Skip to main content

Gas

Staying safe with gas in your home

Gas Safety

If you are a tenant, we will carry out an annual gas service and safety check of your gas boiler free of charge. We must do this every year by law. Our fully qualified Gas Safe staff also check that your radiators and hot water are working properly.

If you are a leaseholder, you should get your gas appliances checked regularly by a Gas Safe registered engineer to make sure they are working properly and safely. If you are a leaseholder who lets out your property, you have a legal responsibility to ensure your gas appliances have an annual test by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

I am a tenant, how will I know when my gas safety check is due?

Before your annual service is due, we will write to you with an appointment. Please make sure someone is at home to let our gas safety contractor in. If you need to change the appointment, please ring the number we give you to arrange a time convenient to you.

After we complete the annual gas safety check, we will give you a copy of the gas safety certificate. If we find a problem during the annual service, we tell you what work needs to be done and when we can fix it.

If our contractors cannot get in to carry out the service after three attempts, we will issue you with a formal ‘final notice’ warning you that we will begin legal action to gain access to your home. If we need to take legal action, you may be liable for any court costs.

If you have any questions about your annual gas safety check, please ask the engineer when they visit or call us.

Gas Safety checks for new lets

When you rent a new home managed the council we give you a copy of the gas and electrical safety certificates when you move in. Remember to keep them safe - your gas or electric supplier may ask to see the certificates when you set up an account.

Properly maintained gas appliances are normally safe. If they are not looked after, they can become deadly for you, your family and your neighbours.

Your gas safety

Leaking gas can cause an explosion and gas appliances that are not working correctly can produce poisonous and deadly fumes. We recommend that you never block up any air vents in your home and that you fit a carbon monoxide alarm to warn you of a carbon monoxide build-up in your home.

If there is a strong smell of gas, or you think there might be a leak, contact the National Grid Emergency Line immediately and:

  • turn off the gas supply at the main gas meter if this is in your property
  • open the doors and windows
  • don’t switch anything electrical on or off, including the lights, as this could cause an explosion
  • don’t smoke, strike matches or light candles

Liquid petroleum gas and paraffin heaters

Under the terms of your tenancy agreement or lease, you must not store or use any form of bottled gas or paraffin heaters. It can be extremely dangerous and any breach of this rule will be treated very seriously.