Winter is coming and we want to reduce electrical safety incidents in gardens by encouraging gardeners to cut back their gardens with care.
The number of safety incidents involving electricity in gardens across the country has risen year-on-year, following the massive increase in DIY projects during lockdown.
The surge in DIY garden projects led to a 24% increase in reported incidents across the UK – rising from 126 incidents from January to June 2019 to 161 incidents in the same period this year. The number of domestic incidents rose as customers dug up trees, hammered in fences and painted over electricity service has positions.
With many people spending more time at home, we’re encouraging everyone to be aware of electrical dangers before attempting DIY garden projects. Here are some tips on how to stay safe while gardening:
Be Cautious with Cables
Always treat electricity cables and power lines as live unless confirmed otherwise by SP Energy Networks. Don’t assume that lines on wooden poles are telephone wires; most overhead power lines are supported on wooden poles.
Look Up
Watch out for overhead power lines when working with ladders or when pruning and cutting trees in your garden.
Keep Your Distance
Maintain a safe distance from overhead power lines – electricity can jump gaps. Don’t burn garden rubbish under overhead power lines.
Dig carefully
Don’t use picks, pinch bars or garden forks to dig near cables - underground cables don’t run in straight lines, they can change direction and depth. You can contact SP Energy Networks for free underground network plans.
Call for help
- Call 999 in the event of an electrical emergency or accident.
- Call 105 to report a power cut or to our electricity network.