As with gas and heating, the use of electricity will increase during the winter months. The days are shorter, there is less sunlight in general and the temperature drops. As a result, the need to keep warm and stay indoors leads to a rise in the use of electricity. At the same time, the associated risks with using electricity are increased. Read this electrical safety guide to prevent damaging your systems.
Electrical Safety over Winter
There are several issues related to electricity that can affect homeowners during winter. Everyone should be aware of the problems that can occur. Whether it be severe power outages, fluctuations or other weather-related hazards, it’s important for homeowners to be aware of these risks. As an electrical engineer or installer, you are the face-to-face source that can make customers aware.
Ensuring homeowners are prepared is the key to keeping them safe during the winter months. With this in mind, here are some basic tips from our electrical safety guide that you can pass on to ensure they are ready for the cold season.
Additional outlets
One thing that customers can do is have additional power outlets installed by a registered electrician. This will prevent homeowners from overloading their sockets with multi adaptor plugs to allow them to use more electrical items such as heaters, lamps and more.
Switch off
We tend to recommend this when discussing how to save energy, but it is also a smart move for staying safe too. By switching off all gadgets and appliances at the end of the night, the risk of fires from short-circuits will be far less than if they were left on.
Maintenance
It would also benefit your customers if they check the condition of their wiring, sockets, plugs, switches and more on a regular basis. These things can wear down and get damaged over time and should be replaced or repaired as soon as the issue has been spotted. If left unnoticed, the problem can worsen, and the risk of electrical hazards will be significantly greater. Your customers should speak to you when they need someone to perform these checks.
Checklist
Finally, it helps to have an electrical safety checklist for the home that should be dealt with before winter sets in. A checklist will ensure that nothing is missed or overlooked, meaning the risks of electrical hazards will be far less than if ignored or forgotten.
Offer your customers the best electrical services with knowledge and expertise from ECTA
Of course, you cannot offer such advice if you do not have the necessary qualifications and knowledge that comes with the job. This is why ECTA have a wonderful range of energy courses designed to help you with the next steps in your career. Check out our electrical courses available or get in touch to find out more.