Lightning often strikes in summer, posing a hazard for all electronic and electrical devices. At least that’s what we always thought. «Not true!» – says Gilbert, our technology expert, in the blog.
There’s no need to panic: the danger of a lightning strike is now very small. The majority of residential houses have cables from the electricity station installed in the cellar. From there, they lead to the flats. «And so the likelihood of lightning striking the flats or the house is low», explains Gilbert. The property should still have a professional lightning protection system in place, however.
Protect your computer and save energy
If you are still worried, you can also observe the following two tips: Your favourite programme on TV was constantly being interrupted because a violent storm was raging outside and your parents pulled the plug. This used to be a common situation in the past. And today? «Pulling the plug is still a good idea – although you perhaps don’t need to be quite so rigorous as before», says Gilbert. Particularly when you go on holiday. Simply pull out the computer’s mains plug and cap the connection to the Internet (disconnect everything from the cable modem). The same goes for your television: disconnect it from the mains and also disconnect the line to your cable provider. «This will also save electricity!»
Surge protection – for the overcautious
So-called surge protection can also help. This small device is connected at the socket so that the cables are protected from high voltages. «Generally, such devices are used in houses in the countryside or in exposed locations such as in the mountains,» says Gilbert. There is a slight danger in rural areas of lightning hitting overhead power lines. In towns and cities, the electricity cables are underground.