
Electrical safety
Electrical safety is an important part of everyday life, which everyone can promote through their own actions. One aspect of electrical safety is to know what you can do yourself and what should be left to a professional. Knowing the parts of your property's electrical system and identifying potential dangers also helps in preventing accidents.
What electrical work can you do yourself?
All electricity users can carry out minor repairs and maintenance. However, you should only do electrical work yourself when you are certain about what you are doing and know how to do it safely. Otherwise, leave electrical work to a professional. Small tasks permitted for everyone includes, for example:
- Replacing the lamp
- Replacing plug fuses or switching circuit breakers (automatic fuses) on or off
- Setting the residual current device to the operating position
You can read more about permitted electrical work on the Tukes website.
The property's electrical system
Everyone should be familiar with the components of their property's electrical system and their operating principles. Dangerous situations are easy to prevent when you know how to work with the various parts safely.
The property's electricity is managed from the main switchboard. Essentially the main switchboard contains main fuses, main switch, and electricity meter. Your property may also have additional distribution boards with room- or device specific fuses and residual current protection, among other things.
Caruna is always responsible for the electricity meter, while the customer is responsible for switchboards and other components they contain, such as fuses.

1. Main switch
The main switch of the main switchboard cuts off power for the entire electricity connection. In most cases, this means the entire property. Some properties may have more than one connection and main switchboard if, for example, a separate connection has been purchased for charging electric cars. In detached houses electricity is cut off from the main switch of the main switchboard. In apartment and row houses, the electricity to the whole apartment can be cut off from the distribution switchboard, which is often located in the apartment’s vestibule.
It is recommended that you turn off power from the main switch when doing any electrical work. Before starting electrical work, make sure power is cut off by checking, for example, if you can turn the lights on normally.
Also, when doing surface renovations such as levelling, plastering, or painting, it is recommended to switch off power from the room in question.
Operations such as house demolition or replacing the main switch require the property to be completely disconnected from the electricity network. For this, your electrician must order a temporary power cut-off from Caruna. Consider this when planning outdoor renovations.
If you want to make sure that the electricity in your property is switched off during your absence, turn off the power by pressing the 0 button on the electricity meter. This is recommended for example when leaving a summer cottage for the winter. Do not turn off the power using the main switch, since this will cut off the Caruna’s connection to the electricity meter.
2. Fuses
Fuses protect the electrical wiring and equipment of a property. The main fuses in the main switchboard protect the entire property, while the group fuses in the distribution board protect a specific area, such as a room or an individual electrical device.
A fuse blows when there is a fault in an electrical wire or device, or in the event of an overload. In an overload, the electric current is too high for the fuse's size. During freezing weather, the possibility of fuses blowing out increases due to higher power consumption.
When a fuse blows, it is important to determine the cause. If the cause is a faulty device or cable, disconnect the damaged device from the power supply before replacing the fuse or turning the circuit breaker back on.
There are several types of fuses: handle fuses, plug fuses, and circuit breakers.
- Handle fuses should always be replaced by an electrical professional or a person trained by a professional.
- When a plug fuse blows, you may replace it yourself. Cut the power off at the main switch before replacing the fuse.
- When a circuit breaker is triggered, the lever clicks to the 0 position. The circuit breaker can be switched back on by turning the lever back to the I position.
If a fuse blows repeatedly, call an electrician to investigate.
3. Residual current protection device
Residual current protection protects a person from electric shock. The residual current protection device quickly cuts off the electrical current in the event of a fault in electrical equipment or wiring. If the residual current protection device is triggered, you can return it to the operating position after the fault situation has disappeared or after testing.
Test the residual current protection device regularly by using the test button.
If the residual current protection device is triggered repeatedly, call an electrician to investigate.
4. Electricity meter
The electricity meter measures the amount of consumed electricity, and any surplus production transferred to the Caruna's network. From the meter, electricity consumption and production data are transferred to Caruna+ energy monitoring and to your electricity distribution bill.
Remember at least these about electrical safety
- For electrical work, contact an electrician registered by Tukes.
- If you replace the fuse yourself, do it safely and turn off the power at the main switch for replacement.
- During a power outage, make sure that electrical appliances are turned off to prevent fire or other damage. This concerns especially appliances such as stove, clothes iron, coffee machine, and washing machine.
- If you notice a damaged power line, do not attempt any repairs by yourself. Also, never attempt to remove a tree that is resting on electrical line. Always report such incidents to Caruna's fault service. If an electrical cable has fallen onto the ground, keep at least 20 meters distance from it and any trees or branches that might be in contact. Also warn other passers-by.
- If an electrical device does not function, or functions poorly, it is advisable to replace it or have it checked and fixed immediately by a professional. Occurrences such as smoke, strange noises, stuttering, or shutting down usually indicate malfunction. Using such a device is a safety risk.

Identify a zero fault situation
In a damaged electrical network, a zero-fault situation may occur. A zero-fault in the power grid is usually caused by a fallen tree on the power line, which damages parts of the power grid. This may cause, for example, the metallic parts of the shower and kitchen to become live, which in turn may cause a life-threatening electric shock. A zero-fault can also cause a fire hazard if the current tries to find a discharge route through the building's structures. This is why zero-faults must always be taken seriously.

I had an electric shock, what should I do?
• Always seek healthcare after an electric shock. If necessary, call 112. You should also seek treatment if you only suspect that you have gotten an electric shock.
• Even if you have no visible injuries, any damage to the nervous system, internal organs, heart, and blood circulation (ECG) should be examined.
• Muscle or nerve tissue damage caused by electric shock can develop even after a day.