Over a fifth of Brits admit they would complete home repairs themselves that are legally required to be carried out or checked by a registered tradesperson, according to Direct Line business insurance.
Completing certain gas and electrical work, such as fitting a new cooker, fuse box or circuits, must by law be carried out or checked by a registered electrician or Gas Safe registered engineer.
Completing work that does not comply with building regulations is a criminal offence and could lead to a maximum fine of £5,000, the insurer stressed.
More than two-in-five, 42%, of UK householders carried out DIY work at home themselves instead of hiring a professional tradesperson to complete the job. As a result, 14% had either hurt themselves or made a problem worse by tackling it themselves.
Of those who hurt themselves, 30% slipped and fell. Nearly two-fifths of people either cut themself or strained a muscle and 34% burned themselves. According to NHS data, there were 6,610 hospital admissions for injuries from falling from a ladder in the last year.
Other DIY-related admissions include scaffolding, 427, exposure to unspecified electric currents, 187, contact with nonpowered hand tools, 2,730, contact with powered hand tools, 5,343 and contact with lawnmowers, 438.
Alison Traboulsi, product manager at Direct Line business insurance, said: “Trade based skills are a crucial part of the UK economy. As the cost-of-living crisis worsens, it’s understandable that people may look to cut costs where possible, such as carrying out home improvements themselves. However, for safety reasons, some home improvement projects involving gas and electrics must be completed or checked by a registered professional.
“During difficult times, it’s important that people still look for professionals to do complex work rather than breaking the law or compromising their own health and finances. For those worried about cost, it’s always worth seeing if you could negotiate on price and it’s sensible to compare quotes from a few contractors, and check reviews online for service quality.”
Of those doing DIY, painting was the most common type of home repair completed in the past three years, among 71%, while tiling was attempted by 14%.