Thankfully most people will never experience a house fire in their lifetime.

However, with a rise in incidents in our homes over the past 12 months. Here are five easy ways to boost your fire safety:

Should that plug go in there?

Extension cables, multi-point sockets, and adapter plugs. All very convenient but do you know their limit?

The general rule to remember is: if your appliance has a heater or a motor, one plug for one socket.

• Too many appliances on standby can push up bills
• Too many appliances plugged into one socket increase the likelihood of appliances overheating and causing an electrical fire, one of the most common fires around the home.

Think you might have too many plugged in? Use the interactive tool below.

Push the button

Most of us use an alarm on our smartphone to wake up each morning, so why not schedule a weekly or monthly alarm to check your smoke alarms are in good working order?

• Bromford check your smoke alarms annually as part of our gas safety checks but it’s a good idea to get into a more regular routine because an early warning really can save lives.

Operate BBQs safely

Remember to;

• Position your BBQ on level ground
• Keep it well away from anything that may catch fire (sheds, fences, trees, tents etc)
• Never leave it on a balcony or indoors
• Never leave it unattended and always follow the safety instructions provided
• It’s a good idea to have a bucket of water or sand nearby in case of an emergency

Check out these additional tips around barbeque safety for peace of mind.

A good cook is a safe cook

Whether it is pets, children, or the television, it’s so easy to get distracted when cooking but this can be a fatal mistake.

• Never leave anything cooking in the oven, hob, or grill if you need to leave the kitchen
• Turn off the heat until you are back in the room
• Never store items on-top of the hob

It’s always a good idea to regularly clean your oven, cooker hood, extractor fan, and grill as a build-up of fat or grease can ignite and cause a fire.

Batteries

Safely storing and charging batteries can reduce the fire risk.

• Keep batteries in a cool, dry place away from flammable materials and direct sunlight
• Always use the charger supplied with the device or recommended by the manufacturer
• To prevent overcharging, use a charger that automatically shuts off or has a timer
• Never leave batteries unattended while charging and do not charge them overnight

Most fire services now offer totally free fire safety visits, where you can receive personalised advice about fire safety and even get additional smoke alarms fitted if you need them. These friendly and informal visits are great if you want to boost the safety of your loved ones and if you struggle knowing where to go to book yours, your neighbourhood coach can always help refer you or signpost you to the right place.

For further useful hints and tips, visit our customer area today.