Homeowners and business owners who have decorated their houses and premises with lots of fairy lights this Christmas time should make sure they take the proper precautions to help prevent fires from breaking out.

Going on a PAT testing training course in Peterborough or elsewhere could be a good idea so that you can test your lights before you put them up. Make sure that the plug is in good working condition, that there are no frayed wires and that you replace any bulbs that have blown before you switch them on to help prevent a fire.

A new report from the NICEIC and ELECSA has revealed that while nine out of ten homes in the UK will be decorated this Christmas and four out of five Britons say that they will be going over the top where their lights and decorations are concerned, 49 per cent of homeowners have never had their electrics checked, or don’t know when the last time was.

Tony Cable, senior events engineer for NICEIC and ELECSA, said: “Electrical safety in the home is important at any time of the year, but at Christmas we tend to forget that all the decorative lights we use around the home massively increase the dangers to our family. Just grabbing old lights from the loft and plugging them in isn’t acceptable. Everyone needs to be aware of the dangers and take into account the risks when getting competitive with the neighbours.”

Tips from the organisation include not overloading sockets, checking that lights used outside are safe for external use and not leaving lights on for a prolonged period.