Important. The law is changing in Scotland in February meaning it will soon be mandatory to have smoke and heat alarms installed in ALL homes.
Even if you have smoke alarms at present, there are some changes which may affect your current arrangement….and time is running out. The Scottish Government is introducing new standards for fire and smoke alarms in all Scotland’s homes from 1st February 2022.
From this date, every Scottish home must have:
- a smoke alarm in the living room and in circulation spaces such as hallways and landings
- a heat alarm in every kitchen
- all alarms need to be ceiling mounted and interlinked
- a carbon monoxide alarm where there are fixed combustion appliances such as boilers and wood burners
The new rules mean the standard which currently applies to private rented property and new-builds is being extended to all homes in Scotland…including yours! The home owner is expected to pay for this necessary change which the Government estimate would cost around £220 per property. Landlords and local authorities are required to consider their tenants.
However, there’s no need for super expensive systems and whilst you can decide if they should be wired together, having them connected wirelessly works just as well. We managed to find wireless items on Amazon for a total of £90 to make our own home compliant, with fitting as easy as screwing them to the ceiling and providing lasting knowledge that safety precautions against fire, heat and carbon monoxide have been improved.
What homeowners need to know about changes in legislation relating to fire and smoke alarms. More info here:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/fire-and-smoke-alarms-in-scottish-homes/
