Liberty engineer attending to a boiler
Liberty engineer attending to a boiler

East Devon District Council is raising awareness of gas safety – with the aim of protecting the wellbeing of local residents and communities – by supporting Gas Safety Week.

Taking place between 9 and 15 September 2024, the annual initiative is run by Gas Safety Register, which manages the register of qualified gas engineers in the UK and inspects the work they carry out.

This year’s theme, Checking – Every Check Counts, focuses on the importance of regular gas safety checks, highlights the significance of checking all gas appliances, and encourages people to prioritise gas safety in their homes.

East Devon District Council’s Housing Service works closely with its contractor, Liberty, to perform annual boiler inspections at 3,142 council-owned homes. Additionally, the council and Liberty will deliver a presentation to residents on the importance of gas safety at an event on Friday 13 September 2024 from 10am to 12pm at Dunning Court in Honiton.

However, all tenants and homeowners in East Devon can do some simple things to take care of their home and loved ones, including:

  1. Getting gas appliances safety checked once a year and serviced regularly by a Gas Safe registered engineer. (Landlords should arrange this on behalf of tenants.)
  2. Always using a Gas Safe registered engineer, and ensure they’re qualified for the work, via the Gas Safe Register website.
  1. Checking for warning signs that could indicate your gas appliances are not working correctly, like lazy yellow/orange flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks on or around the appliance, a pilot light that keeps going out, too much condensation in the room, or error messages on the appliance’s control panel.
  1. Not blocking vents and flues that ensure gas appliances can work safely.
  2. Fitting and testing carbon monoxide alarms, which alert people in the home of the presence of deadly fumes.
  3. Being aware of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning: headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse, and loss of consciousness.

Councillor Dan Ledger, Portfolio Holder Sustainable Homes & Communities, East Devon District Council, said: “Residents’ safety is one of our top priorities, which is why we’re pleased to support Gas Safety Week and partner with Liberty to raise awareness the importance of regularly checking and maintaining gas appliances. I’d like to encourage as many residents as possible to attend our event in Honiton and use this opportunity to stay informed and stay safe.”

Karen Sloan, Managing Director for Heating and Compliance at Liberty, said: “We take pride in our work to ensure people’s gas appliances are operating safely and efficiently in around a quarter of a million homes across the country. Nothing is more important than staying safe in your home – that’s why we are supporting Gas Safety Week. We are here to help share simple tips with everyone in Honiton so they can spot faulty gas appliances or signs of carbon monoxide poisoning and take action to stay safe.”

Jonathan Samuel, Chief Executive Officer for Gas Safe Register, said: “This is the fourteenth Gas Safety Week and the theme for 2024 is Checking – Every Check Counts.  The week will encourage checking, in many guises, and shine a light on the importance gas safety in keeping ourselves and our community safe. Throughout Gas Safety Week, our partners, stakeholders and Gas Safe Register will share information to help everyone be gas safe, so I am very pleased to have the support of East Devon District Council to help share those messages, such as checking the Gas Safe Register to ensure your engineer is registered and qualified.”