Yorkshire Coast homeowners urged to service gas appliances to save lives

People on the Yorkshire Coast are being urged to get their gas appliances serviced to save lives.

It is as the Gas Safe Register says nine in 10 homeowners in the country report being confident they could spot the signs and symptoms of unsafe gas in their homes.

But, it put 2,000 people through its nine-step challenge and just four (0.2 percent) passed the test.

Gas experts are now urging locals to get more clued up on the signs and symptoms of unsafe gas appliances, as they say there is an increasing number of cash-strapped homeowners feeling forced to skip annual safety checks due to pressures on household budgets.

Gas Safety Challenge says incidents can be devastating, although they remain extremely rare. Provisional figures show were 83 gas related incidents reported in 2021/2022, despite there being over 22 million households using gas across the country.

Bob Kerr, Gas Services Director at Gas Safe Register, said: “What’s clear from our research is that there’s a misguided confidence amongst the UK public – what they think they know and how that plays out in their homes is very different.

“We’re all feeling pressure on our finances at the moment but taking our Gas Safety Challenge this Winter is a fast, fun and free way to brush up on what you know and to check there are no dangers hiding in plain sight in your home.

“We’re urging everyone who has gas in their home to take the challenge so they can start off 2023 ‘better gas safe than sorry’.

“If your home doesn’t pass the challenge, don’t be tempted to try a DIY fix. Check the Gas Safe Register to find a local engineer who can help – it’s a legal requirement for anyone carrying out gas work to be registered.”

John Wood is a gas and heating engineer in Scarborough and said: "If you value your family's life, your own life and maybe even the people next door, then it's important to get your gas appliances checked because it's a living flame and at any point that could be altered. It could result in your boiler, cooker, hob or fire producing carbon monoxide and kill you. It's one of the most important things in your household you need to keep on top of.

"Signs and symptoms can include feeling dizzy, nausea and if you're in a confined area like a small kitchen with the door and windows shut, you're cooking and you feel sick and dizzy then it's a good indication that you could be getting poisoned so ventilate the area, call a gas safety engineer and consult medical advice straight away.

"In some parts of the UK, there's a blend of hydrogen in the gas pipes which makes the flames go really, really orange. Anyone with natural gas, LPG or oil, just make sure the flames aren't orange, tingly or really low. You want it to be, especially with natural gas, really blue, vibrant, not wavy and lacking.

"Gas appliances are things like boilers, like combination boilers that give you heating and hot water, you've got central heating boilers, gas hobs, cookers and gas fires.

"I understand it's a very difficult situation that we're all in at the moment and people do have to budget their money accordingly, but gas is dangerous and not only that but having them serviced will maintain a longer lifespan of them so you're not paying a lot more to replace it. Keeping on top of your gas appliances is really important inside your household."

Find out more and take the quiz on the Gas Safe Register website.