Adding lights to the house can get us into the festive spirit. Sparkly flashing reindeers, twinkling icicle lights, gleaming snowmen, and all the traditional festive decorations add to the magic of the holiday season.

However, putting up decorative lights requires more attention to detail than just choosing colours and making it look festive. While the sparkling lights look pretty and brighten up the streets during dark winter nights, consumers need to ensure both indoor and outdoor festive lights are installed safely.

When installing lights you need to think about potential obstructions, equipment condition, overloaded sockets, weather conditions, weatherproof sockets, and damaged lights. Not considering these things can pose a significant danger to consumers and risk of causing a fire.

NAPIT have put together Festive Electrical Safety Top Tips which advises consumers on keeping safe when decorating with both indoor and outdoor lights this holiday season. It’s easy to get excited and ahead of ourselves when decorating but it’s essential that electrical safety is prioritised.

Festive Electrical Safety Top Tips for Indoor Decorative Lights

1. Ensure you purchase your lights from a reputable manufacturer or retailer.
2. If you need to use access equipment, ensure you have the right equipment. Check all equipment to be used is in a good working condition, with no damage.  
3. Consider using LED lights as they are safer and cheaper to run.
4. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Before installing lights, especially for existing decorative lighting, check the condition of the lights, checking for damage and check they work correctly.
6. Avoid overloading socket-outlets or extension leads, with too many decorative lights or electrical devices. As this may lead to overloads, which could cause a fire. 
7. Ensure that wires/cables are not trapped or caught in doors, windows, or under heavy furniture, which could damage the insulation.
8. Turn off all indoor decorative lights before leaving home or going to sleep.

Festive Electrical Safety Top Tips for Outdoor Decorative lights

1. Create a plan on how you are going to install the lights, check possible routes for the lights, potential obstructions, and fixing methods.
2. If you need to use access equipment, ensure you have the right equipment. Check all equipment to be used is in a good working condition, with no damage.  
3. Check the weather conditions, bad weather such as wind and rain could affect surface, especially using access equipment, such as ladders.
4. If you are installing lights on guttering for example, use cable mounting solutions, such as plastic clips and ties to secure your lights and cable along surfaces. As this will prevent wires from sagging or becoming damaged.
5. Use LED weather-Resistant lights as they are safer, designer to be installed outside and cheaper to run.
6. Use weatherproof sockets, that are designed for outdoor use, these sockets provide protection against moisture and ensure safe power connections for your outdoor decorative light decorations.
7. Before installing lights, especially for existing decorative lighting, check the condition of the lights, checking for damage and check they work correctly.
8. Turn off all outdoor decorative lights before leaving home or going to sleep.

If you plan to purchase e-bikes and e-scooters as a gift during the holidays, make sure you avoid rogue online sellers, only buy safe products from reputable sellers, only replace items with products recommended by the manufacturer, and finally, seek professional help when converting or repairing e-bikes and e-scooters.

Purchasing unsafe products online can pose a significant danger to consumers and risk of causing a fire, read our NAPIT blog here that raises awareness around the safe purchasing, use and charging of e-bikes and e-scooters.