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Shoppers are being urged to register any electrical items they buy to help protect themselves against potentially dangerous faults.
Safety charity Electrical Safety First is calling on consumers to ensure products from kitchen appliances to hair dryers are registered so that manufacturers can contact them in event of a fault or product recall.
The charity claims that 89% of consumers say they would return a recalled item, yet only 20% are successfully returned, meaning many people are unaware that they have a potentially dangerous appliance. Fewer than half of people in the UK registered the last electrical item they bought.
Faulty appliances alone cause £41.6 million of damage in the UK every year, Electrical Safety First said, while 46 people are killed each year by electrical fires.
Since 2011 more than 300 different electrical items have been recalled, including products such as phone chargers and adapters, kitchen appliances, hair dryers and washing machines.
Emma Apter, Electrical Safety First, said: "We know electrical products are high on shopping lists this sale season so we're urging the public to keep their families and homes safe by making a habit of registering a new product as soon as they get it home.
"People may think it's too much hassle or there is no benefit of providing contact details but an unregistered appliance can be a hidden danger in homes as it's difficult for manufacturers to trace them."
To register a household appliance, visit www.registermyappliance.org.uk.
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