Although there are many reasons why individual domestic electrical systems may be inadequate or unsafe, by far the most important is the prevalence of old installations that have not been sufficiently upgraded over time. Not only do electrical systems deteriorate with age, their intrinsic design becomes unsuitable as greater functionality is required. In assessing why electrical systems in Europe may be inadequate it is necessary to look at the date of the original installation, changes in functional use and the presence of upgrades.
The date of original installation of electrical systems is normally the same as when a dwelling is built. Europe’s ageing housing stock, therefore, is one major reason behind its poor standard of electrical installation. According to Eurostat data, less than one-quarter of Europe’s housing stock was built after 1980. Indeed, well over 60% of the region’s housing stock was built prior to 1971. The situation in the EU-15 and the New Member states is very similar in this respect, Germany and Italy showing particularly high shares of ageing stock.
The number of electrical and electronic appliances per dwelling has increased much more quickly then electricity consumption
The functional use of electricity in the home has changed sufficiently to make many domestic installations unsuitable for their purpose. The trend is evident in the electricity consumption figures. The amount of electricity consumed per dwelling in Europe increased from around 3.4 MWh per dwelling in 1970 to 4.8 MWh in 2003 and this despite quite a sharp drop in the average number of people per household.
Electricity consumption alone does not tell the whole story. The number of electrical and electronic appliances per dwelling has increased much more quickly then electricity consumption, especially since 1980. Items such as dishwashers, microwave ovens, audio visual equipment, personal computers and rechargeable devices such as mobile phones and power tools are changing how electricity is used in the home.
The growing number of devices means that there is a need for more sockets in each room. Recent research has shown that even electrical installations now being put in place often fall below functional requirement in this respect; older installations typically fall well below an acceptable standard. A lack of sufficient outlets often means overloaded adaptors and trailing extension leads used as a permanent part of the electricity network. This, combined with circuits and individual wires that are required to carry more current than they are designed for, creates a fire hazard. In Central and Eastern Europe, the situation is made worse by the historical use of aluminium wiring, where the loosening of contacts over time creates an additional danger.
… natural lethargy, lack of awareness and lack of personal control …
The original date of installation of domestic electrical systems would not matter much if upgrading and replacement fell in line with changing requirements. The evidence of the FEEDS survey indicates, quite clearly, that this is not happening. There are several reasons: one is natural lethargy – if a system appears to work there is little motivation to change it. A lack of awareness of potential hazards is another issue but perhaps more important than both of these issues is lack of personal control over system upgrades, i.e. the occupier of a dwelling is not able to determine whether or not a building’s wiring is fully maintained. Apartments account for about 50% of Europe’s housing stock. Here, the occupier, at best, has only joint responsibility for electrical system upgrade.
