Even though it is near spring in Taiwan, the weather is still so cold and damp that some Taiwanese people might still turn to electric blankets to keep themselves warm. But they should be on the watch out as some brands of electric blankets have been found to be substandard.
With the temperature dropping down to almost 10 degrees Celsius recently, electric blankets have come in handy. But are you sure the one you’ve got is safe to use?
The Consumer Protection Committee randomly inspected 10 brands of electric blankets on the market and found half of them substandard.
Inspector Wang Te-ming said three brands did not have clear labels while the other two were of poor quality. Wang said one of them that was made in China was not sent for inspection. He said the electric plug did not meet the standards and could easily come loose causing electric shock hazards.
Another one Wang said passed the inspection but it had a compatibility problem, causing interference with other electric appliances. That product was removed from the shelves.
Wang is calling on consumers to seek out government-approved stamps on electric blankets and to be careful when using them as they consume a lot of electricity. He also reminds consumers not to connect electric blankets to extension cords as that will be hazardous.