The forever-increasing cost of living is an issue that is affecting all UK households up and down the country. From the spiking cost of utility bills to the cost of staple foods like bread and pasta increasing, we are indeed in worrying times.
While we understand that all families will be going above and beyond to reduce their overheads, this can, in many cases, be at the cost of fire safety. Remembering to keep on top of your home fire safety and home security has never been so important!
For instance, a recent poll revealed that a large proportion of people had turned to heating their homes with electric fires and naked flames over using central gas heating systems.
Electric Heaters and Fire Safety
Electric heaters are famously a less expensive way to heat a home when compared to the cost of heating a house using a gas central system.
Fire safety officials are predicting a rise in home heater-related fires this winter.
If you are or are thinking of using plug-in heaters, be sure to follow these fire safety tips:
- Ensure your electric heaters are kept a meter away from clothes, curtains and furniture
- Buy heaters brand new from a trustworthy retailer
- Put your heaters on a flat surface
- Do not use your heater to dry your washing
Real Fires and Fire Safety
As well as a rise in electric heaters, we are likely to see more people fire up their real fires and log burners in plea to save on the bills. Again, this can conjure up some real worries when it comes to fire safety. If you are opting to light fires at home, here are a few things to consider:
- Ensure your fire is fully extinguished at night
- Never leave a lit fire unattended
- Do not hang any decorations on the fireplace that could enable a fire to spread
- Ensure your home smoke alarms are tested regularly.
Air Fryers and Fire Safety
You may well have heard of the new craze of cooking everything and anything in an air fryer. Tipped to be one of the best energy-saving tips of the year, the number of air fryers being bought has skyrocketed. If you are one of the many that have turned to sir fryers over gas oven cooking, check out these fire safety tips:
- Do not overload electrical sockets with extension leads and plugs. This could cause an electric fire.
- Turn off the appliance at the socket when you’re not using it.
- Keep the power cords away from hot surfaces.
- Never leave the fryer unattended
- Be sure to read the fire safety manual!
Keep up to date with our blog for the latest fire safety and security updates and advice!
