Most of us are guilty of putting our phone or tablet onto charge overnight but most of us do not realise it can be a fire hazard. A recent survey from a UK Insurance company showed that common practices in the home can cause fatal consequences.

We are talking lithium-ion batteries. These are found in mobile phones, e-scooters, power tools as well as hoovers, electric bicycles and vehicles. Luckily the incidences of fires caused by these batteries are incredibly small – but it is worth remembering a few basic rules.

  • Always charge items on hard surfaces rather than the arm of a chair or a cushion – not only will the device have a better airflow to keep it cooler, but should something happen the fire will have an easier job to spread, if on a soft fabric surface.
  • Scooters and e-bikes should not be charged in a hallway or anywhere near a door exiting a building. Should a problem occur, the problem would be in the escape route which blocks your route to safety.
  • Use manufacturers spare parts rather than buying third party replacements – you are guaranteed that it was built for that specific device.
  • Don’t charge items overnight. You will not know there is a problem.
  • Don’t charge items in full sunshine – the heat from the sun could cause the battery to overheat.

Thankfully the likelihood of batteries to fail, and in a catastrophic way, is very rare – but there are incidents reported in the press and should one of these items fail they can catch fire and/or explode. Always ensure your home has adequate smoke detection.