Most of our homes are full of electrical gadgets and gizmos, from entertainment and beauty to DIY and kitchen appliances, but unless you remember to register your appliances, you’re unlikely to find out whether a product has been recalled for safety reasons.
40 million large appliances in use in UK homes are unlikely to be registered with the manufacturers (AMDEA UK). Registering your electrical products means that the manufacturer can easily get in contact with you if the product you’ve brought turns out to have a fault, be dangerous or need recalling altogether.
Electrical products such as chargers, hair dryers, straighteners, kettles, irons and toasters are recalled more regularly than you might think but many remain unregistered so carry on being used putting their owners at risk of electrical shocks, fires or even death.
Each new electrical appliance you buy for your home should be registered but if you haven’t registered your older products, it’s not too late. This week is Register my Appliance Week, so what better time to check you’ve registered all your electrical items, especially new gadgets you may have received for Christmas.
How do I register my appliances?
There should be paperwork with the product explaining how to register the product and instructions on how to operate and maintain it.
If you’ve had the item for a while and have lost the paperwork it’s still possible to register it. In order to register your product, you’ll need the brand name, model, serial number and the date of purchase (or as near to it as you can remember).
AMDEA’s Register My Appliance portal provides a quick and easy solution offering online access to more than 70 leading brands, with most accepting registration of both new and older appliances.
Alternatively, The Electrical Safety Council provides information of electrical products that have been recalled since 2007. Check electrical product recalls to make sure that your home is safe.