Electrical Safety First
Electrical Safety First is a UK charity (founded 1956) that reduces deaths and injuries from electricity through free consumer safety services, industry engagement, policy advocacy, grant funding, and campaigns on emerging risks such as lithium-ion battery fires and unsafe online marketplace products.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1956
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Electrical Safety First does
Electrical Safety First is the campaigning name of the Electrical Safety Council, a UK registered charity (No. 257376 in England and Wales; SCO39990 in Scotland) founded in 1956. It operates from headquarters in London (45 Great Guildford Street) and a Glasgow office, and its stated mission is to reduce deaths and injuries caused by electricity by improving public awareness and influencing government policy and industry standards. It does not sell commercial products; all consumer-facing services — including a Product Recall Database, Product Registration Service, Find a Registered Electrician directory, safety advice hub, Units Calculator, and ongoing public campaigns such as Battery Breakdown and Don't Be Electricked — are provided free of charge to UK residents.
The charity's operating model combines consumer education, industry engagement, policy advocacy, and grant deployment. It distributes the £1 million Electrical Safety Fund to community organisations tackling unsafe products and installations, hosts the annual Electrical Product Safety Conference, and participates in UK standards committees (BS 7671 Wiring Regulations via IET/BSI JPEL/64, plus multiple BSI technical committees) and government advisory panels (OPSS Consumer Reference Panel and Business Reference Panel). Channel reach is delivered through the website, email newsletters segmented by audience, social media, and earned coverage in outlets such as the BBC, with policy influence pursued via attendance at the Liberal Democrat, Labour, and Conservative party conferences.
Revenue is generated through charitable activities, donations and grants rather than paid customer relationships; specific revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The core operational team is small (11-50 employees), overseen by CEO Lesley Rudd and a Board of Trustees chaired by Emma Hudson, with trustees drawn from Ofcom, Dyson, BEAMA, AMDEA, Screwfix and other industry and regulatory organisations. Partner scheme operators (NAPIT, NICEIC, SELECT) underpin the registered-electrician directory, while strategic alliances with ROSPA, Which?, Chartered Trading Standards Institute, and Citizens Advice extend the organisation's coalition reach.
Electrical Safety First firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Electrical Safety First
- Legal name
- Electrical Safety Council
- Website
- https://electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1956
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Electrical Safety First is a UK charity (founded 1956) that reduces deaths and injuries from electricity through free consumer safety services, industry engagement, policy advocacy, grant funding, and campaigns on emerging risks such as lithium-ion battery fires and unsafe online marketplace products.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Electrical Safety First industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Safety Advocacy
- NAICS
- Security Systems Services (56162)
- SIC
- Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Testing, Inspection, Maintenance & Compliance Services (NFPA/Local Code) (HSAHAFAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fire Prevention, Inspection & Code Enforcement (Life Safety) (BPAIAGAL), Testing, Commissioning & Electrical Safety (NFPA 70E/Arc Flash) (EDAOABAM)
Keywords
Where Electrical Safety First is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Electrical Safety First business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Others, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Charitable Activities and Grants: As a registered charity (No. 257376 in England and Wales, No. SCO39990 in Scotland), Electrical Safety First generates revenue through charitable activities, donations, and grants. The organization distributes an Electrical Safety Fund (£1 million available for grants) to support projects tackling unsafe electrical products and installations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free public services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Electrical Safety First product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Electrical Safety First is a UK charity that helps prevent deaths and injuries caused by electricity by providing free consumer safety advice, a product recall database, an appliance registration service, and a directory for finding registered electricians. The organization also distributes a £1 million Electrical Safety Fund to support community electrical safety projects and runs public awareness campaigns such as Battery Breakdown and Don't Be Electricked.
Product overview
Electrical Safety First is a UK charity (registered charity No. 257376 in England/Wales and No. SCO39990 in Scotland) dedicated to preventing deaths and injuries caused by electricity. The organization does not offer a commercial software product but provides a portfolio of consumer safety services including a Product Recall Database enabling consumers to check if appliances are recalled, a Product Registration Service allowing manufacturers to contact consumers about safety issues, and a Find a Registered Electrician tool connecting consumers with approved professionals. Their services extend to safety education through Advice and Guidance covering products, home safety, and travel, grant funding through the £1 million Electrical Safety Fund for community safety projects, and awareness campaigns including the Battery Breakdown campaign addressing e-bike battery fires and the Don't Be Electricked campaign targeting unsafe products sold online. Additional resources include a Units Calculator for power consumption education and professional resources for electricians including best practice guides and wiring regulations support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Product Recall Database A free searchable database allowing consumers to check whether any of their electrical products have been recalled due to safety concerns, helping prevent deaths and injuries from recalled appliances still in homes.
- Product Registration Service A free service enabling consumers to register their electrical appliances so manufacturers can contact them directly if a product safety issue is discovered.
- Find a Registered Electrician Tool An online directory connecting consumers with government-approved registered electricians for electrical installation work in UK homes.
- Electrical Safety Fund A £1 million grant fund supporting projects that tackle unsafe electrical products and installations, raise awareness of electrical safety, and deliver practical solutions such as product testing, repair events, and home safety installations.
- Units Calculator An online calculator helping consumers understand electrical units and power consumption in their homes.
Quantifiable outcome
- 490,000 people reached through grant-funded safety projects
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Electrical Safety First
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Electrical Safety First technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Electrical Safety First partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Care & Repair CymrucorePartnership working to improve homes across Wales through targeted funding from the Electrical Safety Fund. Organizations collaborate to help vulnerable households with electrical safety improvements.
- NAPITcoreOne of the UK's largest Government-approved UKAS accredited Certification Bodies in the building services sector, raising standards and safety across the industry.
- NICEICcoreAssesses over 40,000 NICEIC-certified businesses to ensure installation work meets safety standards. Also certifies renewable energy installers, plumbers, and gas/heating engineers.
- SELECTcoreTrade association for the electrotechnical contracting industry in Scotland. Founded in 1900 as the first trade association in the world to serve the electrical industry.
- BSI (British Standards Institution)coreUK's National Standards Body that helps organizations adopt best practices and achieve certifications in areas like quality management and health and safety.
- ROSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents)coreNational charity committed to reducing accidents. Electrical Safety First participates in ROSPA's National Home Safety Committee.
- Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)coreGovernment body created to enhance consumer protections. Electrical Safety First sits on OPSS Consumer Reference Panel and Business Reference Panel.
- IET/BSI JPEL/64 (BS 7671 The Wiring Regulations)coreTechnical committee on electrical wiring regulations where ESF contributes to standards development.
- ECA (Electrical Contractors Association)coreESF participates in ECA Technical Committee contributing to industry best practice development.
- National Fire Chiefs CouncilminorObserver participation contributing to fire safety discussions and data sharing on electrical fires.
- Citizens AdviceminorConsumer protection organization providing free advice. Referred on the contact page for consumers seeking guidance.
- Which?coreConsumer advocacy organization collaborating on product safety campaigns and coalition work.
- Chartered Trading Standards InstitutecoreProfessional body for trading standards. Partner in coalition for product safety organizations.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Electrical Safety First competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Electrical Safety Foundation International: US-based non-profit charity dedicated exclusively to electrical safety awareness, education, and advocacy. Most directly comparable peer: identical mission focus on reducing electrical deaths and injuries, similar campaign-based model, and parallel UK/US regulatory engagement.
- ROSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents): UK-based charity focused on accident prevention across home, road, and workplace safety. ESF's Chair and Public Affairs Manager participate in ROSPA's National Home Safety Committee, indicating close operational alignment on UK home-safety advocacy and coalition campaigns.
- Which?: UK consumer advocacy charity that publishes product safety investigations, ratings, and policy analysis. ESF partners with Which? on product safety campaigns, reflecting overlapping consumer-protection missions, target audience, and advocacy-led business model.
Broad incumbents
- Citizens Advice: UK's largest consumer advice charity with a much broader mandate covering consumer rights, debt, employment, and housing. ESF refers consumers to Citizens Advice from its contact page; the larger organisation operates as a broader incumbent in the consumer protection space.
- BSI Group: UK's National Standards Body with which ESF partners on standards committees (BS 7671 Wiring Regulations, BSI technical committees). BSI is a much larger incumbent operating commercially across certification and standards, while ESF contributes the consumer advocacy perspective.
Regional players
- Electrical Safety Authority (Ontario): Ontario-based electrical safety regulator and educator with a mandate similar to ESF's but operating as a delegated administrative authority. Comparable in mission (preventing electrical deaths and injuries) but geographically distinct and structurally a regulator rather than a charity.
Others
- National Fire Chiefs Council: UK professional body representing fire and rescue service leaders. ESF holds observer status, contributing to fire safety discussions and data sharing on electrical fires; complementary mission but primarily a public-sector representative body rather than a safety charity.
- AMDEA (Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances): UK trade association for domestic appliance manufacturers. ESF Board member Robert Gosling leads AMDEA's Technical team, indicating close collaboration on product safety and standards, though AMDEA represents manufacturer (not consumer) interests.
- BEAMA: UK trade association for electrotechnical infrastructure manufacturers. ESF Board member Raj Vagdia serves as BEAMA Technical Director, creating direct overlap on electrical standards advocacy, though BEAMA's focus is industrial infrastructure rather than consumer safety.
- Chartered Trading Standards Institute: UK professional body for trading standards professionals. ESF partners with CTSI as part of the coalition for product safety organisations, supporting enforcement of consumer product safety regulations; complementary ecosystem role rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Electrical Safety First social profiles
Digital presenceElectrical Safety First financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Electrical Safety First leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Electrical Safety First funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Electrical Safety First M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Electrical Safety First
What does Electrical Safety First do?
Electrical Safety First is a UK charity that helps prevent deaths and injuries caused by electricity by providing free consumer safety advice, a product recall database, an appliance registration service, and a directory for finding registered electricians. The organization also distributes a £1 million Electrical Safety Fund to support community electrical safety projects and runs public awareness campaigns such as Battery Breakdown and Don't Be Electricked.
Is Electrical Safety First a public or private company?
Electrical Safety First is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Electrical Safety First founded?
Electrical Safety First was founded in 1956. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Electrical Safety First based?
Electrical Safety First is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Electrical Safety First make money?
One revenue line is on record: charitable Activities and Grants.
Who are Electrical Safety First's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Electrical Safety Foundation International, ROSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) and Which?. Broad incumbents are Citizens Advice and BSI Group. Electrical Safety Authority (Ontario) is listed as a regional player. Others are National Fire Chiefs Council, AMDEA (Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances), BEAMA and Chartered Trading Standards Institute.
Does Electrical Safety First have an API?
No public API is recorded for Electrical Safety First.
What industry is Electrical Safety First in?
Electrical Safety First's product category is Consumer Safety Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAHAFAG, Testing, Inspection, Maintenance & Compliance Services (NFPA/Local Code), with a secondary code of BPAIAGAL, Fire Prevention, Inspection & Code Enforcement (Life Safety). Its NAICS code is 56162 and its SIC code is 8734.