When Katie Vines, a new mother from Bristol, plugged a £4 charger into her bedroom wall, she never expected it to explode with a bang and plume of smoke. The device shattered in two, leaving scorch marks on the wall just feet from her baby’s crib. Shockingly, when she used the replacement, it blew apart again.
Katie’s experience highlights the hidden dangers of cheap, unbranded chargers often sold online. Fire investigators recently linked a fatal Sheffield blaze, which killed three generations of a family, to a faulty charging device. Experts warn many budget chargers fail to meet safety standards, lacking essential components like proper fuses. This can lead to overheating, fire, or even deadly electrocution.
Across the UK, millions of unsafe chargers are sold each year. Though branded plugs cost more, counterfeit or poorly made versions carry life-threatening risks.
Fire safety officials stress never leaving chargers plugged in without a device, never covering them, and avoiding overnight charging with unapproved brands. For Katie, the warning is personal: “When I think my baby’s cot was so close, it makes me sick.”
