Fire department worried about unsafe use of plug-in home batteries

The Dutch fire department is concerned about the rise of plug-in batteries, which people can buy and take home without a qualified installer needing to check that they use them safely. The fire brigade worries that these batteries will soon start causing fires in the Netherlands, NOS reports.

“It is very helpful for us if an installer with expertise is involved,” Teun Payens of Brandweer Nederland told the broadcaster. He understands that this raises the barrier to purchase. “But these are significant energy-consuming systems. You shouldn’t take that lightly.”

The fire brigade advises people to treat their plug-in batteries like regular home batteries. Don’t place them in the escape route; make sure that they can dissipate heat, remove everything flammable nearby, and install a smoke detector.

David van Gaalen, co-founder of thuisbatterij.nl, told NOS that specialized salespeople give customers extensive information about exactly how to install the batteries on-site. Each battery also comes with a manual, and Van Gaalen’s platform offers informational videos online. “There are multiple layers of ways in which people are informed,” he said.

The batteries also come with built-in safety mechanisms, Van Gaalen said. For instance, they are limited to a power output of 800 watts and shut off if they get too hot.

But Payens is skeptical that every user follows these directions exactly when it comes to everyday use. “We fear that people will start doing this you would rather not see,” he said. “Too many devices on one circuit in the fuse box. Or that people will connect two batteries to a single outlet with a power strip in between.”

The firefighter is also concerned about lower-quality batteries appearing on the market. “There are many good suppliers and manufacturers with nice products, but also those who sell less good products.”

The fire department is not yet encountering many fires caused by home batteries. Payens said that his region, Haaglanden, has experienced only one such fire so far, when a man accidentally drilled into his home battery. But he expects more in the future.

The rise of home batteries in the Netherlands is still relatively recent. In Belgium and Germany, where these batteries are more common, there are more fires.