Looking after your home’s electrics

When it comes to reasons for taking out home insurance, many of us think about the potential threats such as burglary, poor weather conditions or accidental damage. In reality, though, there are thousands of risks around your home that could result in damage to your property in contents.

One common reason that people make a home insurance claim is damage caused by an electrical fault; a recent survey by Electric Safe revealed that 75% of people with electric problems had not called an electrician to look at the issue.

To help reduce the chances of damage to your property, Coast has put together some top tips for keeping your electrics operating safely and securely:

• Make sure all sockets are firmly attached to the wall and lightbulbs are securely fitted into sockets
• Never leave wiring exposed
• Don’t ignore small faults in the system such as persistently tripping lights – even if you don’t think they’re dangerous, they could escalate into a serious problem such as an electrical fire
• If you move into a new home, always get the electrics tested and ask for an electrical certificate to prove that everything is working safely
• Even if you’ve lived in the same property for a long time, electrics should be professionally tested every 10 years
• Make sure you use a registered electrician for all checks and works being carried out – a list of local tradesmen can be found on the Electric Safe website

To safeguard against electrical faults and other common household risks, make sure your home insurance policy is up to date.

For a home insurance quotation from Coast call Freephone 0800 0234 843 or request a home insurance quotation online.