Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh has called for stronger action to prevent fires caused by e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries, as MPs, fire services and councils also raise concerns about the batteries used in vapes and other rechargeable products.
The Mitcham and Morden MP said she is bringing delivery companies, the Fire Brigade and Government ministers together in Parliament to consider what more needs to be done.
Writing on X, McDonagh said:
“We need to take action to stop fires caused by e-bikes and lithium batteries.”
She added that companies needed to “step up” and said that “where the law isn’t strong enough, we need to change it”.
Her intervention comes amid wider concern about lithium-ion battery fires involving e-bikes, e-scooters, vapes and electrical products.
The National Fire Chiefs Council has specifically warned about the batteries contained in both rechargeable and single-use vapes. In evidence to Parliament, it said lithium-ion battery fires can develop rapidly, are difficult to extinguish and can release toxic chemicals. It called for stronger regulation alongside clearer fire-safety information for consumers.
The NFCC cited research showing house fires caused by vapes increased by 108% between 2021 and 2023, while also highlighting the risk posed when vape batteries are incorrectly thrown into household waste.
Labour MP Jim McMahon has previously pressed ministers over fires caused by battery-powered disposable products, including vapes. The Government responded that battery fires in waste facilities were a significant concern and pointed to the ban on disposable vapes as action addressing one of the major sources of lithium-ion batteries entering general waste.
Labour MP Alex Sobel has also questioned ministers over the environmental impact of lithium-ion battery fires. In response, the Government said battery-related fires were a significant concern and confirmed that reforms to UK battery regulations were being considered.
Meanwhile, Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi has raised the issue of lithium-ion battery fires with ministers, asking for better information on incidents attended by fire and rescue services. The Government has said its new fire data system could be expanded to specifically record the role of lithium-ion batteries in future incidents.
The Government has already moved to improve national monitoring. Ministers confirmed earlier this year that the next version of the Fire and Rescue Data Platform will allow services to record when incidents involve lithium-ion batteries and whether a battery was charging when a fire started.
Concerns are particularly acute within the waste and recycling industry. Batteries that are incorrectly placed in household rubbish can be crushed or damaged during collection and processing, creating an ignition risk inside bin lorries and recycling facilities.
Government analysis accompanying the Tobacco and Vapes Bill noted estimates that lithium batteries were responsible for more than 1,200 fires in bin lorries and waste sites in a recent year, compared with around 700 in 2022. The assessment also noted that single-use vapes accounted for a significant share of lithium batteries placed on the market.
Labour Environment Minister Mary Creagh told Parliament in July that batteries can become “incredibly heated and really dangerous” when compressed during waste processing, warning that serious battery fires could damage municipal recycling facilities. She pointed to the disposable vape ban introduced in 2025 and new arrangements for vape collection and recycling as part of the Government’s response.
The Local Government Association and fire-sector organisations have similarly argued for stronger measures to keep lithium batteries out of general waste and improve the regulation and disposal of products containing them.
The emerging consensus is not necessarily for a blanket ban on all lithium-ion batteries, which are used safely in millions of products, but for tougher controls on unsafe, poor-quality or non-compliant batteries, stronger product standards, clearer recycling requirements and more responsibility for retailers and online marketplaces.
McDonagh’s proposed parliamentary meeting could therefore bring together concerns spanning e-bike conversion kits, rechargeable batteries, delivery-sector practices and vapes.
Her argument is that with the number and variety of battery-powered products growing rapidly, regulation must keep pace.
As she put it: “Where the law isn’t strong enough, we need to change it.”
