We hope everyone is keeping safe and well during this lockdown period. We are still following Government Guidelines and our electricians only carrying out essential electrical works and maintenance mainly in and around the St. Albans area.

We wanted to share some happy news with you as some of our customers were aware that our Operations Manager Claire, (she’s the one you are likely to speak to first when you contact us!) was expecting a baby in April, well we are pleased to let you know that baby girl Darcy has now arrived safely and mother and baby are doing really well.

Of course the Coronavirus has made this a difficult time in terms of Darcy meeting her family for now and the team at Fulcher Edwards but we hope it won’t be long!!!

As we are a family business this time is still uncertain for us, like many small businesses, though we are hopeful that once the lockdown has been lifted we may get some enquiries that will keep us afloat. For now we will remain positive and will be enjoying our new family member even if it is mainly on FaceTime!

We are still monitoring emails and can assist with any emergency call outs you may have so feel free to contact us still via our website, call us on 01923 616985 or drop us an email at info@fulcheredwards.co.uk

Stay safe everyone!

With the Easter holidays well underway, your little monkeys will be spending more time at home than usual. Especially with the unpredictability of the English weather, days out are not always an option! Therefore, now is a good time to check your home is electrically safe for not only your little ones, but also their friends during play dates. During this blog post we will outline a few simple steps to help minimise the risk of electrical accidents.

Keeping Your Child Electrically Safe

1. Make sure you have RCD protection in your house. A modern fuse box will have an RCD built within it. RCDS turn off electricity in the fraction of a second to reduce the risk of death or serious injury.
2. Turn off electrical appliances when not in use. Especially hot items such as irons, hair straighteners and curlers. Not only could these overheat and potentially cause a fire, they could also burn your child if they touch the item.
3. Keep drinks away from electrical items. Also make sure your child is completely dry after a shower or bath before they touch an electrical item.
4. Extension leads and sockets should not be overloaded! This is to avoid a build-up of heat which could potentially cause a fire. Electrical Safety First have a socket calculator which you can use to check your sockets HERE.
5. Don’t leave any electrical cables trailing on the floor, or appliance cords in arms reach of a small child. A young child may be tempted to put the end of the cord in their mouth, or could trip over any untidy cables.
6. If your child has an electrical gadget, make sure they turn it off when not in use. Furthermore, make sure they are using a branded charger to charge the item on a hard surface. Using fake chargers and charging the item on a unsuitable surface e.g. under a pillow, can be a major fire risk.
7. For younger children you can use socket blanking plugs. Modern day sockets are generally not a serious risk, however socket blanking plugs can be used for extra peace of mind.

Its important to educate older children on electrical safety, especially when they are old enough to be left home alone. For younger children its important to take extra measures to keep them safe from electricity. Carry out visual checks on the sockets and cables in your house. If something doesn’t look right or if there is exposed wiring/burn marks present then contact your local, registered electrician.

We hope everyone enjoys their Easter! Please do not hesitate to contact us HERE.

Apparently it was national ‘Love Your Pet’ day on February 20th (who knew!). At Fulcher Edwards Ltd we’re big animal lovers and believe that every day should be ‘love your pet’ day. Therefore what better way to show your love than caring for their safety?

During the working day our pets are often home alone. Therefore it’s important to make sure there are no potential electrical hazards in the house which could cause a fire in your absence.

We recommend you take the following measures to eliminate the risk of harm to your pet:

• Don’t leave any electrical items charging while you’re not in the house.
• Be aware that some pets do like to chew on cables. Therefore it’s a good idea to keep your cables tidy and not trailing on the floor. If your pet chews through the cables insulation it could result in them electrocuting themselves.
• Ensure extension leads and sockets are not overloaded. This is to avoid a build-up of heat which could potentially cause a fire.
• Don’t leave portable heaters or electric fans on while unattended. Both of these items could injure your pet.
• Carry out visual checks on your sockets and cables. If burn marks are present or there is exposed wiring, it is best to call an electrician! Electrical Safety First has this great visual inspection app which you could use around your home.
• Don’t forget to make sure your hair straighteners and curlers are turned off and taken out of the socket. Not only could these burn your pets, but they could also cause a fire.

Many people consider their pet to be their baby. Therefore reflect on the electrical safety measures you would take for young children and relay those onto your pets. Don’t let them suffer for your carelessness!

For any electrical assistance in your home or workplace, speak with your local registered electrician in St Albans, London and Hertfordshire or please do not hesitate to contact us HERE.

Friday 23rd November is Black Friday which means one thing, Christmas shopping galore! Also a cheeky present for yourself possibly? Though if like myself you want to get a good deal but also want to avoid the Black Friday madness in the shops, online shopping is the best way to go. However, what if an electrical item you order online turns out to be counterfeit, faulty, or even possibly deadly?

Research conducted by Electrical Safety First found that nearly 1/3 of people in the UK have become victim to counterfeit scams when doing online shopping, that’s around 18 million people! Furthermore, they also found that 1 in 7 Brits have experienced loss or serious damage from an electrical item which they purchased online.

What should you look out for when buying electrical items online?

We fully support these tips and advice provided by Electrical Safety First:

• If the price seems to good to be true, it probably is! Fake items are likely to be sold at a cheaper price than the high street value.
• Don’t always believe seller and buyer reviews! Some reviews could be fake, especially if the reviewer isn’t verified.
• Be aware of where a supplier is based. Fake products produced overseas are likely to not have undergone safety tests. We always suggest buying from recommended retailers.
• If a seller states their item is ‘real’ or ‘genuine’ there is a good chance it isn’t either of those things. A reputable retailer does not need to sell their products like this.
• Always look out for the padlock symbol when filling in your payment details online. It would be wise not to make payments on websites without this symbol. We also recommend PayPal as a safer way to pay as they provide buyer protection on purchases.

What are the tell tale signs of a fake item?

• A legit electrical item will always have a safety certification on its label. Ensure the item you purchased has the certification on both the packaging AND the product itself.
• If you purchased the item in the UK, double check that the electrical item comes with the three-pin UK plug and charger.
• Is the packaging of a good quality? Check the packaging material is of a good standard and there is no grammatical errors or spelling mistakes.
• A legitimate electrical item should come with all the parts, a manual, or a product registration card.

On arrival of the item it is important to thoroughly inspect both the packaging and the electrical item itself. Taking all the above into consideration, it should be fairly easy to spot a counterfeit product. If you’re still not sure, do not initially use the item and spot check it against the same item bought off the high street.

So it turns out you have bought a fake item, now what?

If you are unfortunate enough to have bought a fake item then we recommend you carry out the following steps:

• Contact the supplier immediately who you bought the item from
• You will have a legal right to a refund. However as mentioned above, it is always recommended that you pay via PayPal or Credit Card for that added protection. If the seller refuses to give you a refund, then go above them and contact the company in which they are selling through e.g. eBay or Amazon.
• Leave accurate feedback to help alert future shoppers.
• Report your faulty item to Trading Standards so that they can take action against the seller.

If you have any stories about counterfeit electrical items we would love to hear from you! Or if a faulty item causes you any electrical problems in London & Hertfordshire then please do contact us HERE.