Budget Direct urges more safety measures with household heating appliances as winter continues

With winter well under way, households are making use of heating appliances to keep themselves cosy and warm but inefficient use or storage of electric gadgets can pose safety risks as new Budget Direct research reveals.

"The research reveals that majority of Aussies surveyed (73%) use appliances such as heaters, heating systems, electronic blankets and in some cases fireplaces to keep warm during winter."

With these items used frequently in winter or the cooler months, they are often stored away during summer, running the risk of getting damaged before use again, with 47% of those surveyed admitting they don’t replace their electric heating appliances or have them checked before use."

Budget Direct General Manager for Home Claims, Chris Jarrett said it’s important to know the condition of any appliances that have been stored away for months before plugging them into power sockets.

“Having your heating systems professionally serviced or checked to make sure they are clean, working properly and ventilated is just as important as making sure you’ve turned off the heater or stored it away carefully when it is in use,” said Mr Jarrett.

"59% of Aussies surveyed admit they don’t run maintenance checks by a professional for items such as fireplaces or combustion heaters before use in winter, which can lead to living in a home environment that is not safe and at an increased risk of fire."

Further information provided by ACCC’s Product Safety website also warns people to take precautionary measures around electric blankets and urges not to sleep with them on. It also advises avoiding direct contact with your skin when using hot water bottles and encourages using a fitted cover wrap or bottle before use.

The Budget Direct research revealed:

• Smoke alarm safety: Half of Aussies surveyed (51%) never have their smoke alarm checked professionally with 38% who do so once a year and 11% who have it checked more than once a year.
• Fire escape plans: In the event of an emergency 38% of those surveyed admit their households do not have a fire escape plan for their family. According to the Queensland Fire Service, there is only a 15 second window to escape in the event of a house fire.
• Electric Blanket Safety: Almost half of the Aussies surveyed say they don’t own an electric blanket, yet 42% don’t check them prior to use.
• Common heating appliances/systems used: Taking the top spot are heaters/heating systems (49%), followed by fireplaces (10%), hot water bottles (8%), electric blankets (6%) with (27%) that don’t use any.
• Carbon Monoxide Detectors: 40% of Aussies surveyed admit they do not have a carbon monoxide detector in their household.

For peace of mind around safety in the household during winter, find out more about Budget Direct’s Winter Fire Safety Guide at: https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/home-contents-insurance/home-safety/home-hazards/common-fire-hazards-in-the-home.html

Note to Editors

This survey was conducted by Google Survey in July 2019. The sample comprises 1,000 Aussies aged 18 plus and distributed throughout Australia. To include this data in your research or articles, please include a backlink to https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/home-contents-insurance.html