By law, we must arrange an annual gas safety check for all our tenants. We test all council-owned gas appliances, flues and pipework.

We’ll contact you to arrange a convenient time for our engineer to visit. We can offer evening or weekend visits if that’s more convenient for you.

It’s important you keep the appointment. If you cannot keep the appointment, contact us as soon as possible to rearrange it.

Not allowing us to carry out the annual gas inspection would be a breach of your tenancy agreement and could mean that we need to take legal action against you.

Possible gas hazards

Gas appliances need an annual service to make sure they’re safe and working properly. If something goes wrong with them, you may not notice, but here are some things to look out for.

Carbon monoxide poisoning

This causes symptoms including drowsiness, chest pains, sickness and stomach pain. If these symptoms come on suddenly when you’re using a gas appliance you should switch off the gas and seek medical advice. Carbon monoxide detectors will warn you of any leaks.

Gas leaks

What you should do if you smell gas or think you have a leak:

• switch off all gas appliances
• open windows and doors to let fresh air circulate
• do not use anything that has a naked flame or could cause a spark
• call the emergency gas team on 0800 111 999
• if you’re calling on a mobile phone, make sure you are outside the property
• be available to let the team in – they'll be with you within the hour

Unusual behaviour from your gas appliances

If you notice these changes in the behaviour of your gas appliances, there may be a problem:

• flames burning yellow or orange instead of blue
• soot staining on walls or ceilings above an appliance
• excessive condensation

If you spot any of these changes, call our building maintenance gas team on 0800 0281 870 for advice.

The Gas Safe Register

Check that your engineer is on the Gas Safe Register before they start work. All the gas engineers we employ are Gas Safe registered.

If you arrange for a private gas engineer to work on your non-council owned appliances, make sure they’re on the Gas Safe Register. Make a note of the licence number from their Gas SFE ID card and keep any receipts or documents they give you.

When your engineer arrives, they should show you their official Gas Safe ID card before starting work in your home.

Call Gas Safe on 0800 408 5500 or check the Gas Safe website to find registered engineers working in your area.

What to look for on a Gas Safe ID card

The front of each Gas Safe ID card should have a:

• photo
• start date and expiry date
• licence number
• security hologram

The back of the card should include information on:

• the kind of work the engineer is qualified to do, such as cooker, boiler or gas fire maintenance
• their qualifications

If you’re in any doubt, check the engineer is on the Gas Safe Register.

Engineers must be on the Gas Safe Register to legally perform gas work. If you suspect a gas fitter is working without a proper licence, use the online service to report an illegal gas fitter.