Faulty Electrics in Rented Accommodation

There are approximately 70 deaths and 350,000 injuries in UK homes caused by faulty electrics and electrical equipment every year and if you live in a rented property, statistics show that you are at a higher risk of electric shock.

While it's clear that gas safety is a landlords responsibility, there seems to be a blurred line when it comes to who is responsible for electrical safety in rented accommodation. While tenants are responsible for the electrical appliances that they own, did you know that by law your landlord must ensure that electrical installations and wiring are maintained throughout your tenancy?

Whether you are moving in to new rented accommodation or learning about this for the first time, you can ask your landlord for an Electrical Installation Condition Report (which confirms that all electrical installations have been assessed and are safe to use). It is recommended by Electrical Safety First that this inspection takes places every five years OR when tenants change. They must also have certification confirming that any recent electrical work meets the UK national standards BS 7671.

If you have a problem and your landlord is not cooperating you must contact your local authority who will help. It is a landlord's legal obligation to ensure that their tenants are safe.

Most importantly - do not attempt electrical repairs yourself. Please contact your landlord who should arrange a visit from your local electrician.

(Information and statistics: Electrical Safety First).

Spring Cleaning Checklist

Easter is not far away, which means spring cleaning and home renovations are on many peoples to do lists. To help you plan the big clean, we've come up with our  very own to-do list to help you kick things off.

Dusting: Make sure that aside from the obvious areas, you dust around skirting boards, light fixtures and lamps, ceiling fans, in between blind slats, bannisters, picture frames, air vents and ceiling corners.

Vacuum: Carpets, rugs, upholstery, curtains, pet beds and behind large items of furniture.

Boiler: If it's been a year (or more) since your last boiler service, schedule one now.

Guttering: Clear all guttering, check for blockages and leaks.

Wash: Doors, windows, walls, blinds, light shades, curtains, carpet, air vents, fridge, cupboards, banisters, ovens and microwaves.

Descale: Kettle, sink, taps and shower heads.

Polish: Furniture, glassware, silverware, picture frames, flooring and mirrors.

Touch up: Clean scuffs on walls and touch up paint, remove damp and mould, repair damaged upholstery,

Furniture: Condition leather, deep clean fabric upholstery (including foot stools and pet beds), wash all cushions and blankets.

Replace: Broken light bulbs, batteries in smoke detectors, batteries in carbon monoxide detectors and extractor fan filters.

Clear out: Sell unwanted items online or donate to charity, recycle broken electrical items, check garage and loft space for unwanted items.

We may not have covered everything, but we think this is enough to get you going!

Images by Sanja Gjenero

How to Keep the Warmth in

The cold weather isn't backing down, so here are some of our quick and affordable tips on how to keep the warmth in your home this weekend.

If you have an unused chimney it is worth getting a chimney balloon. At around £20, these balloons will inflate and stop a large amount of heat being lost - just remember to remove the balloon before you use your fire again!

Draft excluders are a simple and inexpensive way to keep your home warm. Look for key areas that might be letting cold air in - such as front and garden doors.  You can use ones that are long cushions or brush excluders that are attached to the bottom of your door.

Place heat reflective tin foil behind your radiators (especially those attached to external walls) to reduce heat loss and reflect it back in to the room. You can get the heat reflective foil for as little as £10, but standard tin foil can be used too (just not as effective).

Move your furniture! If you have large items of furniture blocking your radiators then you need to move them - they can absorb the heat. You can also place shelving above your radiator to stop the heat from rising.

If you are still finding that your home is cold then you may need to have your heating and your boiler serviced. If you would like to find out more then please get in touch.

Image: Andrew Beierle

Cold Homes Week 2015

The UK has some of the most energy inefficient homes in Europe. Heat escaping from windows, doors and walls, leads to higher energy bills, unheated homes, ill health and even death - that's why we're supporting Cold Homes Week 2015. 

Created by the Energy Bill Revolution, Cold Homes Week aims to raise awareness about the struggle millions face every winter to keep their families and homes warm. 25,000 people die every year in the winter months and a third of the deaths are due to living in cold homes - that's four times more than the number of people who die every year on British roads*, but it doesn't have to be that way.

You can support the campaign by visiting the Cold Homes Week website and seeing if your local MP is in support of fairer fuel prices and warmer homes. There is still time to show your support, so don't delay and message your MP today!

*Energy Bill Revolution

Which? Energy Customer Satisfaction Survey 2015

It’s that time of year again! Which? have released the results of their annual energy customer satisfaction survey 2015, and just like last year, the UK’s big suppliers have found themselves at the bottom of the pile.

The smaller energy firms are yet again rocking at the top of the table, with Ecotricity at the top. Ecotricity, Good Energy, Ebico, Ovo Energy, Utility Warehouse and Flow Energy are the top six energy firms in the survey, showing that the smaller providers aren't backing down.

All six providers scored over 70% in the survey:

• 84% Ecotricity
• 82% Good Energy  
• 81% Ebico  
• 80% Ovo Energy  
• 76% Utility Warehouse
• 73% Flow Energy

Npower came in at the bottom of the table at only 35% with Scottish Power, EDF, British Gas, Spark Energy, Eon and SSE closely following at the bottom of the table.

You can see the full results here, and if you are thinking of changing suppliers visit Which? Switch and start saving money.

Image: Billy Alexander

Dealing with Frozen Pipes

The UK weather has been somewhat unpredictable in recent weeks with glorious sun turning in to freak snow falls in the blink of an eye. Aside from worrying about whether or not you should put on your snow boots, you need to make sure your home can handle the shock changes in the weather.

One thing that can truly suffer from the extreme cold weather is pipes. When water freezes in pipes it creates immense pressure and can cause them to rupture and spill a huge amount of water potentially causing great damage to your home.

The main places that your pipes are most at risk are in an unheated space, on an outside wall or connected to an outside sink, so what can you do to prevent or treat frozen pipes?

If your pipes are frozen but not burst there are a few things you can do to avoid them bursting. If you think that you have a frozen pipe then you must treat it straight away.

If your pipe has burst then turn off your water supply immediately.

• Turn on the tap that is connected to the frozen pipe.
• Follow the pipe to identify the frozen section. Sometimes the pipe will have ice on it or could be bulky, but sometimes the pipe may be concealed within a wall.
• If the frozen pipe is behind a wall turn up the heating and wait for it to take effect. If it doesn't work then you may want to speak to a professional for further advice.
• If the frozen pipe is exposed it's important to remember that when applying heat to the pipe make sure you open the faucet and work from the tap end towards the frozen area so that the water can slowly melt from the tap.
• Use a hairdryer first to melt the frozen water - if this doesn't work you can use heat lamps or portable heaters.
• If none of the above suggestions work then contact a professional for further advice.

Once you have dealt with your frozen pipe you need to make sure that it doesn't happen again:

• Insulate your pipes! If you have pipes that run through unheated areas makes sure they are protected from the freezing weather.
• Place a heater (if the pipe is in the house) in the space where the problem pipe is located.
• Wrap the pipe in electrical heat tape.

The most important things to remember are:

• If the pipe is swollen or burst turn off the water main source.
• If the pipe is behind a concealed wall and not defrosting contact a professional.
• Always defrost from the tap end of the frozen section first.

Images source

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2015...we hope that it will be an exciting and prosperous year for you all!

Have you made any resolutions? If you haven't then we have a perfect one for you - arrange a boiler service for your home. You may not think it's not a very exciting resolution to make, but it's quick and easy to arrange and will ensure that you, your family or your tenants are gas safe for the next 12 months.

We are open today, so pick up the phone and call 020 8682 2244 to arrange your boiler service.