How to stay safe when dealing with utilities
Safety should be a huge priority when dealing with people over the phone who you don’t know. If you are talking to a person who is claiming to be a sales agent over the phone, be sure to check that the details they have provided you with are correct and that it is not a potential fraud.
Many agents may call regarding utilities and the safest way to find out if the company is a legitimate business is to check for a website and reviews. This way you can read more about the business and also check out the reviews to see what the previous customer experiences were.
Alongside fraud prevention, there can be many other ways which you can stay safe when it comes to utilities. Another concept when regarding utilities could be the physical aspect of utilities, for example when dealing with wires, gas, sewage systems you need to make sure that you are wearing protective equipment like gloves and goggles to keep your hands and eyes safe.
Utilities can be dangerous if not dealt with properly. Make sure to be careful and do full research when dealing with utilities. Remember to make notes so that you remember what you have dealt with and how to possibly do it again in the future. It is a good idea to label your utilities to know what is what. This will avoid any confusion in the future when it comes to finding out what does what and it will also save you from working out what does what. Utilities can potentially be harmful if not used safely. This can be when you don’t take precautions when trying to deal with wires and other potentially harmful objects. Try to wear safety equipment and protective clothing to keep yourself away from any danger.
Protection is vital if you don’t know what you are facing when it comes to your utilities. Try to maintain a safe distance when around dangerous objects like utilities. Remember to not spill or carry water near open and unprotected wires. This could be harmful as water and electricity are not a good combination.
Check your utilities on a regular basis, as this will help you realise if any damages has occurred or may occur if not treated properly.
It may be a good idea to have a number of an engineer of the provider of your gas and electricity nearby so that when needed you can have quick access to the engineer that deals with your energy and meter readings.
What can happen if you are not using safety precautions:
There is a chance that you may get injured if correct safety measures are not taken
The equipment that you use may get damaged if not used properly
Your equipment may not last as long if you do not look after it properly
What may happen if you are not safe online or on the phone:
The person on the other side may not be who they are claiming to be and you might not know this, which is why you need to do your own research.
The company that gives you a call may not be a legitimate company - so check the website and customer reviews.
The company may not have good ratings and previous customers may not have had a good experience with them. If you have not done your research you might not know about this and decide to go with that supplier. This is why it is vital that you research the company and its reviews. It will give you an insight to what other customers have faced and it could help make your mind up on whether you want to use the company or not.
Remember it is not a hassle if you tell the person on the other end to give you a call back so that you have enough time to research the company and their reviews. This would provide beneficial as it will give you a better insight to who is calling and if the company has any relevant reputation that will help you decide whether you want to deal with them or not.