Lithium-ion batteries power almost everything now: phones, laptops, power tools, vapes, e-bikes and e-scooters. They hold a lot of energy in a small space. When one is damaged, overcharged or badly made, it can overheat and catch fire very quickly, and the fire is hard to put out.

The numbers are rising. London Fire Brigade attended 206 e-bike and e-scooter fires in 2025, a record for the capital and roughly one every other day. Across the UK, Material Focus reported more than 1,200 battery fires in bin lorries and waste sites in a single year, up 71% on 2022.

This guide covers why lithium batteries fail, how to charge and store them safely at home and at work, and how to dispose of old or damaged ones.

Why lithium batteries catch fire

Most lithium battery fires start with one of four things:

• Damage. A dropped e-bike battery, a crushed phone or a vape squashed in a bin lorry can short circuit inside.
• Poor quality. Cheap or counterfeit batteries and chargers bought online often don’t meet UK safety standards.
• The wrong charger. A charger that doesn’t match the battery can overcharge it.
• Conversion kits. London Fire Brigade investigators link many e-bike fires to home converted bikes and kits that don’t meet safety standards.

Once a cell overheats it can set off the cells around it. This is called thermal runaway. The battery can give off toxic gases, burst into flames and reignite after it seems to be out.

Charging e-bikes and e-scooters safely

London Fire Brigade’s advice is simple and worth following at home and at work:

1. Use the charger that came with the battery, or one the manufacturer recommends. Buy replacements from reputable sellers.
2. Never charge while you’re asleep or out. Unplug when charging has finished.
3. Let the battery cool after a ride before you charge it.
4. Charge on a hard, flat surface where heat can escape, not on a sofa, bed or carpet.
5. Keep escape routes clear. Don’t charge or store e-bikes in hallways, on stairs or by the front door.
6. Fit a smoke alarm where you charge.
7. Stop using a damaged battery. If it’s been dropped, or it’s swollen, leaking, hissing or unusually hot, don’t charge it.

Storing lithium batteries at work

Workshops, warehouses, bike shops, offices and building sites often hold dozens of batteries at once: power tool packs, spares, returns and staff e-bikes. Build them into your fire risk assessment.

• Set up a dedicated charging area away from exits, flammable materials and stored waste, with smoke or heat detection.
• Don’t charge overnight unless the area is designed and monitored for it.
• Store spare and waste batteries separately in a cool, dry place, ideally in a metal container or cabinet.
• Tape the terminals of loose waste batteries so they can’t short against each other.
• Quarantine damaged batteries in a non-combustible container, such as a metal bin with sand or vermiculite, away from buildings and people until they’re collected.
• Never put batteries in general waste or a skip. One crushed battery in a skip or compactor can start a fire that destroys the load and the vehicle. We explain more in the dangers of batteries in skips.

How to dispose of old lithium batteries

At home: take small batteries to a battery collection point. Many supermarkets and shops that sell batteries have one, and most council recycling centres accept batteries and electricals. Vapes count too. See why vapes cause waste fires and our guide to disposing of small electrical items.

E-bike and e-scooter batteries: these are too big for shop collection points. Contact the shop or brand you bought the bike from, as many take old batteries back. Some council recycling centres also accept them. Call ahead and tell them if the battery is damaged.

Businesses: waste batteries from a business must go through a registered carrier to an authorised treatment site, with the right paperwork. Lead acid batteries are hazardous waste and need a consignment note. Damaged lithium batteries count as dangerous goods when transported, so use a carrier that’s set up to move them safely. Our battery and WEEE disposal service collects mixed and damaged batteries from sites across the UK.

Signs a battery is about to fail

If you notice any of these, stop using the battery, unplug it and move it outside if it’s safe to do so:

• swelling, bulging or a split case
• a hissing, popping or crackling noise
• a strong chemical or sweet smell
• smoke, or heat that’s much higher than normal
• leaking fluid

If a battery catches fire, get out, close the door behind you and call 999. Don’t try to put out a lithium battery fire yourself.

Need batteries collected?

Select A Skip arranges safe, compliant collection of waste batteries and electricals from business sites across the UK. Get a quote or call 01743 341 000.

Sources: London Fire Brigade, record e-bike and e-scooter fires in 2025 (January 2026) and charging safety advice; Material Focus, reported by letsrecycle.com (May 2024).