Domestic appliances cause six house fires a week in Scotland

Six fires occur every single week in Scotland are caused by faulty domestic appliances and leads, an electrical safety charity has warned.
Washing machines were responsible for 30 per cent of house fires caused by appliances.Washing machines were responsible for 30 per cent of house fires caused by appliances.
Washing machines were responsible for 30 per cent of house fires caused by appliances.

A total of 319 electrical fires were caused by faults in Scotland last year, with the most common of these started by washing machines which contributed to almost 30 per cent. Tumble dryers were second, contributing to 16 per cent, followed by dishwashers which were responsible for about one in ten.

The charity found that on average, around 10 of the 16 electrical products bought by Scottish households are not registered. Just 42 per cent of consumers, meanwhile, said they registered the last electrical product they bought. Over 30 per cent say they do not know how they can register an electrical product, with almost half saying they believe manufacturers want consumers to register for marketing reasons.

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Only those who have registered can be notified if their product is found to be faulty, leaving those who haven’t done so at risk.

Wayne Mackay, deputy public affairs manager for Scotland at Electrical Safety First said: “These statistics show that fires caused by faulty electrical appliances are a common occurrence, and we know they can sometimes be fatal. The fact that so few products are being registered by consumers in Scotland after purchasing is worrying and Electrical Safety First is urging people to protect themselves from these risks by always doing so.

"It only takes a few minutes and ensures you’ll be notified if a fault with the product is uncovered, giving you peace of mind knowing you’re keeping yourself and those you live with safe.”

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