Advice for vulnerable groups

Do you need help to stay gas safe? Special assistance to help vulnerable groups such as the blind and elderly is available

Gas Safe Register is the new stamp of gas safety in Great Britain and the Isle of Man. Gas Safe Register replaced the CORGI gas register on 1 April 2009. The engineer coming to your home to fit or service your appliances must be on the Gas Safe Register. Make sure you know who you are letting into your home before they carry out any work on your gas appliances.

You can check the identity of a Gas Safe registered engineer before they arrive at your home and when they are on your doorstep. As Braille does not confirm an engineer’s identity, it is not included on Gas Safe Register ID cards. If you are blind, we suggest the following;

Use the 'Find a registered gas business' service and 'Check a gas engineer' service in the panel on the right of this page or call 0800 408 5500 to find or check if a business is registered
Agree with the Gas Safe registered business a password for their engineer to quote when they arrive on your doorstep
For further reassurance, when the engineer arrives you can ask for their ID number and us the 'Check an engineer' service in the panel on the right of this page or call 0800 408 5500 to check their details. You will be told about their business and qualifications to make sure they are qualified to do the job you’ve asked them to do
You could also arrange to have a trusted friend or family member present when the engineer calls

Gas safety information for vulnerable groups

Have a gas safety check every year

A safety check should be carried out every year by a Gas Safe registered engineer who can present a valid ID card when they knock at your door.

Have your gas fires and heaters checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer, as well as boilers and cookers.

The checks will help make sure the appliance is safe to use and is not producing the poisonous gas carbon monoxide, which can be deadly.

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.

Carbon monoxide

Gas appliances that have not been checked by a Gas Safe Registered engineer and are not working safely can produce the deadly gas, carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide can cause serious health problems and it can kill.

The more frail a person is, the more quickly your body is overcome by carbon monoxide. Due to the nature of this poisonous gas, some of the people physically most at risk are the elderly and infirm.

Install a carbon monoxide alarm

Ask a friend, relative, care visitor, or warden to help you by installing an audible carbon monoxide alarm in your home. Your Gas Safe registered engineer can help you do this too.

Carbon monoxide alarms can be purchased from DIY stores and supermarkets for around £20. If you find it difficult to get to the shops, you can also buy them online.

For people with hearing difficulties, there are a number of specialist carbon monoxide alarms on the market. For advice on which alarm is right for your needs, contact the Council of Gas Detection and Environmental Monitoring (CoGDEM) on 0800 1694 457.

Know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning

Call a doctor or an ambulance immediately if you are suffering from any of the following symptoms and think carbon monoxide could be the cause:

headaches
dizziness
nausea
breatlessness
collapse
loss of consciousness

Signs that indicate it could be carbon monoxide poisoning include:

if your symptoms only occur when you are at home
your symptoms disappear or get better when you leave home and come back when you return
if anyone else in your household is experiencing any of the symptoms (including your pets) and whether they appear at a similar time

If you are in danger you can also call the Gas Emergency Freephone Number

England, Scotland and Wales: 0800 111 999
Isle of Man: 01624 644 444
Northern Ireland : 0800 002 001
Jersey: 01534 755555
Guernsey: 01481 749000

Ask for help to spot signs of danger in your home

Ask a friend, relative, care visitor, or warden to look at the flame on all your gas appliances, which should always be stable and blue. A lazy, orange flame indicates that deadly carbon monoxide could be produced.

Other signs carbon monoxide could be present are: