People who use electric blankets have been given a safety warning as temperatures fall during another cold snap. Weather warnings for snow are in place across the UK amid conditions which have been attributed to an Arctic blast.
Consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First is urging anyone who owns an electric blanket to take care if they plan on using it to keep warm. The charity carried out a survey which found almost a third of respondents said they would be using an electric blanket as an alternative to their central heating due to concerns about energy costs.
The organisation says people should check the age of their product, look for signs of damage, ensure it is rolled not folded, keep it away from water, not plug it into an extension lead and switch it off before they sleep. Adrian Bevan, from Kent, was caught up in a house fire after he forgot to turn off the old electric blanket he was using before falling asleep.
