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The London Fire Brigade is urging people to take extra care when heating homes as many prepare for a work from home winter. In the last five years, portable heaters have caused over 700 fires and injured more than 140 people.
The Brigade is warning of a possible spike in fires as people turn to cheaper ways to heat their homes, without properly considering the fire risks. With more than half of Londoners who are in employment working from home earlier this year, and many preparing to continue to do so into the New Year, it’s likely that the added time at home could mean that the heating will be on for longer. According to a study by Energy Helpline, the average household energy bill could climb by £107 this winter for those working from home five days a week.
Portable heaters are one of the most common alternatives to turning on the heating that people use to stay warm whilst working in one room, but if they’re not used properly, could cause a devastating fire.
Fires in London involving heaters, which start in the afternoon between the hours of 12pm and 5pm, have almost doubled this year in comparison to the same period last year. As the weather gets colder, there is a concern that fires involving heaters could spike as more people bring them into their work from home set-ups.
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Brigade issues heater warning ahead of work from home winterThe London Fire Brigade is urging people to take extra care when heating homes as many prepare for a work from home winter. In the last five years, portable heaters have caused over 700 fires and injured more than 140 people.
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This is a really important point with millions of extra home-workers currently.