FIREFIGHTERS in Warwickshire are urging residents to register household appliances such as washing machines to ensure they can be located if a safety repair is ever needed.
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service (WFRS) is reminding residents that faulty white goods and household appliances can cause potentially fatal electrical fires during Register My Appliance Week, part of the Fire Kills Campaign.
Nearly 60 leading brands can be found on the registration portal, developed by the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances (AMDEA), with most makes welcoming details of products up to 12 years old.
In some cases, registered appliances can also lead to improved warranties and save people money. Recent government research by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy found that 23 per cent of people surveyed for a study on consumer behaviours were unlikely or very unlikely to register their domestic appliances used in common tasks such as cooking, refrigerating food, washing or drying laundry, dishwashing and vacuuming.
In addition, an AMDEA survey of 2,000 appliance users nationwide revealed 83 per cent of respondents did not know or did not think they could register an older appliance in use in their homes, that they had not purchased themselves. This included equipment they found in their homes when they moved in, bought second-hand, or inherited from family or friends.
Kieran Amos, Chief Fire Officer for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “It’s rarely too late to register these sorts of household appliances – even older ones.
“Registering is a simple, free way to stay informed and protect your household from a dangerous situation. Perhaps more importantly, those who register will also be helping us save lives, by ensuring any failures or risks are identified, understood and shared widely.”
Visit www.registermyappliance.org.uk for more information.
