Inside your home

• Unless you are a qualified electrician you should never wire any part of your home, install or move lights, switches or power points.
• Always get a qualified electrician to do an electrical safety check of your home before renovations begin.
• Make sure you use an extension lead that is appropriate for the power loading you need and has three prongs.
• Fully unwind leads before you use them so that they don't overheat.
• Never use more than one double adaptor in a single power point and don't overload powerboards.
• When painting around light fittings, don't remove the light plate as this will expose live wires. Mask around it instead.
• When tiling around light fittings, switches or power points, get a licensed electrician to remove the light plates and deactivate any exposed wires before you begin.
• Safety switches need to be checked regularly to ensure that all power and lighting circuits are protected.
• Portable safety switches can be bought from most hardware stores and are recommended for protection when using power tools.
• Check for wires before drilling into walls, floors and ceilings.

• See what's down there before you dig. Always dial 1100 to find out if there are underground powerlines or other assets in the area.
• When painting eaves, replacing or cleaning gutters, avoid getting close to the electrical wires that connect your home to the power poles.
• Always look out for powerlines when using ladders or carrying other tall objects.
• Never interfere with the electric meter or divert electricity from the main powerlines to your home.