Your landlord is legally obliged to carry out an annual gas safety check on all gas appliances they provide to make sure they are safe and in good working order. All gas appliances must be checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Reporting faults
If you notice any of the following faults you should report them to your landlord immediately -
- heat staining or sooting on gas fires
- water heaters or central heating boilers
- insecure gas fires and loose backplates
- broken radiants or other parts
- yellow flickering flames
If you can smell gas in your home, call the National Gas Emergency Service on freephone 0800 111 999 immediately and follow the instructions given which include -
- turning off the gas supply immediately at the meter or emergency control value
- putting out and not using naked flames, for example, candles
- not smoking
- not using electrical light or power switches
- opening doors and windows to ventilate the property
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide is -
- a poisonous gas
- which has no colour
- taste
- smell
Faulty gas and solid fuel appliances could cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Symptoms include -
- tiredness
- headaches
- flu-like symptoms such as nausea
- chest pains
- dizziness
- sickness
- diarrhoea
- stomach pain
If anyone in your home has any of these symptoms whilst a gas or solid fuel appliance is being used, stop using the appliance until it has been checked and get immediate medical advice.