• Nearly 72 thousand chargers and power supplies were checked, over 70 thousand questioned, 1000 products destroyed – these are the effects of the control of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, Trade Inspection and National Revenue Administration.
• Among the devices tested, only one model complied with both formal and design requirements.
• Customs officers, with the support of UOKiK and the Trade Inspection, checked whether chargers and power supplies imported from outside the EU meet the requirements of the European market in terms of design and formalities.

Download information on the inspection and the list of products tested

Chargers and power supplies are among the goods that appear most frequently in consumer complaints about electrical equipment. They are widespread and therefore the risks associated with their use show large effects of scale. "Thanks to the synergy of institutions' activities and regular inspections, the number of dangerous products on the Polish market is significantly decreasing. The aim of the joint project of UOKiK, the Trade Inspection and the National Revenue Administration was to prevent chargers and power supplies that pose a threat to consumers from entering the Polish market," explains UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny. The Trade Inspection, commissioned by the President of UOKiK, conducts frequent inspections of electrical equipment (e.g. an inspection of electric kettles and ceiling lamps in 2021, inspection of power tools in 2021, inspection of power strips and electric cables in 2020, inspection of chargers in 2020).

"The National Revenue Administration eliminates from the market products that do not meet EU requirements and, more importantly, pose a threat to health. Our officers once again take part in inspections carried out as part of actions organised in cooperation with UOKiK and the Trade Inspection. That is what allows us to take care of consumer safety together," emphasises the Head of the National Revenue Administration, Magdalena Rzeczkowska.

Inspections of chargers and power supplies – only one model received a positive opinion of the Trade Inspection

Within the framework of the project, the Trade Inspection inspected a total of 61 models of imported chargers and power supplies (nearly 72,000 pieces of equipment). Some of the products were sent to the laboratory – 13 models (10,600 pieces of equipment). On the basis of the tests carried out, it turned out that 5 samples (3,000 pieces) – or 38.5 per cent – did not meet the specified design requirements and posed a real risk to users. In laboratory tests, the safety of electrical equipment was checked, i.e. the strength of insulation, heating, contact voltage and the accessibility of live parts.

The Trade Inspection examined the labelling and documentation of 61 models of chargers and power supplies. Formal doubts were detected in almost every product. Inspectors issued a total of 60 negative opinions on a total of 70,554 pieces of equipment. Only one charger model was 100% compliant with both technical and formal requirements, i.e. it was correctly labelled.

"Thanks to the joint action of the entities involved, we are able to increase the level of consumer safety and respond more quickly to emerging threats. A large proportion of products are manufactured outside the European Economic Area, where manufacturers do not always carry out a proper assessment of the safety and quality of the goods they produce. Therefore, importers should be more careful and verify the safety and compliance with formal requirements even before placing electrical equipment on the market in the European Union," says Tomasz Chróstny, President of the Office.

Check that your product is compliant and does not pose any threat:

• Safety Gate – RAPEX (https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate-alerts/screen/webReport)
• ICSMS (https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/icsms/public/productSearch.jsp?locale=pl).

Additional information for the media:

UOKiK Press Office
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa, Poland
Phone +48 695 902 088, +48 22 55 60 246
E-mail: [SCODE]Yml1cm9wcmFzb3dlQHVva2lrLmdvdi5wbA==[ECODE]
Twitter: @UOKiKgovPL