Fire safety update
A fire in your home can have devastating consequences, both for your personal possessions and more importantly the safety of you and your family.
The most important step you can take to keep yourself and your loved ones safe is to ensure your home has a working smoke alarm. A working smoke alarm can give you the vital time you need to get out, stay out and call 999.
Test your alarm regularly, and make sure everyone in your home knows the escape routes if there is a fire.
Fire safety tips
Unfortunately we are aware of a small number of customers who have experienced fires in their homes recently, so we wanted to share a reminder of some simple fire safety tips.
If you light candles in your home, remember to place them on a stable surface, out of the reach of pets and children, and away from flammable objects like curtains and bedding. Never leave a lit candle unattended. There are more candle safety tips on our website.
An increasing number of people have e-bikes and e-scooters, and most of them have lithium-ion batteries, which can be charged in the home. It’s really important that, when charging e-bikes and e-scooters, you do so safely to reduce the fire risk. We have some useful tips on safe charging here.
Our number one tip for e-bikes and e-scooters is to always use the manufacturer’s approved battery. These will meet the specific safety measures that are legal requirement.
Insurance
At NCHA, we insure the structure of your home against the risk of damage from fire and flood, but we don’t insure the contents of your home.
We highly recommend that you take out home contents insurance for your belongings to cover yourself. We do recognise that the cost of contents insurance may make you think twice about it, but it is cheaper than replacing everything should the worst happen.
Find more advice on insurance on our website.
Homes with communal areas
If you live in a home which has a communal area, usually a hallway or staircase that other people who live in the same building also use, there will be specific fire safety advice for your building.
Look for the ‘fire action notice’ in your communal area. This explains the instructions to follow in the event of a fire in your building.
Read more in our fire safety booklet for homes with communal areas.
