How Safe are your home electrics?

Here at Fulcher Edwards, we consider home electrical safety as much our concern as your concern. In fact, the electrical industry as a whole works together to ensure key electrical safety messages are delivered to house holders and business owners alike.

Electricians have the main role in ensuring awareness of electrical safety in the home. We believe that every householder deserves to know what they need to do to make their home electrically safe. Of course some homes have very good electrical wiring and other homes need to be improved. However, even with the best electrical wiring, you are still putting yourself in danger if you are using dangerous electrical appliances. Unfortunately in many of our clients homes across London, we see householders taking electrical risks on a daily basis.

How can I make my home electrically safer?

One of the key messages in our blog post today is to call an electrician if you have any doubts about the safety of your electricity. Any good domestic electrician in London will be very happy to assist. It is better to solve an electrical problem when you first become aware of it then to let it develop into something that will be costly to repair. It is also important to ensure you and your family stay safe from risk of shock and electrocution. We visit clients who have concerns about all kinds of things from gaps behind sockets to lights that trip.

There are also three simple measures that you can take in your home that will ensure that not only is your home up to date electrically, but also you have the peace of mind that you are safe.

• Does your consumer unit have RCD protection? If not, it will be worth your while upgrading.

• Have you had an electrical inspection in your home? If you are a home owner, you should have one carried out at least every 10 years. An electrical inspection is known as an EICR and is rather like a health screen for your home. It can detect potential problems before they become an issue.

• When having electrical work in London carried out, always use a registered electrician. As your local NICEIC electrician in London, we are registered to carry out work to the highest standard and will certify work on completion.

What about my electrical appliances?

This is a very good question. The use of electrical appliances are often taken for granted and unfortunately we see all too many people taking frightening risks with appliances. We have seen electric radios in showers, electric fan heaters plugged into sockets in bathrooms, cables taped together on vacuum cleaners. Scarily, the customers know what they are doing is dangerous but feel that if they're careful they'll be OK. Some of them have been taking risks for so long it has become habit!

It only takes a little common sense to ensure the electrical appliances you use are safe. As a starting point, only use appliances you are happy to use. Second hand appliances or those that you do not own and that haven't been pat tested should not be used at all.

Before using any appliance, always ensure that the plug and cable are free of damage and no bare wires can be seen. Always ensure that appliances are free from dust and other debris and are maintained in accordance with manufacturers instructions. Always ensure that filters from hair dryers, tumble dryers, vacuum cleaners etc. are emptied and cleared regularly.

There is a brilliant App from the Electrical Safety Council that can be downloaded onto a Smart phone or Android which allows you to carry out electrical safety checks in every room in your home. It highlights any potential dangers for each room and provides instructions on how to rectify any non-technical issues. Where more serious electrical issues are found, the App advises to call upon a registered electrician.

We think the App is a great idea and would highly recommend using it for your own home. It is completely free and productive way to improve electrical safety in your home – or just to confirm that everything is as it should be.

Make a change today

By downloading the App here. There really isn't anything to lose. Should you find yourself in need of electrical services in London, always ensure they are registered electricians before proceeding with any electrical work in your home.

Making the most of unused space in your home

According to research carried out at the end of 2011, growing numbers of electrical contractors in London were reporting increasing numbers of enquiries from customers wanting to convert unused areas of their home into useful living spaces.

Areas such as garages, lofts, garden sheds and attics are being used to create spaces such as offices, bedrooms and play areas to not only add value and improve living standards in the home, but also to take into account the increasing numbers of people having flexible working patterns.

House holders and businesses alike are seeing the benefit and cost savings of home working and the uptake of off site office space is falling in favour of home working. Garages and lofts that have traditionally been used to store cars and old household items are now being put to better use as our homes begin to enter the modern age – and new ways of thinking.

Why appoint electrical services in London?

Generally speaking, providing power to your new space is one of the main considerations at the planning stage of your project. The electrical requirements will of course vary according to what your plans are for the space. Here at Fulcher Edwards we strongly recommend that you consult a qualified Part P registered electrical companies in London to discuss what your requirements are before proceeding with decorating and furnishing your new space.

We have seen an instance where heavy machinery was being used with the incorrect cable size in use. The cable was also airborne and simply hung between the house and garage. Is it essential that all cable and wiring is installed by an electrician whether indoors or outdoors. Of course, cable installed outdoors is also open to the elements even when buried underground, so it is important that the job is carried out correctly in order to avoid fire and electrocution.

Here at Fulcher Edwards, our electrical services in London cover everything from project conception to after care. We are more than happy to advice on your electrical needs for your new space and provide electrical installation design advice which will ensure you get the most out of your new space. We carry out all types of electrical installs in both homes and businesses and on completion issue you with an electrical certificate. This is a Part P requirement and the certificate will be needed if you decide to sell your home in the future.

We are also NICEIC registered and one of the main benefits of appointing an NICEIC electrician in London is the re-assurance of knowing that you are in safe hands. We are part of the Domestic Installer Scheme which is the NICEIC's approval for contractors undertaking work within the scope of the Part P Building Regulations.

If you want your new space to last a long time.....

Then our advice is to ensure your project is carried out properly to begin with. One of the best ways of ensuring your materials and space is going to stand the test of time is to find out what type of guarantee is on offer from the trades people carrying out the work. That way should anything fail (and unfortunately faults do occur from time to time) you have the peace of mind that you are covered by a guarantee. All reputable trades people offer a lengthy guarantee on their work so if no guarantee is offered, that would be a cause for concern.

The survey back in 2011 also revealed that customer prefer hard flooring to carpets as hard flooring is likely to last far longer than a carpet and spills and dirt can be managed far more easily.

Finally, don't leave electrical work too late

We have seen many instances where customers have finished off their home improvements complete with new carpet and wall paper to find that they have an electrical problem. Of course, this does not automatically mean that the wall paper needs to come back off, but it has been known.

Our top tip in our article today, is to ask your domestic electrician in London to carry out a test to check the condition of your electrical installation in your home. The test is known as an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report.) It is very well worth having this test done as not only will you have the peace of mind that everything is safe, it will also avoid an expensive mistake being made when your project is complete when discovering that there is a problem that means taking off your new wall paper in order to repair it!

Whatever your plans, whether they are simple or complex, don't forget about your electrics! 

How Fulcher Edwards are staying ahead of the competition!

We are delighted to announce that we passed our SAFEcontractor Accreditation last week and have just received our certificate!

SAFEcontractor truly defines Fulcher Edwards as the ultimate London electrical contractors, and confirms our commitment to the highest standards of Health and Safety.

Of course, following high standards of Health and Safety is imperative. Not just for the purposes of carrying out electrical work in London safely but also for the safety of our clients. We follow the most up to date regulations and we have been assessed as such by SAFEcontractor one of the fastest growing Health and Safety Accreditation schemes in the UK.

Many large organisations as well as smaller organisations use SAFEcontractor status as a way of re-assuring clients that they are using the services of a company who take Health and Safety seriously. Some clients insist on using only SAFE contractor accredited organisations and here at Fulcher Edwards we do not blame them in the slightest.

Surely Health and Safety is taken care of nowadays?

It's a nice thought but unfortunately it is not the case. Construction still remains a high risk industry and accounts for 10% of major reported incidents according to HSE statistics. SAFEcontractor also reveal an alarming headline in their news where a construction firm has been recently fined following a house collapse after a digging a trench. Luckily the tenants were not at home at the time and there were no injuries. However, the company concerned demonstrated a serious lack of Health and Safety awareness whilst carrying out a straight forward task. Beware! What may seem like a reputable company may actually put your life at risk.

What to look for

To help ensure your safety when looking for electrical services in London, look for SAFEcontractor Accreditation. We also suggest that you ask to see the certificate before proceeding with any work, it will look like the one in our photo. SAFEcontractor is well known throughout the electrical industry and currently has over 18,000 contractor members, so if your electrical contractor in London hasn't heard of SAFE contractor, we recommend you walk away. Remember, safety first!

Who are SAFEcontractor?

SAFEContractor is a leading health and safety pre-qualification assessment scheme, who are dedicated to promoting higher standards of competence and compliance through the provision of relevant industry specific and tailored health and safety assessments for all professions and sectors.

The SAFEcontractor scheme is now used by many large organisations as a way of obtaining competent contractors.

Here at Fulcher Edwards, we recommend that you insist on SAFEcontractor if you take Health and Safety as seriously as we do.

Are you a private Landlord in London?

Did you know that it is your responsibility as a private landlord to maintain electrical safety within your rental properties? Did you also know that you can be fined to failing to ensure the electrical safety of tenants within your properties? If you know about these fines, you are in amongst only 1 fifth of landlords who are aware of them. Fines to maintain appropriate electrical safety can reach up to £20,000 as well as invalidating insurance on your property. Research into UK private landlords carried out recently by the Guardian revealed that 300,000 (21%) were unaware of such fines.

This is not all, just last week, a select committee of MPs made a recommendation that Electrical Safety Checks on privately rented properties are made compulsory and are to be carried out every 5 years. This is great news within the electrical industry. Organisations such as the Electrical Safety Council have long campaigned for Electrical Safety Checks to be brought in line with gas safety checks by making them compulsory. It makes perfect sense as electrical accidents kill 1 person every week and contribute to over half of all house fires in the UK. People who rent their homes are more likely to experience a house fire caused by electrical safety failings than people who own their home.

What Needs to be done to protect your tenants and your property

Currently 40% of landlords admit to not knowing what needs to be done when it comes to ensuring their properties are electrically safe with 17% of the UK's estimated 1.7 million private tenants complaining that their landlords have acted too slowly or not at all when problems with the property electrics has been reported to them.

The most effective way of ensuring your property is electrically safe is by having an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) carried out by an approved qualified electrician. Many landlords have an EICR carried out as this is the easiest way to prove that you have kept in proper working order the electrical installation within the property to ensure the safety of your tenants. Here at Fulcher Edwards we inspect the electrical installations in London properties on behalf of private landlords on a regular basis. Our NICEIC electrician in London will carry out 100% testing on your properties where possible.  What we mean by this, is that we will carry out testing in areas we can access.  For example, if there is a big unit in front of a socket, we would not move the unit if it was too heavy, however you can move any furniture beforehand to improve access.  Many electricians only test small areas, but here at Fulcher Edwards we pride ourselves on being thorough and like to give out customers the opportunity of obtaining 100% testing of their electrical installation.  We carry out all testing  when it is convenient to you and your tenants. Once the testing is complete you will be issued with a certificate which is your proof of the condition of your electrical installation within the property. Should any element of the testing fail, we will issue a recommendation sheet along with a no obligation quote which you can compare to other London electrical services.

What else you can do as a landlord

Encourage your tenants to take an active role in their own electrical safety. If they use their own electrical appliances, tell them about the importance of inspecting cords and keeping the appliance in good working order. Also educate tenants on the dangers of overloading extension leads and ensuring the use of correct fuses.

You may also want to consider electrical testing in your London properties by having PAT testing carried out on appliances that you supply. Although not a legal requirement, it is another effective and easy way to ensure your tenants well being. Supplying the original instruction manuals with every electrical appliance and ensuring your tenants knows about them is also a great move.

Encouraging your tenants to report any kind of electrical problem no matter how minor promptly can also save a lot of hassle further down the line.

Conducting visual checks of the property regularly to check for broken or cracked sockets or exposed wires is recommended and can be done by anyone – they don't need to be a qualified electrician. A good way to ensure the visual check happens is to combine it with quarterly home inspections.

If you still need advice

If you are still not sure there are places you can go to which provide up to the minute information. The worst thing you can do as a landlord is ignore your tenants problem. Your local authority will be happy to give you advice on electrical matters and the Electrical Safety Council also has lots of useful advice which you can check out straight away on their dedicated website.

How to Avoid an Electrical Fire

Electrical fires are one of the main reasons fire starts in the home and very often the fire is caused by something that could have been fixed easily by the home owners.

It's not just home holders that need to avoid electrical fire, it is business owners too. The same electrical recommendations apply whether in the home or work place.

There are two main components to electricity – that is the wiring itself in the property and electrical appliances. If either (or both) of these are defective, then the risk of fire is of course far greater.

To keep yourself, family and colleagues safe you need to look out for a few simple indicators that all is not well as well as well as follow a few common sense procedures to avoid electrical fire.

Wiring

If you notice any of the following problems, then consult a qualified electrician at the earliest opportunity. Fulcher Edwards are the main electrical contractors in London who have vast experience in dealing with fire safety and not only do we offer a wide range of electrical services in London, we can also advise on fire safety both in the home and business.

• Hot plugs and sockets
• Lights that flicker
• Scorch marks on sockets, fuse boxes and switches
• Fuses that blow for no obvious reason

Electrical Appliances

Some of these recommendation may seem obvious but it is not uncommon for us to visit properties and business premises and find electric heaters in bathrooms, towels covering electric heaters and multiple adapters in plug sockets. Quite often, the householder is aware of the risk they are taking and because they haven't yet experienced a fire assume that all is safe. It can take some time for a fire to occur, it doesn't have to happen straight away.

• Turn off and unplug all electrical appliances when you are not using them except those that are meant to be permanently switched on (like the fridge or DVD recorder).

• Make sure plugs have the correct fuse for the appliance being used. If in doubt, refer to the manufacturers instructions
• Use only one plug in each socket.
• If you have to use an adapter, use a fused ‘in line’ type. 
• Avoid multi-way adapters and overloading electric sockets by using several adapters as they may overheat.
• Don't run leads or cables under carpets or rugs – you won't be able to see if they become damaged.
• Check for signs of loose wiring and faulty plugs or sockets (such as scorch marks or flickering lights) and have any problems you find fixed by an electrician.
• Replace worn, damaged or taped up leads and cables.
• Find out if your electrical products are on trading standards product recall list, a list of items which have been recalled by the manufacturers. (See related links).
• Always use a proper ironing board and turn off the iron after use. Make sure the iron is left to cool on a heat resistant surface away from curtains, carpets and anything else that may catch fire.
• Always switch off hair straighteners/curling tongs after use and leave to cool on a heat resistant surface away from curtains, carpets and anything else that can catch fire.

Checking regularly for faults with wiring and electrical appliances can help avoid an electrical fire. Electrical fires have caused devastation to homes and businesses across London as well as claimed lives. Taking a few minutes on a daily basis could save your life.

Finding Electrical Services in London

Have you ever been caught out on a Saturday night and need a service urgently? Whether it be a Doctor, plumber, electrician or even a computer repairer, it can suddenly turn into a complete nightmare when you are left high and dry on a night when traditionally everyone should be having fun.  It always feels like a kick in the teeth when you have been a loyal customer to a business and they are not there when you need them the most.

Look around in any local publication and there are no shortage of adverts which on the face of it seem to be the answer to all your 'hair tearing' moments – 24 hour call out, quick service, no job too small and then there are the specialisms that seem to be the perfect answer to your emergency – electrical services,  fire alarm systems, leaking pipe experts, promises to fix problems within an hour....the list goes on – well it all seems good until that emergency occurs....and then often the promises become excuses – that is when you know who you can really rely upon (or not) – and when it is time to search for a business that is more reliable.  At Fulcher Edwards our Fire Alarm customers have a special number they can call at any time for a fast response, meaning our clients have the peace of mind that we are taking care of their needs.  Does your fire alarm service provider offer this service? 

Here at Fulcher Edwards, we offer a full range of electrical services. Whether you are after an NICEIC electrician in London, fire alarm maintenance in London or just an electrician in south east London we are the people to help you. We won't let you down and our team of NICEIC qualified electricians offer a special pre-arranged service for our long standing clients giving you the help when you most need it. Yes we will be there on a rainy Saturday night when you have no power - we're taking care of the needs of our most loyal customers. Never be afraid to call us about your electrical problem, we have been established for over 30 years so we have seen and heard of practically every scenario whether your electrical problem is in the home or in your business. Whether you need a commercial, industrial or domestic electrician in London our team of electricians will be with you when we say we will. There are no false promises here at Fulcher Edwards.

So why else do you need to consider Fulcher Edwards to carry out electrical work in London?

We have built up our business which addresses the needs of our clients.  So rather than us telling you what we feel you need from an electrical contractor in London, we listen to your needs and manage our services around you, our client. It's the small things that matter and sometimes it can be so difficult finding an electrician in south east London to come to you and during those stressful times you don't want to find that you paid far more than what you needed to do for an inferior service. Part of our standard service is not to charge for call outs, nor do we charge for parking and the CC zone. All work is carried out to current British standards and our workmanship is fully guaranteed and insured.

Keep our number handy....

….as you never know when you might need our services. Fulcher Edwards are your local electricians for south east London. However, we do cover most of London and areas within the M25. We are also among the electrical companies in London of choice for many well known businesses such as Eurostar, film sets and property management clients.

We are also well known for dealing with crisis – professional, re-assuring and punctual are some of the words we are very used to hearing when carrying out our electrical services in and around London.

So next time you are in need of electrical services in London you know which electricians you can rely on in both good times and also the very worse times too.

What is a Professional Electrician?

Here at Fulcher Edwards we visit our clients homes and businesses all across London providing quotes and carrying out electrical work. One of the main scenarios we come across with our customers whether they are home owners or business owners is the worry of finding an electrician who is professional. With programmes such as cowboy builders on the television, it comes as no surprise to us that many clients are rightfully concerned about getting a professional electrician to carry out their electrical work but of course don't want to pay more than necessary for the job.

With home owners and business owners often feeling more stressed than usual when it comes to having work carried out on their properties, we have devised a handy check list to help avoid hiring the wrong electrician and to hopefully clear up the uncertainty when finding a professional electrician.

Know what to look for

* Getting in touch - At Fulcher Edwards we understand how frustrating it is to find the right electrician and one of our undermining values within our company is to ensure we return emails and calls when necessary. We always ensure a prompt service but many of our clients tell us that they call electricians asking them to quote a job and never hear back. We believe this is poor service and one of our customer promises is to always return contact and arrange quotation appointments in a professional manner – we won't call you up out of the blue to ask if we can come round to quote a job.

* Turning up for quotes - Excellent service and quality management is very important to us so when you contact us about a quotation we will arrange to see you at a time to suit you. We are very passionate about the work that we do and offering a friendly, reliable, professional and competitive service to each and every job or quotation visit is very important to us. We will not expect you to drop everything to suit us. We have heard of instances where a customer has contacted an electrician and they have expected to come round the same day to provide the quotation. Here at Fulcher Edwards, we arrange a mutually convenient time to come and see you – and essentially we always turn up on time!

* First Impressions - When we come to see you, we listen carefully to your needs and respond in a professional and courteous manner. We don't expect you to understand technical issues, so our quotation visits are very thorough. We wear works uniform and drive company vans so you know exactly who is turning up at your door. If we can save you money or we feel you would benefit more by doing the job differently we will tell you so. We don't simply quote for the job you ask us for, we provide you with options that could save you money. Our knowledge, presentation and professionalism is well known throughout London and many of our clients are long standing and call us up whenever they are in need of an electrician.

* Price - Due to the thorough nature of our quotations, we hope to eliminate the need to exceed the quotation price you are given. When we come to your property we assess what other works may be necessary in order to carry out the job. In some cases, the electrical work required may be necessary in order to meet the current electricity regulations. We will always advice you of the nature of the work and cost. In other cases we may recommend certain electrical work is carried out beforehand to avoid any potential problems in the future. Whatever our recommendations, we always advice our clients to obtain at least 3 quotes before proceeding with any works. This way, it will give you as our customer a good guideline as to the expected costs of the work you would like done. Generally out of 3 quotes, 2 will be roughly the same. The other one may be either more expensive or cheap. In all cases always check what is included in the quote. Remember material quality varies hugely, always ensure you understand what you are getting. Dependant on budget, we find clients either want something making good or want it to last many years. If a quote is very cheap, is it matching your requirements, similarly if a quote seems expensive, do you need such a hi-spec finish?

* Payment - When it comes to payment, we advice not to pay until the job is complete. Some electricians will ask for material money in advance on very large jobs. However, we strongly recommend you don't pay for the actual job until it is complete. Negotiating staged payments is fine if the job is on-going, where you pay for parts of the job as they are completed. Always make sure you know how long the job is expected to take if you opt for staged payments. When making the payment, most electricians are happy to accept payment directly into their bank account. A growing number of electricians are now also able to take payments by card. If you are paying by cash, always make sure you obtain a receipt. You should not feel forced into making payments by a certain method, professional electricians are happy to take payment by a number of methods and indeed many electricians are still happy to take a cheque which you don't see very often any more.

What is something goes wrong?

At no point should you ever feel intimidated or be on the receiving end of angry outbursts. If a problem does occur, we recommend speaking to the electrician at the first opportunity. Often it is a misunderstanding that can be easily rectified. At Fulcher Edwards, customer satisfaction is our number 1 priority, we consider ourselves as fast, efficient and pleasant at all times. We also charge reasonable rates in order that we remain competitive and fair to all our customers at all times.