New campaign to promote electrical safety

NICEIC has announced the launch of a new campaign aimed at educating householders about making safe choices when it comes to their home electrics.

With a clear mission to raise awareness about the risks associated with DIY electrics and the importance of using NICEIC certified businesses, the campaign aims to influence consumer behaviour at critical moments.

Kicking off in September, the month-long, UK-wide activity will focus on householders who are ‘searching for an electrician in their local area’ and those who are venturing into the risky business of ‘searching for online electrical DIY tutorials’.

Covering multiple online channels, campaign content will be shared across Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Google.

NICEIC’s very own ‘how-to videos’ which are intentionally designed to resemble other online tutorials. However, the presenter prepares to demonstrate the task in question, he stops and states the safest way to perform the job is not to do it at all. At this point, the NICEIC ‘Find a Trusted Tradesperson’ tool appears on screen showing viewers how to search for their closest NICEIC certified business.

NICEIC’s Marketing Director, Amanda Faulkner, says, “By disrupting consumer behaviour at key moments, we aim to not only make householders think twice about undertaking DIY electrics, but also to consider the smart and safe choice, which is to search for an NICEIC certified business.”

With a two-pronged approach, the campaign will also target those actively searching for an electrical business in their area. Research shows that these individuals typically end up on comparison sites.

By focusing on popular search terms used by householders in key geographical locations, the campaign will ensure that NICEIC’s content is displayed at vital moments, directing householders once again to NICEIC’s Find a Trusted Tradesperson tool.

Lesley Rudd, Chief Executive of Electrical Safety First, lent her support to the campaign, adds, “Carrying out electrical work in your home without the knowledge, skills and experience puts you and your family’s safety at risk.

“Using a certified business such as those registered with NICEIC is always the safest choice. We’re therefore delighted to support NICEIC’s campaign, which aims to protect the public and promote electrical safety.”

Several compelling insights have driven the development of this campaign:

• Year-on-year search volumes for DIY electrical jobs have surged from 168,000 to 228,000, possibly due to economic pressures and lingering pandemic effects. (Similarweb)
• A 2022 study by the National Electrical Contractors Association indicated that over 10 million UK residents turn to YouTube for electrical DIY tutorials. (NECA’s 2022 State of the Electrical Industry Report)
• A British Electrical Contractor’s Association survey unveiled that 60% of UK adults have attempted electrical DIY, with only 40% feeling confident in their abilities. (Electrical Contractor’s Association survey)
• A staggering 62% of respondents believe they can undertake some or all electrical work at home. (Electrical Safety First survey)

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