City of Wolverhampton Council's Trading Standards team is running 'Get Ready for Winter' events this autumn, offering free electric blanket safety testing and energy advice to residents.
Residents can bring their electric blankets to be tested by experts from Gems Electrical Testing. All leads, controls and plugs must be brought along with the blanket for a full safety check.
Free Replacement if Blanket Fails
If a blanket fails the test and the owner is a Wolverhampton resident, a free replacement will be offered. Funding for the replacement blankets has been provided by UK charity Electrical Safety First.
Energy Bills Support Available
Advisors from the charity Act on Energy will be at the events to provide general support and advice about energy bills. They will arrange to speak to residents individually about ways to save money on bills, how to switch providers and how to access energy debt support.
Trading Standards and Scam Protection
Wolverhampton Council's Trading Standards team will also be offering advice on protecting against scams, rogue traders and bogus callers.
Councillor Qaiser Azeem, cabinet member for resident services, said: "Electric blankets can deteriorate with age and develop faults that may lead to injury or even cause a fire. These checks are particularly important as the colder months approach."
No appointment is needed for the electric blanket testing, but residents should be prepared to wait if the events are busy.
