Dare to DIY? Take extra precautions this bank holiday urges electrical expert

Next Monday (26^th August) is the last bank holiday before Christmas, and in typical British style, the long weekend will see a surge of DIY and home improvements taking place in properties up and down the country. But with DIY comes danger, and leading electrical body, NICEIC, is urging homeowners to leave electrical work to the professionals – or risk serious safety implications.

Each summer, the late August bank holiday is the preferred time for Brits to take on some much-needed home improvements, giving their home a new lease of life before the darker nights of autumn set in. Yet, dabbling in DIY as opposed to calling in a professional, has been shown to come at a cost.

Research by NICEIC revealed that the average DIY blunder cost a whopping £1,165 to fix¹, as botched jobs result in the need to call in a professional. But it’s not just the costly consequences that are cause for concern. There are huge safety implications, with bank holiday’s being the prime time for electrical mishaps which can result in dangerous fires, serious electric shocks, and in worst case scenarios, fatalities.

Each year around 12,500 house fires, 750 serious injuries and 10 deaths are caused by unsafe electrics in the home². According to Electrical Safety First, the leading charity for electrical safety, almost half of all electric shocks described as severe are the result of a DIY error.

Darren Staniforth, Technical Development Manager at NICEIC, said: “Bank holiday weekends are the perfect opportunity to spruce up the home, and whilst a lick of paint here and fixing furniture there is all well and good, meddling in electrical work can result in serious problems for those that are unqualified.

“Unfortunately, this is something that we are seeing increasing amounts of in recent years. We’d seriously discourage homeowners from having a go at seemingly simple electrical work, and instead, have peace of mind by hiring a fully registered electrician, such as those with NICEIC, to ensure any work is completed to a safe and high standard.”

You can search for a registered electrician in your area by visiting www.niceic.com.