Most Britons believe their home is electrically safe but new data says otherwise, warns the IET

New research from a national study by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) reveals a concerning confidence gap in home electrical safety across the UK.

While almost eight in ten adults (79%) say they feel confident about the overall electrical safety of their homes, fewer than a third (30%) have had their household electrics checked by a qualified electrician in over a decade – and one in five (20.1%) didn’t know that checks were required at all. These findings highlight a growing misalignment between how safe homes feel and how safe they actually are.

Electrical fires in the UK continue to rise, with statistics showing there are around 19,300 accidental domestic fires linked to electricity each year, accounting for about 53% of all accidental house fires in England. [electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk] Everyday risks from overloaded sockets to faulty wiring continue to cause thousands of avoidable hazards.

The warning comes as IET and BSI publish the latest amendment to the IET Wiring Regulations (BS 7671:2018+A4:2026), the UK’s national standard for electrical installations.

The amendment reflects the reality of modern electrical life: Increasing adoption of Power over Ethernet to support smart home technologies, growing use of battery storage systems and homes under increasing electrical load. With this changing electrical environment, the IET is urging the public to reassess the safety of their own homes. 

DIY confidence is falling but risky jobs are still being attempted in homes

The research also shows a widening gap in basic electrical literacy, particularly among younger adults, with more than half of 18-24-year-olds (55%) saying that they’ve never changed a lightbulb. Confidence in other simple tasks, such as turning the power off at the fuse box, is also declining across age groups.

Yet, despite this lack in basic know-how, a significant number of people are still attempting higher-risk jobs:

• 27% have taken apart or replaced fittings such as plug sockets or light switches
• 18.7% have carried out more advanced work like installing new lighting
• 6% have attempted rewiring, one of the most dangerous electrical jobs in the home

These are all tasks that should be carried out by a qualified professional, and this low confidence but high-risk behaviour creates avoidable dangers inside the home.

Unsafe everyday habits are silently increasing risk in millions of homes across the UK

The study points to small, routine behaviours that carry far more risk than most people realise:

• 34.6% regularly leave chargers or appliances plugged in overnight, increasing the risk of overheating
• 18.3% daisy‑chain extension leads, a common cause of socket overload
• 10.9% continue using damaged sockets, and 14.6% even tape over frayed or damaged wires, masking serious hazards
• 5.9% admit to ignoring warning signs like burning smells, buzzing or flickering lights

These habits rarely feel dangerous, but they seriously increase the likelihood of electrical faults, shocks or fires. Many households simply don’t recognise the signs that something is wrong.

Mark Coles, Head of Technical Regulations at the IET, said:

“Too many people assume their installations are safe because nothing looks wrong but electrical faults rarely give clear warning signs. The IET’s research shows a worrying gap between confidence and reality, with most homes going five, ten or even more years without a professional inspection.

"At the same time, people are unknowingly taking risks with everyday habits and DIY tasks that should be left to a qualified electrician. The latest version of the IET Wiring Regulations reflects the way modern homes are changing but standards alone aren’t enough. We need people to be more switched on to the risks inside their own homes, because small issues can escalate quickly if they go unchecked.”

Luke Osborne, Technical Director of Electrical Safety First, added:

“Electricity causes more than half of accidental domestic fires across England, yet many people remain unaware of the risks in their own homes. With the wiring in our homes not visible to the naked eye it's easy to assume everything is in working order, but faults and wear and tear can go undetected if you don't check on your home's health.

"This research highlights how the confidence we have in the safety of our home might be misplaced.  From items like phone chargers to the wiring behind our walls, small, often overlooked issues can have serious consequences, making it vital that people take electrical safety seriously and seek help from a competent, registered electrician where needed.”

The IET is urging the public to get their home electrics checked by a competent electrician, particularly if it has been over ten years since the last inspection, and to be aware of unsafe habits or warning signs that could put households at risk.

Visit theiet.org/SwitchedOn to learn more.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• Full dataset available upon request
• Interview opportunities with IET spokespersons available

About the IET

• We inspire, inform and influence the global engineering community to engineer a better world.
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Media enquiries to:

Sarah Jenkins
External Communications & PR Lead
E: SarahJenkins@theiet.org