Research suggests more people living in just one room to save on heating bills
A Gas engineer in York is worried it's putting more people at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning
As we head into the darker, colder winter months, research shows that households face the biggest financial pressure of the year, with increased energy costs at the forefront of tightening budgets.
The burden is leading over 10 million people to consider only heating just one room in their homes at any one time this winter, with the latest data revealing more than a third of Brits cannot afford to heat their entire home to a comfortable level when it’s cold outside.
Despite a fall in October, forecasts from analysts suggest domestic energy bills could go up again in January, with calls for more financial support on energy bills for the most vulnerable.
The figures by Gas Safe Register show 15 million Brits, will spend most of their time in that one room, eating, sleeping and socialising in the warmth whilst the rest of their house stays cold and dark.
With 4.5 million households planning to heat one room by using a gas fire this winter, there’s fears of carbon monoxide poisoning with the latest inspection data estimating that 1 in 2 UK homes contains a potentially faulty or unsafe gas fire.
As poorly ventilated gas fireplaces are often the common culprit for carbon monoxide poisoning, gas safe experts are alerting Brits to the dangers of the lack of ventilation and air flow when it comes to heating one room of their homes in this manner.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can be deadly and is especially dangerous as it cannot be seen, tasted or smelt, and some symptoms mimic the effects of a virus and even a bad hangover.
Elizabeth Saxton, aka Mrs Gas. is an engineer based in York: " We need all our rooms to be properly ventilated, so if you've got your gas fire, it's burning correctly, a lot of people will put pillows, I've seen and cardboard up against the vents because they think that's stopping the breeze coming in, which it is, but you need that breeze in your house to make sure things are burning correctly."
"If I ever saw somebody trying to sleep in the front room with a gas fire, it's a big no no from me, I would never advise that, just because carbon monoxide is a silent killer, you can't smell it you can't taste it, by the time you are asleep, you will probably not wake up."
"Because I am a women I have a lot of elderly ladies, definitely on my book and that can be quite sad and sometimes you can go in and they are the only person they've spoken to for a week and if you can help them be safe, then I'm going my job."