Staying fire safe as the cost of living increases

As the cost of living continues, we're sharing advice from our friends at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) to help customers ‘Stay Fire Safe’ at home.

As prices increase, the Service knows that people may be looking at ways to reduce their bills and they may change their behaviour, but this shouldn’t be done in a way that could put you in danger.

Follow Fire Service advice to stay fire safe:

• Check out GMFRS's Home Fire Safety Check tool, where you can complete some quick questions to help identify fire hazards in your home and get advice on simple changes you can make to reduce the risk of a fire.
• Make sure you have a working smoke alarm on every floor of your home, so you’re alerted quickly if there’s a fire. Remember to test them weekly.
• Be careful if you're using fewer rooms at home. If you are spending more time in just a couple of rooms in your home to save on heating, make sure you have working smoke alarms in or near the rooms you use.
• Be careful with portable heaters. If you're using portable heaters, make sure they are in good working order. Check for any product recalls here o the gov.uk website. 
• Plug electric heaters into a wall socket. Electric heaters should be plugged into a wall socket – do not use extension leads as they can easily be overloaded and cause a fire.
• Be careful with electrical appliances at night. Electricity costs the same no matter what time of day or night you use it - unless you have a time of use tariff. Don't run white goods or charge items if you are asleep thinking you will save money. If a fire happens you will have less time to react and escape.
• Check your electrical items. If you have to run an electrical appliance at night don’t overload your plug sockets and check cables and plugs for signs of wear and tear. If you think there is a problem, unplug it and contact the retailer or manufacturer.
• Use your electric blanket safely. If you use one, always follow the manufacturer's instructions before use and store correctly. your blanket, plug and cord for signs of wear or damage.
• Never bypass electric and gas meters. Energy theft is not a victimless crime. The potential dangers of meter tampering include sparks, fires, damage to property, explosions and, tragically, sometimes death.
• Don't use an outside heater indoors e.g. camping stove or barbecue. They can produce a lot of heat which would be a fire risk in the confined space of a house, and they also produce carbon monoxide which can be fatal.
• Don’t use or store in your home liquid petroleum gas (LPG). This is the type of gas that comes from a bottle or canister (e.g. Calor) and is a fire, explosion and suffocation hazard. Please note that using or storing LPG in your home is a breach of your tenancy agreement, which we will take action against. By following our advice, we hope this won’t be necessary.
• Extinguish candles before going to sleep. Never leave lit candles unattended and make sure they are all out completely at night or when you go out.
• Keep candles away from children and pets. Also remember to keep lighters and matches somewhere safe, away from children.

Read more advice to stay fire safe on the GMFRS website.

Download the Cost of Living Stay Fire Safe leaflet.

We know that rising costs for energy, food and many other aspects of everyday life are leaving some people finding it hard to cope with the cost of living. Our specialist teams are here for you if you are struggling to manage day-to-day costs or facing other financial worries.

We can also signpost you to other local organisations to make sure you get all the support you need.

Visit the dedicated Need a hand with the cost of living? page here on our website for full information.