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Using Electricity

Did you find all of these dangers?

Batteries near the cooker

Never leave batteries near hot places like cookers even if they are worn out. Batteries contain chemicals that can explode or cause fires if they get too hot.

Flexes trailing across the floor

Make sure flexes do not trail across the floor. Trailing flexes can easily be tripped over.

Overloaded plugs

Too many plugs in one socket can cause the socket to overheat and start a fire. Don't overload plug sockets.

Knife stuck in the toaster

Toasters contain electric wires that glow read and toast your bread. These wires carry electricity, so if you touch them with an object that conducts electricity you could be electrocuted. Never poke anything into a toaster or plug socket.

Kettle lead trailing in the water

Don't let leads trail in or near water. Water conducts electricity and so if the flex was damaged you could electrocute yourself. And always remember to unplug the kettle before you fill it up.

Flex near spilt water

Remember that electricity and water must always be kept apart. Always mop up spilt water. It could make someone slip and fall over. Flexes should be kept well away from water. If there is any damage to the flex, you could be electrocuted.

Energy Consumption

Different appliances use different amounts of electricity. Some appliances use much more electricity than others. Every appliance is rated in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW) - 1kW = 1,000W. The higher the rating, the more electricity the appliance will use in a given time.

Electricity used at home is metered in units, or ‘kilowatt hours’ to give them their proper name (kWh). Each such unit is the same as 1,000 watts of electricity used for 1 hour. 1 unit = 1kWh.

So, for example, a 100 watt light bulb will work for 10 hours before it uses 1kWh, which is 1 unit. The power of a single bar electric fire will normally be 1,000 watts, so if it is switched on for one hour, it will use 1kWh or 1 unit of electricity.

The wattage of an appliance is marked on it’s rating plate.

The Energy Consumption Game

I’m going to show you some objects that use electricity - see if you can tell which one will run for the longest on one unit of electricity.

You’ll need the Flash plug-in to view the above activity. Download the Flash plug in here.

Next page: How to read your electricity meter

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