West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging the region’s residents to register their many appliances to make their homes safer.
Ahead of ‘Register My Appliance’ Week, from 17 to 21 January, and as part of the government’s Fire Kills Campaign, the service reveals that, unlike cars, household appliances are off the radar for many people if a free safety repair is ever needed.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Area Manager for Service Delivery, Scott Donegan, said: “We all rely on our fridges, washing machines and microwaves for keeping our busy lives on track, but would your appliance manufacturer know which machines you have and where to find you if a safety fault came to light with your model?”
“Research shows that for millions, the answer is ‘no,’ but this could all be remedied by people taking a few minutes to register their appliances,” he said.
“As we all aim to keep our appliances running efficiently for many years, maintenance and registration of machines becomes increasingly important.
“Whether we found the appliances in our homes when we moved in, inherited them from family or simply installed and forgot about them, registration can be completed easily at registermyappliance.org.uk without a receipt or knowing exactly when the appliance was first bought.”
While the increase in online purchasing and the advent of ‘smart’ appliances will help to improve traceability, according to government estimates the UK is now running more than 212 million essential appliances to cook, wash clothes and dishes, clean floors and store food.
Yet official research also found that 49% of households have never registered a product, potentially leaving some 100 million large and mid-sized older machines untraceable.
A recent AMDEA (Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances) survey of appliance users nationwide, in both rental and owned properties, revealed that the vast majority (83%) of respondents did not know or did not think they could register an older appliance that they had not purchased themselves, mainly because they were unaware of the date or purchase or didn’t have the receipt – neither of which applies to registration as a safety precaution.
Register My Appliance is a web portal developed by AMDEA to improve ownership data by making it quicker and easier for householders to register old and new appliances. Offering access to over 60 of the nation’s leading brands, most manufacturers on the site welcome registration of products up to 12-years-old or even older. Practical tips guide the user through how to find the important model details, so all the user needs to supply is their name and address. This data then goes directly to the manufacturer for use exclusively in case of a recall.
To increase the safety and life of appliances the Register My Appliance portal also offers:
- A listing of appliance safety repairs and recalls
- Hints and tips on household safety
- Recommendations for appliance care
#regmyappliance2022