Cash strapped householders risking their lives by putting money before electrical safety, charity warns

Shock statistics show that many residents in the North West, including Burnley, are taking serious risks with their safety by employing an unregistered electrician for seriously complex electrical work.
Householders are putting cash savings before electrical safety when it comes to their homesHouseholders are putting cash savings before electrical safety when it comes to their homes
Householders are putting cash savings before electrical safety when it comes to their homes

And the charity, Electrical First, has warned that that by putting cash before competence by hiring someone who may not be qualified to do the job could seriously damage your home and put your family at risk of electrical shock or fire.

Unregistered electricians may not have insurance that covers you should something go wrong, are not regularly assessed by a government approved scheme and are not vetted for their qualifications.

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Electrical Safety First carried out a survey in the region, asking people to choose between hiring a registered electrician and an unregistered electrician to fit new wiring or install a new fuse box in their homes.

This type of work can lead to catastrophic consequences if done incorrectly, including lethal electric shock or fire.

More than one in four(27%) admitted they would choose an unregistered electrician to save cash. The charity asked local residents how significant the saving would have to be for them to choose an unregistered professional and more than a third (38%) said they’d be happy with a saving of anything under £100.

More alarmingly, national findings reveal some people would be prepared to risk the electrical safety of their homes for a saving of £5 or less . These are relatively small savings compared to the hundreds often spent fixing hazardous work.

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New research shows almost a third of people (30%) living in the North West have fallen victim to botched electrical work and have had to pay out for repairs on at least one or more occasions.

Nationally, 16.4 million people have had to take matters into their own hands by fixing shoddy work left by their electrician , with an average repair bill of £750 .

A staggering £2.4 billion has been spent correcting substandard work across the UK, the charity estimates .

Electrical Safety First regularly receives queries from the public about how and where to find an electrician to carry out work in their homes. The safety charity recommends that all electrical work is carried out by a registered electrician who will have the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to avoid the potentially devastating consequences of electrical work.

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Martyn Allen, Technical Director at Electrical Safety First said: “Electrical is amongst the most dangerous work to undertake in the home, and by hiring someone who isn’t up to the job, the results can be catastrophic.

"Time and time again we hear of people putting themselves in serious danger because they simply don’t understand how lethal electrical work can be, and also because they don’t

know how to find someone suitable for the job.

"People can easily find a registered electrician in their local area by visiting electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/findanelectrician.”

Phil Buckle, the Charity’s Chief Executive said: “Many of us consider the important things to be the most visible in our homes. TVs, games consoles, kitchen worktops. Yet some of the most important and vital components that make up a home aren’t visible at first.

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"The wiring within a home is complex and should only ever be tackled by a registered and fully qualified electrician.

"The consequences of not doing so could very well mean that everything else goes up in smoke.”