It may be the weekend and some of us will be enjoying some downtime but electricity doesn't know its Saturday or Sunday and continues to power our lives which means electrical safety is a 24/7/365 concern and something we all must be aware of to make sure we keep safe as best as we can.

Electrical safety especially in private rented homes has improved greatly over the last few years due to a change in electrical and fire safety regulations meaning mandatory electrical wiring testing and increased fire detectors has improved the safety for the tenants.

Improving electrical safety in homes and businesses continues to be at the top of the agenda for our electrical trade organisation in Scotland SELECT and their hard work so far should be congratulated and their efforts for continual improvement supported.

Last year I wrote a small article on electrical safety and efficiency in homes which was published in the popular Love Local magazine which covers Stirling and Clackmannanshire areas.

The article can be read below and if you have any questions about how you can improve electrical safety and efficiency in your premises please ask by commenting on this post or contact me via our website. 

Another good source for safety advice within your home can be found at the Electrical Safety First website.

In this day and age of smart phone and tablet computers the demand to provide WIFI in accommodation places is increasing, in fact many people place available WIFI near the top of their list for choosing where to stay.

Another small touch Hotels, B&B's and Guest Houses can add to their list of amenities is USB socket outlets in rooms. 

Socket outlets in rooms are usually limited and in some cases have no available outlets after kettles, alarm clocks and table lamps are plugged in meaning it can be inconvenient to charge phones and tablets - so why not easily and cheaply swap over one wall socket to one that contains both power and USB outlets.

Contact us for more information if you wish to take advantage of this simple but effective idea that will be sure to get you a good guest review on tripadvisor.

This recent survey has found that we are all getting there with using energy saving lamps which was mostly helped by the ban on the sale of certain incandescent lamps (traditional 100 watt lamps) a few years back hence that large uptake of compact fluorescent light bulbs which the survey found.

Understandably the survey also found that presently the uptake of LED lamps is less but my bet is that will change within the next 12-24 months.

We have been a large user of LED lights and lamps when it comes to underunit kitchen lights and especially garden lights but over the past 18 months we have seen a large increase in us changing the traditional energy hungry 50 watt downlight lamps in houses with LED lamps. It's not only inside the house we have recently seem big advances as we are now installing LED floodlights instead of 500 watt halogen floodlights which are still a common site lighting up rear gardens. 

The reason for this is the light brightness and colour output has improved greatly as well as a reduction in the price of these lamps - we currently install branded and reliable LED lamps for around £6.00. Yes, around £5 more than those power hungry halogen lamps but In real terms that is a 5 watt LED lamp instead of a 50 watt halogen lamp for the same light output and in our opinion a no brainer as we all look to improve the energy efficiency of our homes in the face of rising energy costs.

If you look back at some of our blog posts you will see samples of our LED lights and lamps work.

Every working day we carry out different types of electrical testing whether that be testing wiring and accessories, smoke detectors, fire alarms, appliances or emergency lights. These are important services we provide to allow clients to not only meet mandatory Health and Safety obligations but it also helps ensure the safety of employees and the general public. 

This was highlighted on Wednesday when we were awarded a contract to inspect and test smoke alarms, emergency lighting and fixed wiring in 500 properties for a major Central Scotland housing association. 

Worried about rising electricity bills as the nights get colder and darker - contact  us to discuss energy efficient lights and other solutions.

This week we started 1st fix wiring within a new extension in Stirling. Wiring for lights, sockets, kitchen appliances and audio/visual equipment will be installed over the next week before we come to the exciting part of installing the final equipment.

If you are planning improvements to your home then we can help with sourcing builders, architects and associated tradesmen. 

It's pleasing to read of the introduction of a new law within the Scottish Building Regulations that will make installing Carbon Monoxide Alarms mandatory from October. 

For many years now we have been installing Carbon Monoxide Alarms where required when installing Smoke Alarm systems and the introduction of this law is well overdue but now warmly welcomed. 

Installing Carbon Monoxide Alarms either at initial install or as a retro-fit to an existing installation is a pretty simple job where both battery operated or mains voltage alarms can be used. We would always recommend mains voltage with battery back up just for that added security of knowing the battery will not be depleted. 

Many people will think that as these alarms are associated with gas appliances then they should have a Plumber/Gas Engineer install them - that is not the case as obviously battery operated alarms if installed properly at the correct locations within rooms can easily be done by homeowners/landlords - lets hope some businesses don't see this is a money making exercise and rip off the public by taking advantage of this crucial addition to the Scottish Building Regulations. 

We issue both certificates and reports on completion of electrical installation work and after a routine test on an existing electrical installation.

But what are the differences - the below article will explain what type of report you will receive and when. 
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Certificates and reports issued in connection with an electrical installation serve completely different purposes and it is important that the appropriate type of documentation is issued after completion of electrical installation work or periodic inspection and testing. 

As its title suggests, an Electrical Installation Certificate certifies that new electrical installation work complies with the current edition of BS 7671; it is not suitable for reporting on the condition of an existing installation and should not be used for that purpose. 

Similarly, an Electrical Installation Condition Report is not suitable for the initial certification of a new installation, or of new work associated with an alteration or addition to an existing installation, and so should not be used for that purpose. 

On completion of the initial verification of an electrical installation, or of an alteration or addition to an installation, an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) or Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC) should be issued (Regulation 631.1 of BS 7671 refers). 

The certificate issued should be based upon the model form given in Appendix 6 of BS 7671 and should include a record of the inspection activities performed and the results of the testing carried out as part of the verification process. 

Importantly, an EIC or MEIWC must not be issued until any defects or omissions revealed during the verification of the installation work covered by the certificate have been remedied (Regulation 632.4 of BS 7671 refers). 

Such certification includes a declaration that the installation work has been designed, constructed and inspected and tested in accordance with the requirements of BS 7671. In short, it is a declaration that the installation is safe to be taken into service. 

On completion of the periodic inspection and testing of an electrical installation, an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) should be issued (Regulation 634.1 of BS 7671 refers). The report should be based upon the model form given in Appendix 6 of BS 7671 and should include a record of the inspection activities performed and the results of the testing carried out as part of the periodic inspection process. 

The report details the outcome of an assessment of the in-service condition of an electrical installation against the requirements of the issue of BS 7671 current at the time of the inspection, irrespective of the age of the installation or to which edition of the Wiring Regulations it was designed. Details of any damage, defects, deterioration, non-compliances or dangerous conditions should be recorded on the report (Regulation 634.2 of BS 7671 refers). 

The report contains a summary of the overall condition of the installation in terms of whether it remains satisfactory, or is unsatisfactory, for continued use. The report also provides feedback to the person who ordered the report in terms of the severity of the defects and departures observed and the urgency with which they should be addressed.

A new study by the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) finds landlords are exposing themselves to significant financial risks, from fines and invalidated insurance, through not acting on their electrical safety obligations. Ignoring their responsibilities means landlords are also putting millions of UK private tenants at risk of serious accident or fire.

The study has found that 2 million private tenants have expressed concern about the electrical safety of their home. 

Each year in the UK, 70 people are killed by an electrical accident in the home and 350,000 sustain a serious injury from an electric shock. Government data also shows that Scottish homes are at greater risk from electrical fires than the rest of Great Britain.

By law, landlords must ensure electrical installations and wiring are maintained in a safe condition throughout the tenancy. The ESC recommends landlords should have electrical appliances and installations checked at least every five years by a registered electrician, along with carrying out regular visual checks themselves.

A spokesperson from the Association of British Insurers said: “Whilst the specifics of each insurance policy will vary, all insurers will expect landlords to comply with any current laws or regulations in regard to electrical safety - failure to do so may result in voidance of their policy. Electrical work is expected to be carried out by a qualified professional.

For more information on the ECS Study - click here.

For more information for Landlords on Electrical Safety - click here

Stirling Electrical Services are here to help - find out more about our services to Landlord and Letting Agents.