get your gas appliances safety checked every year

Gas appliances that are left unchecked could be dangerous and leaking carbon monoxide

Your gas appliances, including your gas boiler, oven, hob and gas fires should be serviced according to the manufacturer’s guidelines (at least once a year) by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

If you do not have your gas appliances checked and serviced every year you could be putting you and your family in danger of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Are you entitled to a free gas safety check?

Your gas supplier may be able to provide you with a free of charge gas safety check upon request.

A free gas safety check may apply to home owners on means tested benefits who:

• are of pensionable age, disabled or chronically sick and either live alone or with others who are all of pensionable age, disabled, chronically sick or under 18
• are living with others where at least one is under 5 years old
• have not had a gas safety check carried out at the premises in the last 12 months
• do not occupy premises where a landlord is responsible for arranging a check under regulations made under the Health and Safety at Work Act

Please note that decisions around eligibility for free gas safety checks sit outside the remit of the Gas Safe Register and this advice is for general guidance only. Please contact your energy supplier for more information.

Signs that your appliances need servicing

Look out for warnings signs that show your gas appliances need to be serviced:

• Your gas appliance is not working properly
• Your appliance is burning with a lazy yellow or orange flame instead of a crisp blue flame
• You can see soot or yellow/brown staining around or on gas appliances
• The pilot light keeps going out
• There is increased condensation inside windows

If you notice any of these signs or anything else that is unusual, get your Gas Safe registered engineer to check your appliances as soon as possible.

Servicing your gas appliances regularly will make sure they are safe to use. It will also improve your appliances efficiency and performance.

Flues and chimneys

Flues, chimneys and air vents allow gas to escape from your home. You must keep flues, chimneys and air vents clear so that fumes can escape easily.

Never block these airways to prevent a draft. Blocking ventilation is dangerous and could result in carbon monoxide building up in your home. 

Have chimneys swept every year, no matter how much you use the fire, to make sure fumes can escape freely. Check for birds nests, leaves and other natural debris, they could be blocking the exit.

Shared flues

Do you live in a block of flats or terraced housing? It is also possible for carbon monoxide to seep into properties through shared flues and chimneys. If you live in a property with a shared flue or chimney, share responsibility to get them checked every year to make sure they are allowing gas to escape.

What should I expect from my gas safety check or service?

During a gas safety check or service, your Gas Safe registered engineer should be checking:

• your appliance is burning correctly and not producing Carbon Monoxide
• harmful gases are being removed from the appliance safely to the air outside
• that any ventilation routes are clear and work properly
• all the safety devices are working

As a minimum, the record of a gas safety check must check:

• appliances are positioned in the right place
• any flue or chimney serving appliances is safe and installed correctly
• there is a good supply of combustion air (ventilation) to appliances
• to make sure appliances are on the right setting and are burning correctly
• appliances are operating correctly and are safe to use

In Great Britain and Isle of Man any gas safety record given to you after 1 April 2009 will only be valid if the engineer is registered with Gas Safe Register. In Northern Ireland and Guernsey it will only be valid after 1 April 2010.

Gas safety records

After a Gas Safe registered engineer has fitted or serviced your gas appliance, they will often leave you with a report which explains what checks they did. This report may be issued as a gas safety record, sometimes referred to as a gas safety certificate depending on the job you have asked them to do. It isn’t always a legal requirement for your engineer to give you this type of information, but many Gas Safe registered engineers will provide it or similar.

The gas safety information tells you that the gas appliance or gas fitting has been checked to see if it is working safely and meets the correct safety standards. This information may also tell you when you next need to service the appliance.

It’s important to get your appliances regularly serviced to make sure they are working efficiently and safely. You should also have a gas safety check done on all gas fittings and appliances every year.

• Gas safety in the home
  • Get your appliances checked
  • Fit a carbon monoxide alarm
  • Doing DIY
• Buying a new home
• Renting a property
• Vulnerable groups
• Gas safety on holiday
• Gas records