Are you about to have your cooker, boiler or gas fire fixed, fitted or serviced? One in three of us trust a tradesman to do gas work based purely on the recommendation of a friend or neighbour without checking out their registration and qualifications first.
Dangerous gas work can be deadly. Badly fitted and poorly serviced appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning. Using an illegal gas fitter can end up costing you thousands of pounds to have fixed. Worst of all, it could put the lives of your tenants in danger.
It’s against the law for anyone to do work on gas appliances in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man or Guernsey unless they are Gas Safe registered.
If you think someone is working on gas illegally, report them to the Gas Safe Register and they’ll investigate.
How do I know if the gas fitter I’m using is illegal?
A quarter of a million illegal gas jobs are carried out each year. If your gas fitter is not Gas Safe registered, then they are illegal. If your gas engineer is qualified and registered to do gas work in your home, they will be able to show you their Gas Safe ID card.
Not all gas engineers are qualified to work on all types of gas appliance. Make sure you check the back of their ID card to make sure they are qualified to do the specific type of gas work you need. If, for example, they put in a gas fire but they’re only Gas Safe registered for pipework and boilers, they are illegal.
If they work for a Gas Safe registered firm during the week and are doing private work in their spare time on the side, they are also illegal.
How do I check my engineer is on the Gas Safe Register?
All Gas Safe registered engineers carry a Gas Safe Register ID card showing the type of work they are qualified to do. Before you let your gas engineer into your home to work on your gas appliances, make sure you check it.
You can also check your gas engineer is Gas Safe registered online, via text by texting Gas then the engineer licence number to 85080 or by calling Gas Safe Register on 0800 408 5500.
There are more than 120,000 engineers on the Gas Safe Register. To check they’re continuing to work safely, Gas Safe Register inspects the work they’ve carried out. If you’ve had gas work done in the last six months, you can nominate it for a free gas safety inspection.
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This post was contributed by Gas Safe Register, the official list of gas engineers who are qualified to work safely and legally on gas appliances.