Annual safety inspections
Right of access for safety inspections
Once a year, we must inspect certain appliances within your home to ensure that they are safe. You must allow our contractors access to your home for us to carry out these safety checks. Please do not ignore our requests to arrange these inspections. If you do ignore our requests to arrange access, we will be forced to legally gain access into your home, and you will incur additional charges. Below are the annual safety checks we currently carry out:
- Gas safety inspection
- Solid fuel heating system inspection
- Electrical safety inspection
Gas safety inspection
If your property has a gas supply, you will be subject to an annual gas safety inspection.
Gas safety in your home is important to us and we must make sure that all gas appliances, flues and pipework within your home are safely maintained and checked once a year to make sure that the system is working efficiently and that your gas bill is kept to a minimum.
Please remember these key points for your annual gas safety inspection:
- You must allow access if you have a gas supply pipe, gas central heating system or a gas fire provided by us in your property
- We are legally obliged to conduct an annual gas safety inspection on all these appliances within 12 months of the previous safety check
- DALEX are our approved contractors. They will contact you in advance of the due date of your next gas safety inspection to advise you when they intend to carry out the check. They will provide you with contact details if you wish to make alternative access arrangements
Smell gas?
If you suspect a gas leak or smell gas:
- Turn off the gas appliance and isolate the gas at the meter
- Open all doors and windows so the gas can escape
- Put out cigarettes and do not use naked flames
- Do not touch electrical switches
- Phone the National Gas Emergency Service immediately by dialling 0800 111 999 and they will attend within one hour
If the emergency service engineer shuts down your gas system to make it safe please contact our gas contractor Dalex on 0800 038 5599. Dalex will then arrange a visit to fix your gas system. They will usually have your gas system repaired within 24 hours.
Solid fuel heating system inspection
If your property has a solid fuel heating system, you will be subject to an annual safety inspection.
The safety of your solid fuel heating system is important to us and we must make sure that the heating system, chimney, flues, fire alarms and carbon monoxide detector are working within your home and are safely maintained and checked once a year to make sure that the system is working efficiently and to minimise your fuel bill.
Please remember these key points for your annual solid fuel heating system inspection:
- You must allow access if you have a solid fuel heating system provided by us in your property
- We are legally obliged to conduct an annual solid fuel heating system safety check on all such appliances within 12 months of the previous safety check
- DALEX is our approved contractor. They will contact you in advance of the due date of your next solid fuel heating system inspection, to advise you when they intend to carry out the check. They will provide you with contact details if you wish to make alternative access arrangements
What do I do if my carbon monoxide detector goes off?
- Open all doors and windows – The first task is to open all of the doors and windows in your home to try to clear some of the deadly gas.
- Turn off all fuel-burning appliances and leave your home – Once you’ve done what you can to ventilate your home, turn off all of your fuel-burning appliances, such as boilers and fires, and leave the house. Regardless of whether you feel ill or well, remain outside until you’ve spoken to a doctor or called the emergency advice line.
- Don’t switch on the lights, smoke or strike a match once the alarm has sounded – if there are gas appliances in your home you should avoid switching on the lights, smoking or striking a match (to light a candle for example).
- Seek medical advice – If you feel ill or exhibit any of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning after your alarm goes off, contact your doctor immediately or call 999 for an ambulance. Call the Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 if you believe your carbon monoxide emergency was caused by a gas appliance. If you use solid fuel to heat your home, call Oftec on 01473 626 298.
- Arrange to have your appliances serviced – If your boiler, heater, stove or fire is producing dangerous levels of carbon monoxide there’s something wrong with it and it will need to be serviced by a professional.