There are many reasons why people install electric fencing around their premises, whether it is a building or a piece of land. Electric fencing is really useful as it acts as a strong barrier to prevent the movement of both animals and people in and out of the contained area. There are three classified shock levels which vary between moderate, painful and lethal.

In agriculture electric fencing provides many advantages. Livestock is usually contained within a field or piece of land and the purpose of the fencing is to stop them escaping. The shock given to the livestock ranges between moderate and painful, but this varies according to the animal that is being contained. For example, the level of electric current passing through the wiring containing sheep will be a lot less than the current passing through electric wiring containing a horse. This is because the thickness of the skin and the pain threshold of a horse is a lot more than a sheep, a stronger current is therefore needed to deter the horse.

Electric fencing surrounding livestock also helps prevent unwanted guests, such as predators or humans entering. For example, farmers keeping livestock such as chickens or sheep often find that predators such as foxes try to access the pens to kill the livestock. Many farmers that have installed this type of fencing around the pen perimeters have seen a massive decline in the amount of livestock lost to kills from other animals. However, when installing electric fencing around your premises you must regularly check the fence to see if has been disrupted or interfered with as the current can easily be lost if the circuit is broken, by objects or animals.

Electric fencing provides many advantages when it is used to guard the perimeters of both high security prisons and closed land borders. The level of electric current passing through the wiring at this level is lethal and will kill on impact.

There are many non-lethal types of fencing that will cause a moderate to painful shock level. This type of fencing is used to protect government properties and military bases from unwanted trespassers. Many airports and private properties are also surrounded by this non-lethal type of electric fencing. Airports use it to protect the runways from wild animals passing through as properties use it to protect against intruders. Accompanied with the electric fence is usually an alarm or a signal of some kind to alert people or animals of the potential danger if they come into contact with the fence.