Looking after your home, friends, and family
We are proud to be supporting Gas Safety Week 2025, taking place on the 8th – 14th September.
Gas Safety Week (coordinated by Gas Safe Register, the official list of gas engineers who are legally allowed to work on gas) is an annual safety week to raise awareness of the importance of gas safety. Encouraging the public to get gas appliances checked annually by a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.
Unsafe gas appliances, whether badly fitted or poorly serviced, can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO is a highly poisonous gas that can kill quickly and without warning, as you cannot smell it, see it, or taste it.
The theme this year is “Looking after your home, friends, and family” which emphasises that everyone has a role in gas safety. So, while GCH is legally responsible for the gas safety of your rented space, as a tenant you can make a difference too by ensuring you’re aware of your landlord’s responsibilities, taking positive action to keep your household safe and sharing gas safety advice with others.
Remember to:
Ensure you have a current landlord gas safety record.
By law, your landlord must keep gas pipework, flues and the appliances provided in good condition. We must arrange a gas safety check of the appliances and flues every year and give you a record of the check within 28 days.
Ensure all gas appliances that you own have been annually safety checked.
We are not responsible for gas appliances that you own, so you should arrange for these to be safety checked once a year and serviced regularly by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Ensure your gas engineer is Gas Safe registered before any gas work.
Anyone who comes to work on the gas appliances, pipework or flues must be Gas Safe registered and appropriately qualified for the type of gas work you need doing. You can find this information on the back of their Gas Safe ID card and on the Gas Safe Register website.
Look out for the warning signs of unsafe gas appliances.
Signs may include lazy yellow/orange flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks on or around the appliance, a pilot light that keeps going out, too much condensation in the room, or error messages on the appliance’s control panel. If you spot any of these signs stop using the appliance and contact your landlord, or, if you own the appliance, contact a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Test the carbon monoxide alarms.
Landlords are required to fit a carbon monoxide alarm in every habitable room of a rental property containing gas appliances (excluding appliances used for cooking purposes). They should be marked EN50291 and display the British Standards’ Kitemark. It’s a good idea to regularly test these to ensure they’re still working and report any issues to us.
Strengthen your gas safety knowledge.
Remember the six main symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning: headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse, and loss of consciousness. If you suspect carbon monoxide, get into fresh air immediately and call the gas emergency services for your area.
Ensure the vents and/or flues are not blocked.
Vents and flues are there to ensure the gas appliances work safely. Blocking them could prevent this.
For gas safety advice and to find or check an engineer visit the Gas Safe Register website at GasSafeRegister.co.uk. Alternatively, call the free helpline on 0800 408 5500.