‘A dodgy bike burnt down my home – don’t be tempted to buy one this Black Friday’

A Londoner whose location was destroyed successful an e-bike fire has warned shoppers to instrumentality attraction erstwhile buying the products online this Black Friday.

Bus operator Don Hettiarachchi, 49, who lives successful New Malden, has lone conscionable moved backmost into the apical fractional of his location aft a devastating blaze backmost successful September this year.

His son’s e-bike had been charging for 5 hours successful the conservatory astatine the backmost of the location erstwhile it burst into flames, destroying the spot and forcing them to determination into exigency assembly accommodation.

“When I heard the fume alarm, I initially thought it was immoderate car alarms successful the thoroughfare outside,” Don said. 

"Disorientated, I went to person a look and recovered the full of the bottommost level of my location filled with smoke.

“My son’s converted e-bike was charging wrong the conservatory, had caught occurrence and the room was afloat of heavy achromatic smoke.

“Luckily the fume alarms alerted america to get retired of the house. I woke my woman and lad and we escaped outside. ”

Mr Hettiarachchi’s lad had bought the e-bike 2nd manus online 2 months earlier, which had been charging for 5 hours successful the conservatory earlier the blaze, which destroyed each the family’s possessions.

“My woman is inactive suffering from daze astatine the moment. We some went to the doc and took a period disconnected enactment owed to the stress,” helium said.

“We stayed successful exigency accommodation that the assembly provided due to the fact that our location was inhabitable. 

“My location security expired successful the summer. My father-in-law was sick and owed to being preoccupied with his illness, I missed paying the location security renewal - we mislaid everything successful the fire. 

“For anyone reasoning of buying a bargain this Black Friday, my proposal is to truly bash your homework earlier you buy.

“Make definite the e-bike artillery and the charger are compatible with 1 another. Make definite you bargain from a reputable seller that you cognize and trust. ”

Mr Hettiarachchi’s informing came arsenic caller research, jointly commissioned by Electrical Safety First and the London Fire Brigade, of much than 2,000 Londoners, recovered that e-bikes and e-scooters some appeared successful the apical 10 astir sought-after products the capital’s residents are considering buying this Black Friday.

Meanwhile, much than 1 successful 10 (11%) of those surveyed besides said an e-bike conversion kit was a acquisition they were astir considering this Black Friday.

“Buying from a reputable shaper oregon retailer has ne'er been truthful captious erstwhile it comes to electrically powered bikes and conversion kits,” Lesley Rudd, main enforcement of Electrical Safety First said.

“These devices are utile purchases erstwhile they are compliant and harmless and purchased from a reputable manufacturer, but if they are either substandard, charged incorrectly oregon conversion kits are installed poorly, they contiguous a hazard of a ferocious occurrence successful the lawsuit of a catastrophic artillery failure.

“With Londoners looking to container an e-bike bargain this Black Friday, retrieve that information starts with wherever you shop. Unknowingly buying a substandard e-bike, charger oregon conversion kit online could person superior consequences.”

The Brigade’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Prevention and Protection, Richard Field added: “We recognize that radical are trying to prevention money, but if you spot a woody this week that looks excessively bully to beryllium true, it astir apt is.”

The Brigade said it was particularly acrophobic with modified electrical bikes and conversion kits that tin drawback occurrence if installed to a mediocre standard, utilizing sub-standard parts oregon charged incorrectly.

Conversion kits purchased online often travel with a motor, controls and wiring but it is communal for them to deficiency a artillery and a charger, meaning shoppers volition often request to acquisition these items separately.

If an incompatible oregon sub-standard charger is used, the artillery risks overcharging and this increases the hazard of the artillery catching fire.