Electrical Safety in the Net Zero home

It’s an electric world and becoming more so. Yet electrical safety often has little recognition in proposed strategies for our low carbon future home. Now a new report offers a 360 degree approach to the issue. Lesley Rudd, Chief Executive of campaigning charity, Electrical Safety First, explains.

Transitioning to net zero is of critical importance. But we need to ensure it is not at the cost of consumer safety. Our move to a low carbon future will bring fundamental changes to our homes and how we live. And the various low carbon and evolving technologies used in a ‘green’ home will create a complex web of interconnected challenges and risks – and opportunities for the electrotechnical industry. 

We recently launched a major report: Future Homes – Electrical Safety in the Net Zero Home. It reviews some of the key technologies of the home of the future, the risks associated with this important transition and recommendations to mitigate them. The report’s holistic approach involves a review of four primary areas: housing infrastructure, electric vehicles, product safety, and growing the installer base. We believe that addressing these key areas now, will help ensure the future home is not only low carbon and smart, but also safer.

To gain feedback on the report – essential for developing further research and informing future campaigns – we have established a series of roundtables on its themes. The first event, on housing infrastructure, took place recently, with representatives from housing associations, consumer protection organisations, fire and rescue services, and relevant professional bodies. Discussions focused on the report’s recommendations on improving data gathering for effective policy planning and the need for interventions and safeguards, such as mandatory electrical checks and support for vulnerable consumers. 

Of particular interest to ECA members will be our roundtable on growing the installer base, which will take place next March. The UK’s green agenda and the future home will provide a range of opportunities for the electrotechnical industry. However, these expanded options arise amid a significant skills shortage. In fact, it’s estimated an additional 12,500–15,000 skilled electricians will be required by 2024, to meet anticipated demand. Given the electrification of heat and transport, combined with the ongoing development of smart technology, this figure seems a conservative estimate. Increasing the numbers of properly trained, certified firms and installers, in traditional and low carbon technologies now, will be critical in reaching net zero safely.  

We were proud to be involved with updating the Electrotechnical Assessment Specification (EAS). This now includes more stringent requirements for those entering the industry, a more robust method of assessing competence, and the need for recognised continual professional development (CPD). The Charity is also campaigning for Government to introduce a clear and consistent policy framework, to provide industry with long-term certainty of demand and encourage investment in training. We believe grants and/or tax incentives to encourage individuals to upskill and enter the low carbon market, must also be considered. 

As the market grows, we want to see minimum installation safety standards introduced across the whole industry, with parity across all housing tenures. Problems finding suitably skilled contractors could result in consumers using incompetent or unqualified installers. Alternatively, some will be tempted to DIY – which could be potentially dangerous and breach regulatory guidelines. 

Under current Government policy, consumers will have to make voluntary choices for net zero to be achieved. Consequently, public engagement, incentives, and education, will be vital. We plan to be part of that conversation. Because, in the future home, our mission - to ensure that everyone in the UK can use electricity safely – is more important than ever.

Click here to find out more about Electrical Safety’s Future Homes report, or visit:

https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/what-we-do/our-policies/westminster/future-homes/