Other safety tips

Here are some other electricity safety tips that can come in handy around the house:

  • Never touch electrical equipment, including light switches, when your hands are wet. 
  • Where possible, do not leave electrical equipment switched on and on standby when not in use. 
  • Avoid leaving the power cords of appliances lying around on the floor. Besides the risk of injury by tripping over them, you can also damage the cords if you step on them. 
  • Do not connect multi-plug adaptors on other adaptors or extension leads. If you need additional sockets for a long period of time, consider adding new permanent ones to your existing installation. Overloading existing sockets with multi-plug adaptors and extension leads increases the risk of overheating, which may start a fire. Replace damaged extension leads immediately. 
  • Get help from your technician if you notice any signs of malfunction in your washing machine or tumble dryer, including excessive vibrations or unusual sounds whilst in operation.  

washing machine

  • Don’t pack a washing machine with more garments than its maximum load. Such misuse can damage the appliance. If you have a large quantity of items to wash, split them in smaller groups. 
  • Don’t leave chargers of mobile phones or other devices switched on after use. Leaving a device or power bank connected to its charger after it has fully charged is also not recommended.   
  • When you buy new electrical devices, ask for them to be supplied with the appropriate BS 1363 fused three-pin plug adequate for use in the Maltese Islands. If you have devices with a two-pin plug, ask your authorised electrician to have them replaced with three-pin plugs. Do not try to force two-pin plugs in three-pin sockets. 
  • Avoid connecting high-consumption devices, such as electric heaters, through extension leads or multi-plug adaptors to reduce the risk of overheating and fire. 

Heater

  • Don’t leave electric heaters too close to flammable materials, such as curtains, wood or carpets. Switch off portable electric heaters when you are not in the room and before you go to bed. 
  • Heaters should never be covered whilst in operation. 
  • Do not use indoor electric lights, such as lamp shades or indoor Christmas lights, outside. For outdoor use, choose weatherproof sockets and devices rated for all weather conditions. 

christmas lighting

  • Do not place Christmas lights close to combustible materials. Avoid leaving Christmas lights and other electric decorations switched on indoors when there’s no one nearby. 
  • Check that the bulbs in your light fittings do not exceed the maximum wattage of the fitting. The maximum wattage of a fitting is usually printed close to the lamp holder. Where possible, before replacing bulbs of fixed lights on walls or ceilings, switch off the main circuit breaker (MCB) of the lighting circuit. This circuit breaker is located in your distribution board. 
  • If the holder of a light fitting is cracked or faulty, switch it off and ask an authorised electrician to replace it. Don’t wait until it is completely broken. 
  • If you buy electrical devices or equipment over the Internet from other countries, make sure that they are adequately-rated to be connected to Malta’s 50 Hz 230V residential electricity systems.