Portable Heaters: Stay Safe This Winter
As the temperatures drop, it’s tempting to reach for a portable heater to take the chill out of a room. They’re quick, affordable, and convenient — but they’re also one of the most common causes of winter fires in the UK.
With energy costs still high, more people are using small electric heaters at home and in the workplace. Unfortunately, every year fire services across the country respond to dozens of incidents caused by heaters placed too close to flammable materials, left on overnight, or connected through overloaded extension leads.
The message from Electrical Safety First — the UK’s leading charity promoting safe electrical use — is clear: portable heaters are useful, but they must be used with care.
The key safety advice
Electrical Safety First recently released updated guidance for winter 2025, and the advice is straightforward but vital:
Keep heaters at least one metre away from anything that can burn — furniture, curtains, bedding, clothes, and paperwork.
Plug heaters directly into a wall socket, never an extension lead or multi-plug adaptor, which can easily overheat.
Place heaters on a flat, stable surface, where they can’t be knocked over by pets, people, or draughts.
Choose models with built-in safety features, such as thermal cut-outs or tip-over switches.
Switch them off when you leave the room or go to sleep — unattended heaters are one of the biggest causes of preventable fires.
Keep heaters clean and clear of dust and obstructions, as poor airflow can cause overheating.
Watch the full guidance video from Electrical Safety First here.
Buying safely matters
Not all heaters are created equal. The charity also warns consumers to buy from reputable retailers and to look for safety certification marks, such as the BEAB Approved symbol or the CE/UKCA mark.
Cheap or unbranded imports — often sold online — may lack key safety mechanisms like automatic shut-off switches, and some fail even the most basic electrical insulation tests.
For homes with children, pets, or vulnerable residents, these precautions are especially important. A heater left too close to bedding or furniture can ignite within seconds, and toxic smoke can fill a room long before flames are visible.
What this means for workplaces
For business owners, landlords and Responsible Persons under the Fire Safety Order, portable heaters can pose a significant compliance and management risk.
In offices, warehouses, and community buildings, heaters often appear temporarily — but they quickly become a fixture. Staff bring them in from home, plug them into shared sockets, and position them under desks or near paperwork.
These “temporary comforts” can easily breach fire-safety policies. As part of regular workplace fire risk assessments, it’s worth including checks for:
Unauthorised or unsafe portable heaters.
Overloaded sockets and trailing cables.
Obstructions around heat sources.
Evidence of damaged plugs or wiring.
Inadequate signage or training on heater use.
Even a small heater, left running overnight or tucked behind furniture, can cause major fire damage.
A reminder for facilities and property managers
If you manage multiple premises — housing blocks, offices, or shared workspaces — this is the time of year to send out a seasonal safety reminder.
At Fletcher Risk, we recommend that every winter your facilities or H&S teams:
Circulate a short heater-safety briefing to staff or residents.
Re-inspect electrical outlets and communal areas.
Update your fire risk assessment if portable heaters are in use.
Check that fire alarms, extinguishers, and emergency lighting are all operational and maintained.
Fire safety isn’t just about large systems — it’s also about the small, everyday actions that prevent accidents before they start.
Fletcher Risk’s role
At Fletcher Risk, we work with landlords, businesses, and facilities managers across the North West to ensure that everyday risks like portable heaters are properly managed.
Our fire risk assessments look beyond major systems — we help identify smaller, overlooked hazards that can have big consequences. We also provide:
Regular site audits and safety inspections.
Electrical safety awareness support.
Clear, practical action plans for Responsible Persons.
Guidance on communicating seasonal risks to occupants or employees.
Our goal is simple: to keep people safe, ensure compliance, and reduce the likelihood of small oversights turning into major incidents.
Final thoughts
Portable heaters make the cold months more comfortable, but they demand respect and attention. As the Electrical Safety First campaign reminds us, most heater-related fires are completely preventable with the right precautions.
So whether you’re a homeowner, a facilities manager, or a Responsible Person under fire-safety law, now is the time to double-check your environment and share these reminders with others.
If you’d like help reviewing your winter fire-safety measures or updating your building’s fire risk assessment, get in touch with Fletcher Risk — we’ll make sure your policies, people, and premises stay safe all season long.
👉 Contact us to learn more.
Fletcher Risk Team - 29 October 2025
Disclaimer:
This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, fire-safety requirements may vary depending on your building and local authority. For specific guidance or a formal Fire Risk Assessment, please contact Fletcher Risk or a qualified fire-safety professional.