Eight in 10 people in the UK have admitted to engaging in practices that elevate the risk of fires associated with lithium-ion batteries.
That is according to NFU Mutual, which polled over 1,000 participants to shed light on the hazards linked to charging, storing, and repairing devices equipped with these batteries.
The majority of those surveyed said they engaged in risky practices such as overnight charging (57%), leaving devices to charge while not at home (35%), or placing charging devices on soft furnishings (30%).
Additionally, 23% of respondents reported purchasing third-party chargers online, while 13% have used damaged or frayed chargers and 6% replaced batteries with non-recommended parts.
The implications of such practices are not trivial, according to Luke Barnett, a home insurance expert at NFU Mutual.
“While it’s thankfully quite rare for batteries to fail, and they are generally safe when used correctly, the results when they do unexpectedly start a fire can be devastating,” he said.
When lithium-ion batteries fail, they might enter a self-heating cycle that can lead to fires that are notably more intense and longer-lasting than other types of blazes.
Previous property damage claims received by NFU Mutual include a fire sparked by an overheating beard trimmer, a drill battery igniting in a shed, and a particularly large fire caused by a device left charging on a bed.
Another incident involved a vacuum cleaner that exploded after its battery was replaced with a non-official third-party component.
With these incidents, Barnett urged people to be more cautious of common but risky practices like overnight charging or using third-party chargers and non-official replacement batteries.
“With recent stories of devastating fires and tragic deaths in fires sparked by overheating batteries, we’re imploring everyone to take fire safety seriously when it comes to electrical devices,” he said. “As our survey shows, most people have been guilty of being complacent of the risk posed by electrical items, but we’ve had several claims which demonstrate that it can happen to anyone.”
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