We are often asked about pets and children, especially when electric fencing is to be used in a garden. If it’s at all practical, it makes sense to switch your fence off when the grandchildren come to visit, especially if they're too little to understand why they shouldn’t touch the fence, but it won’t harm them if they do. If they’re old enough to understand, we supply warning signs which should act as a good reminder. If they touch it once, they might need a bit of TLC but I can almost guarantee they won’t go near it again! The same applies to pets such as cats and dogs. For wildlife such as small garden birds, if they land on the wires they won’t be earthed so they won’t get a shock. The complete circuit is the conductor (wire or netting), the earth and the animal - the circuit is complete when the animal touches the wire while standing on the earth. Hedgehogs are slightly different, in that they will naturally curl up around the wires and so we do recommend putting a low barrier around your fence - netting especially, since it comes down to ground level - if you suspect that you have hedgehogs locally. I was asked recently about the risk to those with health conditions, specifically people with pacemakers fitted, and we would suggest it would be wise to speak to your GP for any health-related questions.

We spend a lot of time talking to customers, helping them to choose the appropriate equipment for their needs. It’s senseless to buy the most powerful energiser you can find for a short length of fence, but there are also some important safety considerations. Netting, for example, shouldn’t be used for horses and ponies, or goats with horns, as the risk of entanglement means they could become trapped and unable to escape the repeated shocks. For the same reason, you should never electrify barbed wire. It's also important to avoid running an electric fence parallel to overhead power lines as it may cause dangerously high voltage on the fence itself. Mains energisers should be kept under cover.

We answer a lot of electric fencing questions and are always happy to help, so if you do have any questions about your electric fencing set up or you are just starting out, please feel free to get in touch.