Gas safety advice
Important advice to help you improve gas safety, including dealing with gas leaks and information about your free annual gas safety check.
Your gas heating and appliances need to be serviced every year: if they’re in poor condition or not serviced, they can be extremely dangerous. To ensure your gas heating and appliances are safe we carry out free annual gas safety checks.
Gas leaks
If you smell gas, or suspect a gas or carbon monoxide leak, phone the National Gas Emergency Helpline on 0800 111 999.
You should also:
- switch off all your gas appliances
- open all doors and windows to ventilate the property
- turn off the gas supply at the mains (there’s usually a large lever next to the gas meter)
- evacuate the property immediately and wait for advice from the emergency services
- get immediate medical help; you may have been affected by the carbon monoxide poisoning
- arrange a safety inspection and any necessary repairs with your local gas contractor.
Your local gas contractor
We use specialist local gas contractors to repair your heating, boiler, pipes and any appliances we own, such as cookers and fires.
Gas safety advice
Do
- Look out for damaged gas fittings.
- Check appliances are burning gas properly.
- Check appliances are shutting off properly.
- Test smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors every month.
- Arrange your free annual gas safety check.
Don’t
- Use a gas appliance if you think it isn’t working properly.
- Cover an appliance or block the air vents.
- Block or obstruct any fixed ventilation grilles or airbricks.
- Block or cover chimneys or flues.
Broken or poorly maintained gas heating, pipes or appliances can cause dangerous gas leaks. If you think you have a problem with your gas heating, pipes or appliances, turn them off immediately and contact your local gas contractor.
More information about gas safety
Gas Safe Register: www.gassaferegister.co.uk.
Health and Safety Executive: www.hse.gov.uk/gas.
Your free annual gas safety check
If you have gas heating or gas appliances in your home, our approved local gas contractor has to inspect them every year. The contractors will also test your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
Your local gas contractor should contact you to arrange the safety check about ten weeks before it is due, so that the inspection is done before your previous annual gas check certificate expires.
The safety check usually takes 20-30 minutes, providing no emergency repairs are needed. The contractor will give you a copy of the landlord’s gas safety record (CP12), your annual gas check certificate.
If you haven’t had a gas safety check in the last 12 months, or haven’t been contacted by your contractor about a safety check that is due, please request an appointment with your local gas contractor.
Carbon monoxide poisoning
You can’t see, taste or smell carbon monoxide, but it can kill you.
When fuel is burnt a small amount of poisonous carbon monoxide gas is produced, but properly functioning gas appliances only produce tiny, safe amounts.
The risk of dangerous amounts increases significantly if gas boilers, cookers, heaters and fireplaces aren’t maintained regularly. Danger signs to look out for include yellow or orange flames (except for fuel effect fires, which display this colour flame), soot or stains around appliance, and pilot lights that often blow out.
You should have a carbon monoxide detector in your home. If you don’t have one, please contact your local contractor.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning
- Feeling light-headed, dizzy or sleepy.
- Being short of breath.
- Headaches.
- Nausea.
- Chest or stomach pains.
If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning you should switch off any fuel burning appliances immediately and seek urgent medical help.