Following the recent storms to hit the Caribbean and the damage it has caused, consumers should check if their homes are in fact insured against storm damage such as overvoltage caused by lightning now before serious storms hit the UK. We have more gadgets than ever before and all require regular charging and connection to power, putting them at risk of thousands of pounds worth of damage. It is particularly concerning for Eighteen to Twenty Four year olds as the majority of this tech driven age group don’t have adequate insurance or even know if their home is insured at all.
Online electrical retailer reichelt has shared their top tips for consumers to help protect themselves and their tech from storm damage:
- Pull the plug – Nearly half of Britons (47 per cent) pull the plug to protect appliances. Over 55s are most likely to do this compared to 18-24-year olds (66 per cent vs 20 per cent). This is advisable behaviour because televisions, home appliances and devices connected to the socket can be destroyed by lightning with a force of up to 1.2 billion watts.
- Use external lightning arrestors – The study of 1,000 adults in the UK shows that external lightning arresters are the most popular form of protection against lightning strikes (82 per cent). This device protects the insulation and conductors of the system from overvoltage damage.
- Use surge protectors – these are less known to the public. They provide an extra layer of protection between the gadget and the storm.
- Install lightning protection plug sockets – these sockets protect your domestic network of devices.
- Use lightning protection systems connected to their mains electricity. Experts strongly advise that homeowners install this so-called lightning protection potential equalization as it consists of a connected internal metal installations, heavy current and telecommunication systems and other grounded parts.
(Credit Featured Image) Mirror.co.uk – Lightning-strikes-over-Canary-Wharf-business-park-buildings
