Each year 'electrical fires' account for a significant proportion of all unintentional fires in the home. The source of ignition in the majority of these fires are 'electrical appliances' and the cause is often misuse.

Most of us will have extension leads in our homes and may use 4-way 'bar' type adaptors to increase the number of electrical appliances that can be powered from one wall socket.

Recognising the risk of overheating and fire that the inappropriate use of such adaptors can pose, the Electrical Safety Council has recently produced an interactive 'socket overload calculator'. The calculator can be accessed via the following link:

Socket Overload Calculator

Why not click the link above and try 'plugging-in' some typical household appliances to see the effect on the load and learn how to avoid overloading your sockets.

For more information about the Electrical Safety Council and to see their tips on staying safe in the home, please visit their website:

Electrical Safety Council

The Joint Arson Group (JAG) has launched a new Wales Arson Reduction Strategy, with the full support of the Fire and Rescue Services across Wales. You can read the new Strategy and find out more about the JAG here.