According to the latest government statistics, cooking fires are the main cause of fires within the home, but faulty electrics cause around 4,000 fires each year.

This is why, Electrical Safety First are running Electrical Fire Safety Week from 22 to 28 November to raise awareness of electrical fire risks and simple steps you can take to avoid a devastating fire in your home.

One of the most important ways you can do this is to make sure you have smoke alarms correctly installed at home.

Types of smoke alarm

There are four main types of fire alarm:

• Ionisation: these alarms detect flaming fires before the smoke gets too thick
• Optical: these are better for detecting slow-burning fires and are far less likely to go off accidentally. These are ideal for us in ground-floor hallways and home on one level
• Thermoptek: these alarms are effective for the rapid detection of both slow-burning and fast-flaming fires by monitoring heat and smoke together. These are ideal for any room of the house bar kitchens and bathrooms
• Thermistek: these detect rapid rises in temperature and are ideal for use in the kitchen, where most house fires begin. These can also be used in dusty environments like garages

Smart Alarms: some smart alarm systems can test for both smoke and carbon monoxide. These let you know what’s wrong and can alert your smart phone whether you’re at home or away. Smart alarms can also self-test to make sure your batteries are okay.

Where to put your smoke alarms

The Fire Service recommend that you put at least one smoke detector on each level of your home. It’s also wise to install extra alarms in rooms with large appliances such as televisions and fridge-freezers.
It’s important to fit smoke alarms where you’ll be able to hear them if you’re asleep. Don’t install a smoke alarm in your bathroom as steam may set some alarms off accidentally.

Fit your smoke alarm to your ceiling, as close to the centre of the room/hallway as possible. Keep at least 30cm away from walls and light fittings.

You shouldn’t fit a smoke alarm in kitchens or garages where they could be set off accidentally by steam or smoke. You should instead install a heat detector in the kitchen; this will detect any increase in temperature due to a fire but won’t be set off easily by cooking smoke.

Specialist alarms

There are a wide range of products to help protect all members of your family. Low frequency alarms sound at a lower pitch than regular alarms, meaning they’re more likely to wake younger children, older people and those with hearing difficulties.

You can also get strobe alarms which flash repeatedly to alert your household to the danger and even pads which can be placed under a pillow which vibrate to provide additional warnings. When used in conjunction with regular smoke alarms, you can make sure everyone in your household is safe.

Other safety advice

Every year, half of accidental domestic fires are caused by electricity, with over five fires a day in England being caused by white goods – such as tumble dryers, washing machines and dishwashers -alone.

• Don’t buy your appliances and electrical goods from online marketplaces; in the UK, online marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay and Wish are not bound by the same laws as traditional retailers.
• Always turn your appliances off at the plug when not in use. This significantly reduces the likelihood of a fire occurring.
• Call a qualified electrician if you suspect any of your electrics are faulty. Don’t try and do the work yourself.

If you take out Premium Complete Home Emergency Cover before a problem develops, not only will we help you if you suffer the failure of at least one complete electrical circuit within the home bit we’ll assist you to repair or replace any system after your supply meter which causes your main electrical wiring system to stop working.

We also offer Appliance Cover where you can insure up to ten of your most important kitchen appliances, such as dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer, and oven, against mechanical or electrical breakdowns.

To find out more about our boiler and central heating insurance, plumbing and drainage insurance or other types of home care cover plans, such as Complete Home Emergency plans and home appliances cover, contact our friendly team on 0330 09 48 301. You can even request a call back to discuss your requirements or get a quote online.