Can have serious consequences if you forget

Most Danish homes are equipped with a fault current switch that protects against life -threatening shocks, but as many as 41 percent of Danes never test if the switch actually works.

It shows a new YouGov study conducted for Gjensidige And NRGi, who has asked the Danes for their knowledge of the fault current switch, also called the HPFI relay. The survey also shows that 58 percent do not know how to test the relay.

The results are worrying, because the fault current switch is popularly said the home’s emergency brake if an error occurs in an electrical appliance or in an installation.

« The relay protects you and the rest of the household from life -threatening shocks by disconnecting the power if an error occurs in the toaster, the washing machine or other electrical installation. It is incredibly important to test it regularly and at least twice a year. It is a very small effort that ensures you against potentially life -threatening shocks, » says Bo Halm Andersen, construction expert and energy consulent in NRGI.

A good rule of thumb is to test the fault current switch when we still put unclean for summer or winter time. The test briefly interrupts the power so it makes sense to combine it with the adjustment of clocks on ovens and other electronic devices.