The Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM) has reported that one in five UK homeowners has never had a gas safety check carried out on the gas appliances in their home. The finding comes from a survey of UK homeowners commissioned by FariFix, published by IGEM in September 20231.
The survey found that 22% of respondents stated they had never had a gas safety check at home, while 14% said they could not remember the last time they had one. Half of those surveyed, 51%, said they were carrying out the advised annual check of their gas appliances1.
IGEM set the survey findings against Office for National Statistics data on accidental deaths from poisoning. In a single year, 43 people died from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, and a further 20 died from accidental poisoning by other gases and vapours, with 70% of those additional deaths occurring in the home1.
"While there is no legal obligation, a gas safety check is highly recommended"
The same data shows these deaths are declining. Accidental carbon monoxide deaths fell by 7% year on year and sit 46% lower than a decade ago. Accidental poisoning by other gases and vapours within the home fell by 13% year on year and has more than halved, down 52%, over ten years1.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Homeowners who have never had a gas safety check | 22% |
| Homeowners carrying out the advised annual check | 51% |
| Homeowners who cannot remember the last check | 14% |
| Accidental carbon monoxide deaths, single year | 43 |
| Accidental deaths from other gases and vapours, single year | 20 |
| Share of those additional deaths occurring in the home | 70% |
| Annual change in accidental carbon monoxide deaths | -7% |
| Annual change in accidental poisoning by other gases and vapours in the home | -13% |
Why it matters for households
A gas safety check is the point at which a faulty appliance, or one that is not burning cleanly, is identified before it produces carbon monoxide in a home. IGEM notes there is no legal obligation on homeowners to have one, which distinguishes the domestic position from the duties that apply to landlords. The survey indicates that roughly a fifth of homeowners have never had that inspection, and a further group cannot place when it last happened, so a share of the housing stock has no recent record of its gas appliances having been examined1.
Carbon monoxide is not detectable by sight or smell, which is why carbon monoxide and home heating safety rests on both appliance checks and detection. For a household, the practical consequence of the survey figures is that the safety of a gas appliance may be unknown rather than confirmed, and that this is more likely in homes where no check has ever taken place. The ONS figures show the direction of travel is downward, but they also record that deaths continue to occur, and that most of the additional deaths from other gases and vapours happen inside the home1.
What happens next
No further action, deadline or change to the rules is set out in the announcement. IGEM states that a gas safety check is highly recommended but that there is no legal obligation on homeowners to have one1. No date has been reported for any follow-up survey or for any change in the guidance.
Householders looking at the wider rules covering gas appliances at home can find them under regulation and policy, and the practical side of boiler and heating checks is covered in boilers and heating. Guidance on gas safety in the home and on where a carbon monoxide detector should be fitted sets out how detection fits alongside appliance checks.