ESC comments on PRS Review
Commenting on the statement by Baroness Stowell, Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (CLG) that the government’s review of the Private Rented Sector (PRS) will consider the need for regular checks of electrical installations, Phil Buckle, Director General of the Electrical Safety Council (ESC), said:
“We are delighted by Baroness Stowell’s statement that CLG will ensure the PRS review considers the introduction of a compulsory system for regularly checking electrical installations. The ESC is committed to raising standards in the sector and has lobbied hard and long for such a requirement.
“Half of all fires in GB homes are caused by electricity and research suggests that private tenants are likely to be at greater risk of fire than residents in other housing sectors. Further research indicates that they also have a higher risk of electric shock than owner-occupiers. Given the significant expansion of the PRS in the last decade, the current lack of specific requirements around electrical safety needs to be urgently addressed.”
