Planned Electricity Supply Interruption
We fully appreciate that a supply interruption can cause inconvenience and listed below are some helpful tips to help you through this period:
- Switch off electric cookers and fires. Leave one light on to tell you when the power comes back on
- About 12 hours before the supply interruption, set your freezer to maximum and do not open the fridge door or freezer more than is essential to do so. Remember to return to normal when the power comes back on.
- Please keep an eye out on elderly or infirm people living within the property or near bye, making sure they have an alternative means of cooking and try to make sure they have some food or drink even if it’s a flask of hot water.
- If you are elderly or infirm try to ensure that relatives, neighbours or local welfare groups are aware of the supply interruption so that they can make arrangements for your well being. Keep warm by staying in one room or even in bed and remember your central heating boiler will not work. If you use an alternative form of heating make sure you use this safely.
- Remember it will be necessary to adjust your own time switches and clocks, when the power is re-instated.
- If you use a portable generator to provide a temporary supply during this occasion it must be connected by a qualified installer.
- If you are using a computer please back up the work.
- Please inform all monitored alarm stations of the supply interruption and make the necessary changes to the call center monitor.
ROSPA Safety
Many accidents and fatalities involve electricity – it must be treated with respect. According to Government statistics, each year on average 10 people die and about 750 are seriously injured in accidents involving unsafe electrical installations in the home alone.
From 1st January 2005 all electrical work in dwellings in England and Wales need to comply with ‘Part P’ requirements and must be carried out by persons who are competent to do the work. SRG Electrical consultants are fully qualified to do this – we are the professionals you can trust.
Here are some helpful tips.
- Have your wiring installation checked at least once every five years by an approved contractor, or straightaway if you are buying an older property.
- Look for a NAPIT member.
- Do not use appliances with worn or damaged flexes.
- Don’t wire flexes together.
- Keep portable mains-operated appliances out of the bathroom.
- Have electric blankets serviced and checked regularly.
- If an appliance appears faulty stop using it and have it checked at once. Consider having an RCD (Residual Current Device) for whole house protection. (These are especially valuable when power tools are used.) Look for the CE mark, the BEAB mark, BS safety mark or British Standard number when you buy electrical equipment.
- Never overload an electrical socket.
Advice
Always make sure liquids are away from any electrical appliance, cables, sockets and plugs must never get wet.
We generally take for granted how much electrical appliances play a part throughout our homes and life. The average household wastes money every day by leaving appliances on standby such as televisions, videos, stereos, computers and cordless phones. Where possible you can cut down on wasted energy by turning off appliances.
Turn off the lights when you leave a room and adjust your curtains or blinds to let in as much light as possible during the day. When the days are shorter you’ll be relying more on your lights, so why not replace your ordinary lamps for energy saving ones.
Energy efficient lamps last 12 times longer and for each lamp you fit, there will be a real saving on your annual electricity bill (Remember these don’t work with dimmer switches).
Follow instructions and always wire plugs with care. Coloured wires should never protrude out a plug as it leaves exposure for water and debris to get inside, it also leaves the possibility of conductors being pulled loose. If you need to change a fuse, double check that you use a correct replacement. Make sure you throw away any damaged cables and never run an electrical cable under a carpet or mat.
Avoid overloading by making sure not too many appliances are plugged into adaptor sockets as this could lead to overheating, causing the cable or fuse to burn out.
Many fires in the home start at night, so keep your family save with a bedtime safety routine:
Switch off portable heaters and make sure doors are closed to all rooms. Switch off and unplug all electrical appliances not designed to stay on. If a member of the family smokes, before emptying ashtrays make sure the contents are cold. Never smoke in bed, and check there are no cigarettes or pipes are still alight. If there was an emergency, make sure your have your own escape plan.
A correctly installed and working smoke alarms can provide vital early warning, allowing you and your family those valuable extra minutes to vacate the home. Make sure it conforms to BS 5446 and carries the Kitemark and test the smoke alarm monthly.
Ask SRG Electrical to check your wiring, if you see any of the following signs:
- Fuses that blow for no obvious reason
- Hot plugs and sockets
- Flickering Lights
- Brown scorch marks on sockets and plugs
- Smell of burning from appliances
There are few aspects of modern life that do not depend, to some extent, on electricity. Available at the flick of a switch, it is a commodity we use every day for heating, lighting, and to power all those many appliances that make our lives easier and more enjoyable. It only takes a power cut or blown fuse to bring home just how reliant we are upon it.
In the 21st century, electricity has become such a part of our lives that most of us give little thought to how it works. This lack of knowledge is all the more surprising when we consider that, for all its usefulness, electricity can be lethal.
Because of this, electrical installations are subject to strict regulations and safety standards, and those working in the trade are required to demonstrate high levels of competence in order to qualify as electricians and register under government approved schemes such as NAPIT.
At the start of 2005, legislation came into force making it illegal for people to carry out major electrical jobs around the house if they do not possess the appropriate qualifications. Figures show that 10 people die and 750 more are seriously injured each year in the UK as a result of DIY electrical work around the home.
Electricity is a great servant to the modern world, but it can also be a killer. Treat it with respect at all times!
Certainly, before attempting to work on any electrical appliance or installation, it is very important that you possess at least a basic knowledge of the principles of electricity. The consequences could be very serious if you do not!
This section of the website will introduce you to some of the fundamental concepts and terminology involved, and help you to gain an understanding of how electricity works.
