapters

An extension lead or adaptor will have a limit to how many amps it can take, so be careful not to overload them to reduce the risk of a fire.

Appliances use different amounts of power - a television may use a 3amp plug and a vacuum cleaner a 5amp plug for example.

When adding an appliance to an extension or adapter consider the total power requirement of the appliances and do not exceed the extension or adapters amp limit. The image below shows an example for a 13amp extension.

Keep electrical appliances clean and in good working order to prevent them triggering a fire.

Furniture

• Always ensure that your furniture has the fire-resistant permanent label.

Using an electric blanket

• Don't leave electric blankets folded as this damages the internal wiring. Store them flat or rolled up instead.
• Unplug blankets before you get into bed, unless it has a thermostat control for safe all-night use.
• Try not to buy second hand blankets and check regularly for wear and tear.

Portable heaters

• Try to secure heaters up against a wall to stop them falling over.
• Keep them clear from curtains and furniture and never use them for drying clothes