Gas Safety Week: Keeping you, your home and your neighbours safe

Gas appliances such as boilers, cookers and fires help keep our homes warm and comfortable, but they must be properly maintained and used safely. Taking a few simple steps can help protect you, your household and your neighbours from the dangers of gas leaks, fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.

We've put together a simple guide to help you stay gas safe.

If you have gas appliances in your home, it's important that we can carry out your annual gas safety inspection.

By law, landlords must ensure gas appliances and installations they are responsible for are checked every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. These inspections help identify faults before they become serious safety risks.

To help keep everyone safe, you should:

• allow access when an appointment is arranged
• contact us as soon as possible if you need to rearrange
• make sure an adult is present during the visit if required
• keep access clear to boilers, gas meters and other gas appliances
• If your annual gas safety check is overdue, please call us on 0345 141 4663 to arrange this as soon as possible.

For your safety, any gas work in your home must only be carried out by our approved contractors or authorised workers.

Home Group ensures all contractors are Gas Safe registered, and they will have their ID cards when they visit your home.

This includes:

• servicing and repairing boilers
• work on gas pipes
• fitting or replacing gas appliances
• safety inspections and testing

Never allow unapproved individuals to carry out gas work in your home, even if they claim to be qualified.

If you're unsure whether someone has been authorised to carry out work on our behalf, contact us before allowing access.

Gas work should only be carried out by trained and competent professionals.

Under Regulation 8 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations, it is illegal for anyone who is not suitably qualified to carry out gas work.

You must not:

• alter, disconnect or reconnect gas pipes
• move gas appliances yourself
• remove safety devices or ventilation
• carry out repairs to gas appliances
• attempt to install new gas equipment

DIY gas work can result in gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning.

If you think something needs repairing or altering, report it to us so appropriate arrangements can be made.

Knowing what to look out for could save lives.

Signs of a gas leak may include:

• a strong smell of gas
• hissing or whistling sounds near gas pipes
• dying plants or grass in an area where they would normally grow
• pilot lights that repeatedly go out
• unusual flames on gas appliances

If you suspect a gas leak:

1. Open doors and windows.
2. Turn off the gas supply at the meter if it is safe to do so.
3. Avoid using electrical switches, plugs or naked flames.
4. Leave the property if necessary.
5. Call the National Gas Emergency Service immediately on 0800 111 999.
6. Report the issue to us as soon as possible.

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that cannot be seen, smelt or tasted.

Symptoms can include:

• headaches
• dizziness
• nausea
• tiredness
• confusion

To help protect yourself:

• ensure carbon monoxide alarms are not removed or tampered with
• test alarms regularly
• report any faults immediately
• allow access for servicing and safety checks

If you believe a carbon monoxide alarm has activated, seek fresh air immediately and contact the emergency services or gas emergency service if required.

If you notice a fault with your boiler, heating system or any gas appliance that we are responsible for, report it straight away.

This includes:

• loss of heating or hot water
• unusual noises from appliances
• damaged pipework
• warning lights or fault codes
• concerns about appliance safety

Reporting problems early helps us arrange repairs before issues become more serious.

Gas safety is everyone's responsibility. By allowing access for annual safety checks, using only approved contractors, reporting repairs promptly and never carrying out DIY gas work, you can help keep yourself, your family and your neighbours safe.

This Gas Safety Week, take a few moments to make sure you know what to do in an emergency and that you're doing your part to keep your home safe.

If you have any concerns about gas safety, repairs or a scheduled gas service appointment, please contact us for advice and support.