Charanjit Mannu, an electrical expert and director at Elec Training, has issued a stark warning about the dangers of plugging certain household appliances into extension leads. He revealed that many house fires are sparked each year due to people overloading extension leads with high-powered appliances.
“The statistics are alarming, we attend numerous callouts where extension leads have caused fires simply because people don’t understand which appliances are too powerful for them,” he said.
Mr Mannu highlighted kettles, heaters and toasters as the top culprits that should always be plugged directly into wall sockets. “These three items draw massive amounts of current – far more than most extension leads can safely handle. A typical kettle uses around 3000 watts, electric heaters can use 3000 watts or more, and toasters typically use 800-1500 watts,” he explained.
The Wolverhampton-based expert further warned that these high-powered devices can cause extension leads to overheat rapidly.
“When extension leads overheat, the plastic casing can melt and ignite surrounding materials. Many people make things worse by coiling extension leads while in use, which concentrates the heat in one area,” Mr Mannu cautioned. He added that the risks increase substantially when multiple high-powered appliances run simultaneously on the same extension.
“I’ve seen cases where people had a kettle, microwave and toaster all plugged into a single extension lead in their kitchen. This creates an extreme fire hazard as the combined wattage far exceeds what any domestic extension lead can handle safely.”
Beware of cheap leads
Mr Mannu also highlighted the perils of inexpensive, unbranded extension leads. “Always check that any extension lead you buy has proper safety markings and fuses. The cheap unmarked ones from online marketplaces often lack basic safety features and can be extremely dangerous,” he said.
According to data from the London Fire Brigade, one of the most frequent causes of electrical fires is overloaded sockets. They recommend always using fused ‘inline’ type extensions rather than cube-type adaptors.
The fire service also advises fully unwinding drum extension leads when in use as coiled cables can overheat rapidly and ignite fires.
“Many people don’t realise that the type of extension lead matters enormously. Those cube-type multi-adaptors are particularly risky as they have no overload protection,” Mr Mannu said.
‘For temporary use only’
He also emphasised that extension leads should only be used as a temporary measure: “If you find yourself regularly using extension leads, that’s a sign you need more sockets installed by a qualified electrician. This is always safer than relying on extension leads long-term.”
The director of Elec Training urged people to regularly inspect their extension leads for any signs of damage or wear. “Frayed cables, burn marks, or loose connections are all warning signs. Never try fixing damaged extension leads with electrical tape – always replace them immediately,” he cautioned.
His advice comes in the wake of reports from fire services across the UK, which have seen an increase in electrical fires caused by overloaded and misused extension leads during the colder months when more heating appliances are in use, according to Mr Mannu.