Essential Electrical Safety Tips for Christmas

We're well and truly in the festive spirit here at Fulcher Edwards. As thoughts are now turning to decking our 'halls' with an array of decorations and lighting effects (and maybe some boughs of holly!) we are receiving many calls of help to help source and repair electrical problems in Londoners homes and businesses.

We get a lot of calls in the run up to Christmas. We also find that in many of these cases, Christmas lighting has been installed incorrectly – with too much reliance on extension leads or adapters plugged into adapters.

Of course Christmas doesn't need to turn into an electrical nightmare, and don't forget all that electricity requires is a common sense approach. We thought we'd share with you some essential electrical safety tips to keep you and your family or business safe over the festive season.

1) Always purchase Christmas lights from reputable sources. We hear of many Christmas lights being sold second hand on nearly new websites and car boot sales. Buying second hand means you don't know if the item is safe to use or even if it works or not. Christmas lights don't need to cost a fortune but they do need to meet minimum electrical safety standards.

2) Use an RCD – if your home does not have an RCD installed already, it makes sense to use an RCD plug for your Christmas lights. It will immediately cut the electrical supply if there is a problem with the lights. If you are installing lights outside, ensure that they are suitable for outdoor use- the products will tell you whether they're suitable for outdoor use or not. Don't ever be tempted to use extension leads designed for indoor use outside. All electrical outdoor lighting should be connected to an outdoor socket.

3) If you need additional sockets either indoor or outdoor in your London home, consult a Part P registered London electrician who will be happy to help. Don't try to do this work yourself. There are more fires this time of year due to unsafe Christmas lighting than at any other time of year.

4) Always follow the manufacturers instructions on how to use the electrical lighting safely.

5) Think about where you are going to install your lighting – keep out of the reach of children – particularly electrical sockets and lighting on trees. A curious toddler will like nothing more than tipping your Christmas tree over to study the lights! Similarly ensure that other lights are situated out of the way of pathways, swimming pools, and ponds.

6) Select Christmas lighting with low voltage bulbs. Most modern Christmas lights are low voltage which means they won't heat up with continued usage. There have been many fires associated with old fashioned bulbs which have heated up and caught fire to Christmas trees. If you own a set of old fashioned bulbs, now is the time to replace them!

And finally, before you go the effort of hanging your lights, do make sure they work first and take care on any ladders you may have to climb!