Thinking about home improvement?

When it comes to gas you don't want to get it wrong. Mistakes are expensive and could cost you your life.

Don't DIY with gas.

1 in 3 people say they would fit a gas appliance themselves to save money. In the right hands, gas is safe, but badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning.

It’s important that you don’t try to fit, fix or move gas appliances such as your boiler or cooker yourself. Only Gas Safe registered engineers have the right skills to do this safely.

Download Gas Safe Register's factsheet on who can legally undertake gas work for more information.

Subcontracting home improvements?

Handing over a home improvement project like a loft conversion or kitchen renovation to one builder or project manager is the ideal solution for many people. Worryingly though 100,000 home improvement jobs ended up with illegal gas work in the last year. In all cases home owners had left their project to a builder, contractor or project manager to handle who in turn subcontracted to dangerous and illegal gas fitters.

If you’re planning on home improvement work follow these top tips:

No matter how big or small the home improvement job, find out if it will involve gas work and only use a Gas Safe registered engineer.
If you’re using a builder or project manager to employ the gas fitter don’t rely on them to check their credentials. Check yourself to make sure they are registered and qualified to work safely on gas.
If you’ve recently had home improvement work done which involved gas and you’re not sure if a registered engineer did the work, nominate your property for a free safety check.
If you suspect an illegal gas fitter report it to Gas Safe Register immediately.

Thinking about home improvement? Download Gas Safe Register’s top tips to stay Gas Safe.

What Next?

Carbon monoxide poisoning
Make sure you understand the signs and symptoms

Use a Gas Safe registered engineer
Find out why it is important to use a registered engineer