Lusta

Lusta is a maker of pet heat lamps sold through online marketplaces, and one of its products, the Lusta LED Reptile Heat Lamp, was the subject of a government product safety notice. The notice, case number 2305-0096, was notified by Local Authority Trading Standards and says the lamp presents a serious risk of fire and electric shock because the fuse holder in the plug was damaged and the fuse had been fitted incorrectly¹. It also says the product was not supplied with instructions giving the required safety warnings¹.

If you own one, the advice is direct: stop using it immediately and contact the distributor you purchased from to request redress¹. The listing was removed by the online marketplace, Amazon, and the notice records that the product is not a counterfeit¹.

For a household preparing for emergencies, a heat lamp matters in two ways. It is electrical equipment that runs for long periods, often unattended, and it may be keeping a pet warm when the power fails. This page sets out what the notice says, how to check a Lusta product, how to use and charge electrical kit safely, and where to get help.

What Lusta makes, and the one product to know about

The product the safety notice covers is described as a black heat lamp, an electrical appliance in the heat lamp category, made in China and sold through Amazon¹. The notice gives its Amazon ASIN as B08V8TK4H6 and another product identifier as X001EKWCGN¹. It was notified by Local Authority Trading Standards, and the corrective action recorded is removal of the listing by the online marketplace¹.

The hazard is specific and worth understanding rather than skimming. The notice says the fuse holder in the plug was damaged and the fuse had been fitted incorrectly, so the fuse was only touching the damaged terminal. That means there is not a reliable connection, which could cause arcing or a different higher breaking current than the one stated on the fuse¹. In plain terms, the plug itself was unsafe, not just the lamp.

The notice also records that the product was not supplied with instructions giving the information and safety warnings needed for safe use¹. For a heat lamp that may run for hours in a pet enclosure, missing instructions are a real gap: you cannot rely on the box to tell you how far to keep it from surfaces or how to site it.

What a Lusta heat lamp means in a power cut

A heat lamp is not emergency kit, but it is affected by emergencies. Power cuts can happen when wires, cables and other equipment are faulty, damaged during a storm, or need maintenance or upgrading³. When the supply fails, a heat lamp goes off, and a pet that depends on it for warmth loses its heat source at the same moment the room may start to cool.

The essentials that could help you cope with a power cut are battery candles, torches and batteries, and a mobile phone power pack⁴. A charged power pack can be very helpful in an emergency or power cut⁵. None of these will run a mains heat lamp, so plan for the pet separately: know how long your home stays warm, and check the pets and animals guide for what to have ready.

When the power comes back, do not simply switch everything on at once. Fire and rescue services advise turning off all electrical equipment except a light or a radio during a power cut⁶. That habit protects equipment from surges when the supply returns, and it gives you a chance to inspect a heat lamp and its plug before it runs again.

Specifications to check before you buy or use one

When you are checking any electrical product, the details that decide safety are the plug, the fuse, the cable and the instructions. The Lusta notice turns on exactly those: a damaged fuse holder, a wrongly fitted fuse, and no safety instructions in the box¹. Check them on arrival, before the lamp goes anywhere near a pet.

Registration is worth doing for any appliance you keep. Typically you will need the model name or number, the serial number and the purchase date⁷. Those are the same details you would quote if you later report a fault or check a recall.

Charging and using electrical kit safely indoors

A heat lamp is mains powered, but the same household rules cover the batteries and power packs you keep for emergencies. Fire and rescue services advise charging a device while you are awake and alert, so that if a fire should occur you can respond quickly⁸. They also advise charging items on a hard surface so the air can circulate around them, using a genuine charger, and switching off the electricity when a device is fully charged⁹. Unplug once fully charged¹⁰.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards sets out the same discipline: always charge in a safe place without blocking exits, and always unplug your charger when you have finished charging¹¹. Use the correct charger for the device¹².

For flames, the advice is to use candles carefully¹³. If you use fuel-burning equipment indoors, there must be good ventilation¹⁴. When using fuel-burning devices outdoors, make sure exhaust fumes are not entering enclosed shelters¹⁵. Give any pet that relies on a heat lamp a warm, draught-free spot that does not depend on one appliance.

Storing Lusta kit and keeping it ready

Store a heat lamp and its cable where they cannot be knocked into bedding or soft furnishings, and inspect the plug and cable before each use. Keep the instructions, if you have them, with the lamp. If you do not have instructions, treat that as a reason for caution rather than a detail.

For the wider household kit, store water for drinking and sanitation¹⁶, and keep torches, batteries and a charged power pack together so they are findable in the dark. A wrench or pliers to turn off utilities belongs in the same place¹⁶. The emergency kit guide sets out what else to keep ready, and the backup power guide explains what a power pack can and cannot run.

Safety notices and recalls: how to check

Product safety notices are published by government and notified by trading standards, and they are the first place to look. The Lusta LED Reptile Heat Lamp appears under case number 2305-0096¹. You can also check the list of recalled items on the Electrical Safety First website, which explains what to do with your recalled appliance⁷.

Check periodically for any product recalls or safety notices related to your specific model¹⁷. For tumble dryers, the guidance shows how a recall check works in practice: a green dot sticker in the door area or on the back means the machine already has the safety modification, and otherwise you find the model and serial number and enter them on the maker's website¹⁸. The same principle applies to any appliance: find the identifiers, then check them against the notice.

Not every safety notice is about a fire risk. A recall of an electric blanket, for example, was issued because the instructions supplied were deemed inadequate and some required documentation or markings were not present¹⁹. Read the reason, not just the headline.

Support, redress and disposal

The Lusta notice does not give a maker's phone number or email. It tells owners to contact the distributor they purchased from to request redress¹. Start with your order confirmation, which identifies the seller and the date. If you registered the appliance, have the model name or number, serial number and purchase date ready⁷.

If a product is recalled, follow the notice's instructions before disposing of anything, as the seller may ask you to return it. For electrical items and batteries at the end of their life, dispose of them safely via your local household waste disposal site, checking first with the centre that it accepts this type of battery²⁰. Never put lithium batteries in household rubbish.

For wider help in an emergency, the extra help guide covers households with medical or mobility needs, and the power cuts guide explains what to do when the supply fails.