Phone chargers are used every day and often left plugged in for hours. A fake or poorly made charger can overheat, fail internally or expose users to electric shock risk.
This TESC guidance page is designed to help households, landlords, agents and property managers recognise avoidable electrical risks before they become incidents.
Product safety is separate from an Electrical Installation Condition Report. An EICR assesses the fixed electrical installation, while plug-in equipment, chargers, extension leads and portable products can introduce additional risks after the installation itself has been inspected.
Key issues, warning signs and safer practice.
Stop using an electrical product if it shows signs of overheating, melting, burning smells, loose connections, damaged cables, exposed parts, buzzing, cracking, smoke or repeated tripping. Do not keep testing a suspect product to see whether it happens again.
Where the concern relates to fixed wiring, sockets, consumer units, earthing, RCD protection or repeated circuit faults, the matter should be checked by a competent electrical contractor rather than treated as only a product issue.
Use this page as part of the wider TESC safety and compliance resource centre.
Unsafe, fake or misleading electrical goods.
Avoid overloads, daisy chaining and heat build-up.
What to do when a product is recalled.
Marketplace checks before buying electrical goods.
E-bikes, scooters, power banks and chargers.
Yes. A poor-quality charger, damaged cable, overloaded adaptor or overheating device can create a fire risk.
No. A charger can appear to work while still having poor internal insulation, weak components or inadequate protection.
Landlords are not usually responsible for every tenant-owned product, but general electrical safety, safe sockets and clear safety information all help reduce property risk.
Product safety, fixed wiring safety and compliance records all work together. Use TESC resources to understand electrical risks, check EICR records and find registered providers where inspection or remedial work is needed.