Nearly 1,300 Unsafe Gas Appliances Found During Summer Months

19-07-2018

New research from the Gas Safe Register has revealed that nearly 1,300 gas appliances were found to be unsafe last summer, an 18% increase when compared to the winter months.

The new findings from the Gas Safe Register also showed that just one in five UK adults (19% of 2,000 respondents) would only considering having their gas appliances checked if they stopped working. Unsafe gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. If it's been a year or more since your last gas safety check, you should book an annual boiler service in with our Gas Safe Registered team now.

The table below displays the top ten UK cities where the most unsafe gas appliances were found last summer.

City	Number of unsafe gas appliances
London	277
Birmingham	89
Coventry	45
Cardiff	41
Newcastle	38
Manchester	34
Sheffield	34
Norwich	33
Edinburgh	26
Nottingham	24

Other summer-related findings discovered that respondents were five times more likely to worry about being too hot (32%), suffering from hay fever (25%) or sunburn (20%) during the summer months than CO poisoning (6%).

As Jonathan Samuel, Chief Executive of the Gas Safe Register, reiterates below the summer months are the best time for boiler repairs as you won't be left in the cold during the downtime:

"The sun may be shining but that doesn't mean that checking your gas appliances can be left until later in the year when you may be cranking up your heating. Our inspections data shows that it doesn't matter what time of year it is, your gas appliances could still put your health and home at risk if it's not been safety checked recently. It's important that gas appliances are checked regularly, we recommend on an annual basis so that you can have peace of mind that they're working safely and efficiently whilst making the most of the great British summer."

Further findings from the Gas Safe Register research outlined that gas leaks, explosions and CO poisoning from unsafe gas appliances resulted in 201 callouts from emergency services last year.

Follow the Gas Safe Register's top tips to keep you and your family safe this summer:

• Know the symptoms of CO poisoning - headaches, nausea, breathlessness, dizziness, collapse and loss of consciousness
• If you smell gas or suspect a gas leak, call the free 24 hour national gas emergency number  - 0800 111 999
• Only employ qualified Gas Safe Registered engineers when having gas work carried out in your home - like us!

If you have concerns about your gas appliances or wish to book an annual boiler service, speak to our friendly team today! Either call us on 01295 224844 or complete our online quote form.