With electricity bills expected to rise this month, many homeowners have been advised to switch off vampire devices that could be draining energy, and adding unnecessary pennies onto your bill. But it’s not just money we could be saving by switching electrical appliances off when they’re not in use.

Switching off appliances or totally unplugging them can significantly reduce the risk of electrical fires. Using unnecessary electricity can cause overheating, especially if you use an extension chord for multiple appliances, as too many devices plugged in at once can easily overload the circuit. If an appliance has faulty writing that we’re not even aware of, this can also cause sparks and fires, which is why it’s important to make sure our appliances are maintained, especially ones that require more electricity. 

The insurance company Protectivity collaborated with an electrician to uncover which home appliances are most likely to be a fire risk and what you need to keep an eye on in your home. 

Vishal Narbheram, an electrician with 15 years’ experience, noted that electricity is invisible and often silent, which is what makes it so unpredictable and dangerous if not handled correctly. 

But when it comes to maintaining appliances that use a large amount of electricity, this should always be left for the professionals to handle. 

Vishal shared that “ovens and hobs are a major contributor to electrical fires due to loose connections, inadequate cable sizing and poor installation".

The electrician added: “These appliances require a significant amount of electricity to operate, making it crucial to use the correct cable size, which should be determined through proper calculations.” Using the wrong cables risks causing “the cable to overheat and potentially ignite, creating a serious fire hazard".

Ovens and hobs should always be installed and checked over for any maintenance issues by a qualified electrician to ensure it’s “correct” as “cable capacity is essential for safety and efficiency".

“A trained expert will ensure the job is done to current safety regulations, maintain a high standard of workmanship and most importantly, protect you from the risk of a potentially fatal electric shock,” he warned.

If a fire does break out, Vishal advised to “not take any risks” and call the fire brigade immediately.