Supporting Gas Safety Week:
12-18 September

UPDATE: Gas Safety Week has been cancelled due to national mourning. This blog has been kept here so you can refer to it for important information about gas safety. 

We are proud to be supporting Gas Safety Week 2022. It’s an annual week to raise awareness of gas safety and the importance of taking care of your boiler, pipework and gas appliances.

Like all landlords, we are legally responsible for ensuring maintenance and annual checks on gas appliances are carried out by a gas safe engineer, for your safety and that of the wider community. In order for us to do this, we require access to your home when these checks are due. At this point, any defects would be detected and immediate action taken.

Poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO is a highly poisonous gas that can kill quickly with no warning, as you cannot see, taste or smell it. It’s why it’s also known as the ‘silent killer’.

This year, Gas Safety Week focuses on the steps people can take to ensure they stay safe, including not attempting DIY on gas appliances and being aware of the warning signs of unsafe appliances.

Justin Chamberlin, Head of Asset Management at Raven, stresses: “It’s our job to make sure that our customers’ gas appliances are operating safely and efficiently. In some instances, people do not know the signs and symptoms of faulty gas appliances and carbon monoxide poisoning. We are strongly urging anyone who has been contacted by us to book an appointment at their earliest convenience.”

If your boiler is due for its annual check, we’ll be in touch to make an appointment. If you’ve already been contacted by our gas contractors Smith and Byford, please follow up on this asap to make that all-important appointment. You can contact them 24hrs a day on 0800 917 8335.

By taking care of your gas appliances properly, you are taking care of your home and your loved ones. Thank you for getting behind this campaign.

Please remember, if you smell gas or think there might be a gas leak

• Call the free 24-hour national gas emergency number immediately on 0800 111 999.
• Also, let us know by calling 0300 123 3399.
• Switch off all gas appliances.
• Open doors and windows.
• Evacuate and keep people away from the area.
• Turn the gas off at the control valve by the gas meter, this could be inside your home or fixed to an outside wall.
• Seek medical attention; you may have been affected by carbon monoxide poisoning.

DON’T create a flame using matches, a lighter or other source and don’t use electrical switches such as lights or plug sockets.

To keep you and your family safe, follow Gas Safe Register’s top tips: 

• Know the symptoms of CO poisoning – Headaches, nausea, breathlessness, dizziness, collapse, and loss of consciousness. Find out more > Carbon monoxide know the symptom.
• Buy an audible CO alarm marked EN 50291 – Follow the manufacturer’s instructions when installing the alarm, so if a CO leak occurs, you’ll be alerted to it.
• Look out for warning signs that your appliance may be unsafe, such as dark or sooty stains around the appliance, increased condensation, yellow lazy flames and pilot lights frequently going out.
• Make sure you leave vents unblocked as these are there to help your appliance work safely and efficiently.
• Only use gas appliances for their intended purpose – Don’t use an appliance for something it wasn’t meant for – for example, using a cooker to heat a room.
• Never attempt to work on a gas appliance yourself, always seek the help of a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.

See our website for more info on safety checks > Gas and electrical safety checks

See Gas Safety Week’s website for more information on staying gas safe > Gas Safety Week