Faulty charger and product liability fire claims

That last part is the part people underestimate. A claim like this turns on showing that a particular battery, charger or device was defective, and that the defect is what caused the fire — not simply that a fire happened near a piece of electrical equipment. Below we set out what the law requires of sellers and manufacturers, what tends to cause these fires, and what helps us establish that a product was at fault.

What the law requires of sellers and manufacturers

The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (GPSR), as they apply in Great Britain, place a general safety duty on anyone placing a lithium-ion battery for an e-bike or e-scooter on the market — whether it is sold as part of a complete unit or separately, including as part of a conversion kit. It is an offence to place an unsafe lithium-ion battery on the market. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) and local authority Trading Standards teams enforce these duties, with criminal sanctions available where a business falls short.

In practice, that means the retailer or manufacturer who supplied a battery, charger or e-bike carries a legal responsibility for its safety before it ever reaches a customer's home. Where that responsibility has not been met and a fire results, there may be a route — though it depends on the specific product, seller and circumstances, and this page is general information rather than an assessment of your case.

Common faults that lead to fires

Fire service investigations point to a recurring set of causes behind lithium-ion battery fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters: poor build quality, counterfeit components, physical damage to the battery casing, overcharging, and the use of mismatched or incompatible chargers. Products bought online at prices that look too good to be true — new or second-hand — are particularly prone to falling short of UK safety standards.

None of that means every fire has an identifiable product fault behind it. But where one of these patterns is present, it is usually where we start.

Recalls and product safety alerts

It is worth checking whether the specific battery, charger or e-bike involved has been subject to a product recall or safety alert, because that can be a strong indicator of a known fault. Manufacturers and regulators publish recall notices when a defect is confirmed, and checking your product's registration details against those notices is a sensible first step.

In July 2026, for example, the Office for Product Safety and Standards recalled a UNU E-Moped/Scooter Classic (model 2606-0200) after a London Fire Brigade investigation found a battery defect risking thermal runaway. Recalls like that show the regulatory system does act on confirmed defects — but a recall notice for a different make or model tells you nothing about your own product, so check the exact make, model and batch rather than assuming a general pattern applies. Our statistics tracker keeps a running log of notable recent incidents and recalls as they are confirmed.

What evidence shows a product was faulty

If you think a faulty charger, battery or device caused your fire, try to preserve the following before anything is cleared away:

• The damaged battery, charger, and any related packaging or accessories.
• Proof of purchase — a receipt, order confirmation, or account order history.
• Any product registration or warranty documents.
• Photographs of the item and any visible signs of defect, such as swelling, scorch marks, or a damaged casing.

Do not dispose of the damaged item before you have had a chance to take advice, however tempting it is to clear it away. Our evidence checklist sets out a fuller step-by-step list of what to gather and in what order, including how to handle a damaged battery safely.

Where we are on enquiries

If you think a faulty charger, battery or device caused your fire, our eligibility guide explains how we would approach it. We are not taking enquiries yet, so there is nothing to send us at this stage.

We are not taking enquiries. We have no enquiry form, telephone number or email address in service, and nothing you send can reach us at present.

This page is general information about how these claims work — it is not advice about your own case.