How often do you test your smoke alarm? If you’re like most Brits, the answer is probably not regularly enough.
House fires can be devastating, destroying property and in some cases even causing loss of life.
However, many people fail to follow even the most basic precautions to prevent serious blazes.
Take smoke alarms. They’re a critical fire safety tool, but, according to a new study, the majority of Brits are lax when it comes to checking if they actually work.
How often should you test your alarm?
Before we examine the survey* findings, let’s consider how often you should check your home’s smoke alarm.
The National Fire Chiefs Council suggest once a month at the very least.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, along with many regional fire services in the UK, recommends testing smoke alarms on a weekly basis.
So, how does the average Brit measure up?
The survey found that 5% of people tested their smoke alarms weekly, and 18% tested them monthly.
A further 35% test between every two and six months, and 15% manage it once a year.
About 25% never test their alarms or do so less than once a year.
Under-35s appear to be the most complacent, with 21% saying they never check their smoke alarm.
In comparison, 10% of people over 54 reported never testing their alarm.
What are the duties of tenants and landlords?
Sometimes, there can be confusion between tenants and landlords as to who is responsible for testing smoke alarms.
To protect tenants and the rental property, it’s critical that everyone understands their role.
Landlords should ensure that smoke alarms are working at the start of a tenancy.
It’s a good idea for landlords to demonstrate to tenants how to check the alarms and they must provide the individual manufacturer’s instructions for testing.
During a tenancy, tenants are responsible for testing smoke alarms.
A good way to do this is to set a regular reminder on your phone so that testing becomes part of your routine (one of the main reasons why people fail to test is that they forget).
Last year, there were 31,000 dwelling fires in the UK, and more than 250 fire deaths**. Don’t let you or your home become a statistic.
If you know someone who would find this fire safety message helpful, please share it with them.
* Survey of 2,000 adults by YouGov for the insurance platform GoCompare.
** Year up to March 2024.
