Living with electricity and gas in your home can be dangerous if the necessary safety precautions and checks are not done. Taking some time to perform a quick safety check through your house, or paying particular attention to the energy safety of a new home before moving in is important for your family and house.

Things to look out for around the house include:

• Old wiring: check for deterioration and exposed wires
• Old/obsolete fuses
• Power points: make sure your power points are not counterfeit by removing the cover plate. If the clock arrow points to 05, if may be counterfeit
• Broken switches and power points

Remember if you find something broken or unsafe don’t attempt to fix it yourself: call a professional.

As well as regular safety checks, your family can stay safe around electricity by following some simple guidelines such as:

• Do not put appliances in water either to wash them or for any other reason unless the instructions/tag specifically allow it
• Wear dry shoes around electrical appliances in the laundry or on concrete floors to reduce the impact of an electric shock if it should happen
• Unwind extension cords before using them to make sure they don’t overheat
• Don’t fly kites, use model airplanes or ladders around overhead wiring
• Don’t leave appliances or cords outside particularly when it’s raining
• Avoid spilling liquids on appliances. If this occurs, unplug the appliance and have a professional check it before using it again
• Switch off the appliance at the power point before unplugging the device
• Teach children not to play around power points or with plugs and appliances