Getting Your Home Winter-Ready: Electrical Safety Tips for Shrewsbury Households

Before you crank up the heating and hibernate with a mug of hot chocolate, it’s worth giving your home’s electrics a quick once-over.

A few simple checks now can save you chilly evenings, unexpected breakdowns, and repair bills that feel decidedly un-festive.

Here are the key electrical areas Shrewsbury homeowners should look at before the cold weather sets in.

1. Give Your Fuse Board (Consumer Unit) a Quick Health Check

Your consumer unit is the unsung hero of your home’s electrical safety - it works quietly in the background, keeping everything running smoothly. Before winter arrives:

• Check that circuits are clearly labelled - If you ever need to isolate something in a hurry, clear labels make life far easier.
• Look for signs of age or overheating - Scorch marks, loose covers, or buzzing noises? Time to call an electrician.
• Make sure you have RCD protection - Most modern 18th Edition boards include RCBOs for every circuit plus surge protection. If yours still resembles something from the turn of the century, an upgrade could be one of the best safety investments you make.

A healthy consumer unit goes a long way in keeping you safe when heaters, lights, and appliances start working overtime.

2. Check Outdoor Sockets and Garden Electrics

Winter doesn’t just affect the inside of your home. Outdoor electrics take the brunt of damp weather, icy mornings, and the occasional enthusiastic dog.

Key things to look at:

• Weatherproof covers - Do they close properly? Cracked or loose lids let moisture in.
• Condition of the socket - Any green corrosion or brittle plastic is a red flag.
• RCD protection - Outside circuits must be protected to keep you safe.
• Garden lighting - Before you depend on path lights or security lighting, check they're working and not full of rainwater.

If you’re planning outdoor Christmas lights, make sure they’re suitable for external use. (And no, plugging four extension leads together to reach the shed is not an approved method

3. Heating Controls: Make Sure You’re in Charge, Not the Thermostat

Whether you rely on an electric boiler, panel heaters, heat pumps, or good old-fashioned radiators, winter is when heating controls earn their keep.

Before temperatures drop:

• Test your programmer or smart thermostat to ensure schedules are working as expected.
• Check room stats aren’t blocked by furniture, curtains, or that decorative vase you’ve been meaning to move for six months.
• Make sure electric heaters are in good working order - no frayed flexes, no loose switches, and no “it only works if you wiggle it” moments.
• Verify boilers and heat pumps have power via their fused spur - loose or failing connections can cause intermittent heating issues.

A quick test run now is far better than realising your heating doesn’t work on the first freezing night of December.

4. Winter Lighting: See Clearly, Stay Safe

With Shrewsbury sunsets arriving earlier every day, lighting becomes more important - both indoors and out.

• Indoor Lighting - Replace tired old halogens with energy-efficient LED bulbs.
• Check any flickering lights or warm dimmers which may signal deeper issues - If you're considering upgrades like LED downlights, winter is the perfect time.
• Outdoor Lighting - Test security lights for proper sensor range and brightness.
• Look for cracked fittings or cables exposed to the elements.
• Clean light covers - you’d be surprised how much grime can build up through the year.

Good lighting doesn’t just improve visibility - it also helps you avoid slipping on icy paths or stepping on that rake you forgot about.

5. When in Doubt, Get a Local Professional In

Some checks are easy for homeowners, but if anything seems off - burning smells, repeated tripping, worn cabling, or fittings older than the Shrewsbury Abbey - it’s definitely time to call a qualified electrician.

At RW Electrics Ltd, we help local homeowners get their properties winter-ready with:

• Fuse board inspections and upgrades
• Outdoor socket replacements
• Replacement Heating Controls
• Lighting repairs and modern LED installations
• General electrical safety assessments

A little preparation now means a warmer, safer, and far less stressful winter ahead.

Ready to get your home winter-ready?

If you’d like a friendly, professional check on your electrics before the cold weather arrives, we’re here to help.

RW Electrics Ltd – Keeping Shrewsbury homes safe, warm, and well-lit this winter.

If you’re in Shrewsbury or the surrounding areas, contact Ray today at RW Electrics Ltd for free, no-obligation advice or quotation.