One pound meals chef Miguel Barclay teams up with gas safety campaigners to launch the UK’s first ever family meal menu designed to save money, energy and keep families safe

Developed by One Pound Meals chef, TV presenter and author Miguel Barclay in partnership with Gas Safe Register- the UK’s official registration body for gas engineers and gas businesses, today marks the launch of the nation’s first ever family menu designed to save money, energy and help keep families safe – Gas Safe Eats.

Known for getting the nation cooking inventive, yet affordable mouth-watering meals on a budget, Barclay has created an accessible three course menu suitable for families, along with input from gas safety experts, to help cash-strapped families dish-up this winter whilst keeping safe in the kitchen.

Featuring delicious and flavoursome Griddled Courgette Ribbons, Chilli & Feta, Spicy Chorizo and Fennel Seed Pasta and Chocolate Pots, the new Gas Safe Eats menu has the potential to feed a family of four for less than £1 per portion, designed to be cooked in a fuel-efficient way. Each stage of each recipe includes energy-saving tips and advice provided by Uswitch on how people can reduce energy consumption and check their kitchen is gas safe, as they cook.

With the pandemic having put new demands on our kitchens, and the cost-of-living looking to fuel this further – new research commissioned by Gas Safe Register has found that nearly two in five (38%) homeowners plan to be cooking or eating at home more this Winter, compared to previous year, to save on money. Yet, a similar amount (40%) don’t feel confident about what are the cheapest and most energy efficient ways of preparing and cooking food at home, such as when to use electric appliances or gas appliances for different tasks, to be most economical.

Over half (52%) agree that since the rise in energy costs, they have cut back on using their gas cooker or hob to make savings. However, with the unit cost of electricity being about three times that of gas (10.3p per KWH versus 34.04p per KWH) it means that on average, a household using an electric oven will spend £50 more a year than a household using a gas oven.*

When cooking with gas at home, Gas Safe Register is encouraging householders to keep an eye out for the hidden signs of unsafe gas appliances in and around the kitchen. Guidance comes as one in four homeowners admit to not knowing what colour the flame on their gas hob should burn to know if it’s in safe working order, and – shockingly - over half (55%) of homeowners couldn’t correctly identify where in an emergency to turn off the gas supply to their home. 

Gas Safe Register is urging the UK public to brush up on their gas safety knowledge via the ‘Gas Safety Challenge’ a brand-new film highlighting the signs and symptoms homeowners should be clued up with to look out for in their homes.

 One Pound Meals chef, Miguel Barclay, says: “There’s no doubt that this winter will see many of us cooking and eating more at home with cash typically being tight in the New Year following the festive season, and further compounded by the current cost-of-living challenges. Yet, when it comes to cooking at home, how clued-up are we on ensuring our kitchens are gas safe? The comforting blue flame of a gas hob has fuelled hearty family meals for generations, but what many of us don’t realise is that faulty or not properly maintained gas appliances are one of the most significant risks to household safety.

“That’s why I’m proud to have partnered with Gas Safe Register to create the nation’s first ever family menu that not only saves money and energy, but importantly will help and remind families on how to keep safe when cooking at home. It really is better to be gas safe, than sorry.”

Bob Kerr, Gas Services Director at Gas Safe Register, said: “With the Winter months upon us and more demand on our gas appliances at home, especially our gas hobs and ovens with more of us cooking at home this January – we’ve launched, in collaboration with Miguel Barclay, the first ever menu building in gas safety and energy efficiency tips to ensure households are equipped with the tools and knowledge they need to be safe as well as helping people to save cash too.”

Ben Gallizzi, energy expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “The kitchen is the room in the house that commonly uses the most energy, but it is also the place where changes to your usage can make the biggest difference to your bills. Every little habit change can add up to big savings, so using gas safety measures and following energy efficient cooking tips can save you money.

“Many of us rely on gas to make meals at home, so simple changes such as using the right-sized pan for the hob and only filling them with the right amount of water will not affect the quality of your dinner but could save you money on your bills.

“If you want to see how changing your habits is making a difference to your bills, you can download our Utrack app to track your usage and see your savings add up.” 

Miguel Barclay and Gas Safe Register’s 5 top tips to staying gas safe whilst cooking at home this Winter

  1. Make sure you check the colour of the flame on your gas cooker when cooking, as a lazy yellow flame could be dangerous. A safe and healthy flame should be a crisp blue one
  1. Check for any dark sooty marks around your hob as this could be mean your gas appliance is unsafe. If you do notice these marks, then you’ll want to get it serviced straight away by a Gas Safe registered engineer
  1. Can you smell gas from around the hob itself? Any potential gas leak or smell of gas should be investigated urgently. If possible, open doors and windows, turn off the gas emergency control valve (also called the gas emergency shut off valve) at the meter and call The National Gas Emergency Helpline on 0800 111 999
  1. If you notice any of these signs, only use a Gas Safe registered engineer to fit, fix and service your gas appliances. Using an illegal tradesperson can risk invalidating your home insurance - you can find and check an engineer at GasSafeRegister.co.uk or call 0800 408 5500. Check their Gas Safe Register ID card when they arrive – look out for the yellow triangle
  1. Concerned about carbon monoxide from your gas hob or gas cooker? If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, get some fresh air and leave the house as quickly as possible. See a doctor and if you are very unwell call 999 for an ambulance. The National Gas Emergency Helpline is also available 24/7 on 0800 111 999.

 

* Energy Price Guarantee, from 1 Oct 2022 through to March 2023 (gov.uk) (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support/energy-bills-support-factsheet-8-september-2022)

 

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Notes 

* Research conducted by 3Gem on behalf of the Gas Safe Register. 3Gem surveyed 2,000 UK homeowners (aged 18+) with gas appliances in their homes between 9th December and 15th December 2022.

About Gas Safe Register

Gas Safe Register is the official list of gas businesses who are registered to work safely and legally on boilers, cookers, fires and all other gas appliances. By law all gas engineers must be on the Gas Safe Register. To find a Gas Safe registered engineer visit GasSafeRegister.co.uk or call 0800 408 5500.

 

Gas Safe Register replaced CORGI as the gas registration body in 2009.