Commenting on the new Scottish Housing Bill, Phil Buckle, director general of the Electrical Safety Council (ESC), said: “The Scottish Government’s aim of improving conditions in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) is one we strongly support. We also hope the code of practice for letting agents, which will be introduced at a later date, will help enhance safety in the home.
“However, we trust the ESC’s proposal to reinforce electrical safety requirements, in order to reduce risks to tenants, will be considered carefully as the Bill progresses through Parliament. Research suggests that PRS tenants are more at risk of fire than those in other housing sectors (1) – and with the majority of domestic fires in Scotland caused by electricity, our proposal is particularly important for improving standards in the PRS.”
(1) Data derived from Fire Kills campaign 2008