Gas safety

Why is gas safety and heating servicing so important?

Every year, about 30 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by gas appliances. A quick gas service can protect you and your family from this happening.

If you don't allow an engineer access to your home to carry out the annual service, we'll have to start court action. This can lead to repossession of your home and you could be charged court costs.

We need to do a gas service to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. You can't see, taste or even smell carbon monoxide, but it can kill without warning in just a matter of hours.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include tiredness, drowsiness, headaches, nausea, stomach pains and chest pains. These can easily be confused with the flu or general tiredness.

Our contractors, Aaron Services, will send you an appointment card with a date and time for your service, approximately 60 days before it's due.

A gas service should only take between 15 minutes and one hour, depending on the type and condition of the appliances.

A Gas Safe registered engineer will visit your home to service all gas-fired heating appliances (except cookers) and, as required, will:

• Carry out a visual inspection of the appliance(s), associated flues and pipes
• Check ventilation
• Dismantle and dust or clean appliances (not cookers and only if required)
• Check correct operation of flue
• Check/adjust burner pressure
• Test all pipe work is gas-tight
• Check any smoke alarms.

The engineer then has to fill out a certificate which is known as a Landlord Safety Record (LSR).

It's important that all gas appliances, including your own, are listed on the certificate.

Please advise the engineer of all the heating appliances in your home. The engineer will need to check around your whole property to check for appliances and radiators.

What do I have to do?

As your landlord, we're responsible for gas safety in your home and must make sure a gas service is carried out every year.

All we ask of you is to make sure you're available on the date and time of your appointment and allow our contractor to access your home to carry out the service.

If the first appointment allocated to you isn't convenient, you can contact us to rearrange it.

There can be up to two missed appointments before we have to write to you and if we can't contact you, we'll have to apply for a court order to gain access to the property.

This could result in the repossession of your home and costs being charged to you. We want to avoid this, but we have to do what we can to prevent you and your family being put at risk.

Safety information and tips

Each year in the UK, carbon monoxide poisoning claims around 30 lives. Carbon monoxide is an odourless, colourless gas which is produced when any fossil fuel doesn't burn properly. The fumes are produced by faulty equipment and the risk of poisoning increases if there's poor ventilation in a room or if a chimney or flue is blocked.

Warning signs to look out for include:

• Gas flames which normally burn blue will burn orange or yellow
• Sooty stains on or near appliances
• Coal or wood fires that burn slowly or go out
• People suffering from prolonged flu-like symptoms should seek medical advice.

If you or your family experience any symptoms or believe you have been exposed to carbon monoxide, please seek urgent medical attention.

If you're concerned about your appliance or notice any of the above warning signs, please contact us.

Most deaths can be avoided if people are more aware. You're at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if:

• Your appliance isn’t working properly
• Your appliance hasn't been checked or maintained regularly
• A non Gas Safe registered engineer installs or maintains your appliances
• There isn't enough fresh air in the room or your chimney/flue gets blocked.

What can I do to be safe?

NEVER:

• Use a gas appliance if you think it's not working properly
• Cover an appliance or block the air vents
• Block or obstruct any fixed ventilation grilles or air bricks
• Block or cover outside flues.

If you smell gas or suspect there's a gas leak, don't switch on any appliances and immediately:

• Open all doors and windows
• Shut off the gas supply at the meter control valve in the meter box
• Call Cadent Gas on the Gas Emergency freephone number: 0800 111 999
• In the case of a suspected carbon monoxide leakage, follow the above procedure.

Save money on gas bills

By keeping an eye on your gas appliances and heating system, you could save lives and money. Badly maintained appliances could be wasting gas and running up large bills.