There's nothing like a cold snap to make you reach for the heater. A few weeks ago, that's exactly what Alex, a mate of mine, did — dragged out the electric heater, plugged it into a domestic extension cord, and ran it during the day in his living room. Standard stuff, or so he thought.

When he went to switch it off, he cut the power at the extension cord rather than at the heater's own switch first. There was a spark. Not a dramatic one, but enough to make him stop and think.

He mentioned it to me, and my response was immediate: that's a real hazard, and it happens constantly in winter. A lightweight domestic extension cord running a high-draw appliance like an electric heater generates heat along its entire length — and heat in a cord is a fire risk.

My advice: feel your extension cord after use. If it's warm to the touch, that's a problem. If it's hot, that's a serious one. And always switch off at the appliance first, before cutting power at the cord or the wall. Doing it the other way around creates an electrical arc — which is exactly what Alex had done.

The seasonal timing matters here. Winter is when people are most likely to plug additional heating appliances into rooms that were never wired with that load in mind. If your room doesn't have enough power points for what you're running, that's worth fixing now.

Speaking of winter — it's also the time of year when our team gets called out for a predictable set of electrical issues. Most of them are entirely avoidable. Here's a quick run-through of what's worth checking before the cold really sets in.

A struggling heat pump needs to be serviced

If your heat pump hasn't been serviced in a while, now’s the time to get it done before the winter cold and damp really sets in. Filters clog, gas levels drop, and systems that looked fine in autumn can struggle when they're needed. A service now is far cheaper than an emergency call-out in the middle of a cold week.

Darker nights mean better lighting

Darker evenings mean a higher risk of trips and falls around the home, particularly if your outdoor sensor lights have stopped triggering correctly — or stopped working altogether. It's worth walking your property at dusk and checking that lights are activating when they should. If they're not, the fix is usually straightforward, but it does need doing.

Check or upgrade your hot water cylinder

Fluctuating water temperature or a cylinder that takes longer to heat up than it used to, are both signs that something may need attention. This is also a good time to have a conversation about efficiency: if you're still on a gas or older electric cylinder, the case for upgrading to a heat pump hot water system has never been stronger, both in terms of running costs and reliability.

A humidity fan is the business

More time indoors in winter means more condensation in bathrooms and kitchens — and more strain on extractor fans. If yours sounds different, runs slowly, or simply doesn't seem to be clearing steam the way it used to, it may be due for a clean or replacement. It's also worth knowing that humidity-sensing fans are a significant upgrade on basic timer models: they run continuously at a low level and ramp up automatically when moisture rises, then taper off again. They do the job properly without any thought required.

Save money - put your towel rail and underfloor heating on a timer

Are these running around the clock? It’s an expensive way of heating your home! Many people don't realise they can be put on timers — set to warm up before you wake or before you get home, and turn off during the hours they serve no purpose. It's a simple and often overlooked efficiency fix.

Don’t lose all your appliances in a storm

Storm season brings a higher risk of power surges, and the wrong surge protector won't do much to help. The cheap versions from the hardware store are better than nothing, but a professionally installed whole-home surge protection solution is a more robust answer. While you're thinking about it, test your RCDs: press the button on each one to confirm it trips correctly. If it doesn't, call us.

Don’t ignore your power points and switches

It sounds basic, but: are your plugs sitting loosely in sockets? Are any switches starting to feel loose or intermittently working? These small things tend to get ignored until they become an actual problem. A general check-up now saves a call-out later.

If any of the above sounds familiar, get in touch — our friendly team is on hand for everything from quick check-ups to more involved upgrades. Better to sort it now than in the dark and cold. Contact us now.