The Beep - don’t ignore it!

by Electrical Safety First

The beep you’ve been ignoring could save your life - test your smoke alarm today

We all recognise it. The faint chirp of a low-battery smoke alarm, just loud enough to spark a visceral reaction. You swear you’ll fix it tomorrow, but eventually you get used to it, absorbed into the house’s daily soundtrack.

Electrical Safety First is raising awareness that the small sound you’ve been ignoring is the very thing that could one day save your life. 

Fire incidents across England have been quietly increasing over the past few years. In 2024/25 alone, Fire & Rescue services rushed to more than 142,000 fires, a 2.5% rise from the year before. Even more worrying, fire-related deaths have climbed too, now 12% higher than five years ago. 

And the reason isn’t always faulty wiring or bad luck.

It’s silence.

According to government statistics, smoke alarms were absent in over a third of fire-related fatalities in the past year, and 43% of Britons admit to not checking their smoke alarms with the recommended frequency. Not because they don’t care, but because danger doesn’t feel real when everything looks normal.

But that tiny sound you keep meaning to fix? That’s your early warning system, your chance to wake up and walk away. Don’t ignore the beep!

Two simple fire safety habits to incorporate into your everyday routine

Fire safety doesn’t have to mean big changes or complicated rules. Some of the most effective protection comes from small habits that fit naturally into everyday life. 

1. Start by practising fire drills at home: We do them at work, children practice them at school — yet they’re often overlooked at home. Making sure everyone knows how to get out, where to meet, and what not to do (such as hiding or going back for belongings) can make a real difference. Practising, especially with young children, helps build confidence, reduces panic, and lowers the risk of injury or death if a fire does break out.  

2. Creating a nightly “close-down” routine: This could include turning off and unplugging unused appliances, checking that heaters and candles are off, closing internal doors, and making sure smoke alarms are working.

Check your batteries. Test your smoke alarms today

Everything comes down to the moment the fire is first detected. The materials, the room, the time of day, none of it matters as much as whether a smoke alarm sounds when it should. 

So take action now!

• Test every smoke alarm in your home today. 

• Check the batteries, and replace anything that’s not working. 

• A chirping smoke alarm isn’t background noise; it’s a warning. 

• If it beeps, don’t ignore it.