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Why we need to consider employing competent Electricians around our home.

A shock to your savings: 16 million Brits out-of-pocket by an average £750 after fixing dodgy electrical work

A frightening number of British consumers are putting cash before competence by seriously considering hiring an unregistered electrician for dangerous electrical work, to save money.

Electrical Safety First carried out a survey, asking people to choose between hiring a registered electrician and an unregistered electrician to fit new wiring or install a new fuse box in their homes. This type of work can lead to catastrophic consequences if done incorrectly, including lethal electric shock or fire. Almost 1 in 3 (30%) admitted they’d choose an unregistered electrician for a cash saving.

The Charity asked consumers how significant the saving would have to be for them to choose an unregistered professional. More than a third (36%) said they’d be happy with an average saving of £50. More alarmingly, some people would be prepared to risk the electrical safety of their homes for a saving of £5 or less. These are relatively small savings compared to the price of correcting electrical work, with consumers potentially paying out as much as fifteen times the amount they’d initially hoped to save.

Nearly a third of UK adults (31%), the equivalent of 16.4 million people have had to fix poor quality electrical work on at least one or more occasions, with an average repair bill of £750. A staggering £2.4 billion has been spent correcting substandard work across the UK, the Charity estimates.

Electrical Safety First regularly receives queries from the public about how and where to find an electrician to carry out work in their homes. The safety Charity recommends that all electrical work is carried out by a registered electrician who will have the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to avoid the potentially devastating consequences of electrical work.

Martyn Allen, Technical Director at Electrical Safety First said:

“Electrical is amongst the most dangerous work to undertake in the home, and by hiring someone who isn’t up to the job, the results can be catastrophic. Time and time again we hear of people putting themselves in serious danger because they simply don’t understand how lethal electrical work can be, and also because they don’t know how to find someone suitable for the job. People can easily find a registered electrician in their local area by visiting electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/findanelectrician”