Gas Servicing

Who is responsible for the annual gas safety check?

Rutcht is responsible for the annual gas safety check of appliances owned and installed by us. We keep records of the date your home was last serviced and a copy of the Landlords Safety Record. 

Inspace, our maintenance contractor will contact you before your next inspection is due.

What are the Gas Safety Regulations 1998?

Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) regulations 1998 we must:

• Ensure that we use only Gas Safe registered engineers to carry out work on gas installations
• Not permit a gas appliance to be used if we suspect it to be unsafe or inadequately ventilated
• Undertake an annual safety check on gas pipe work and appliances
• Keep records of all inspection defects and actions taken
• Provide tenants with records of gas servicing or safety checks

What is my responsibility as a tenant?

You must allow us access to your home to carry out maintenance or safety checks on appliances and/or flues that we provide for your use.

Failure to provide access is a breach of your tenancy agreement and will result in legal action to obtain access. Any legal costs incurred to obtain access will be your responsibility and recharged.

If you decide to install your own gas fire, you must first obtain permission from us and the works must be carried out by a competent Gas Safe registered engineer. Fitting a gas cooker does not require our permission, but must also be fitted by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

You must ensure that gas appliances you own are regularly maintained and checked by a Gas Safe registered installer at least once every 12 months. If you are in any doubt about the safety of any gas equipment it should be turned off and not used until checked.

If you are a new tenant, you will receive a copy of the current Landlord’s Gas Safety record when you move in and we will contact you when the next service is due.

Why it is important to check that gas appliances are safe to use

Most gas appliances need a chimney or flue to remove the fumes and to ensure that the fumes from the gas appliance are not mixed with the fresh air you need to breath.

Gas appliances need air to burn safely. With enough air, gas appliances produce carbon dioxide and water in safe amounts, which are normally taken away by a chimney or flue. However, a gas appliance will produce carbon monoxide if there is too little air or the chimney or flue is blocked.

What is Carbon Monoxide Gas?

Carbon monoxide gas is highly poisonous both to people and animals. It is difficult to recognise because it has no colour, smell or taste.

The danger signs from a gas appliance are stains, soot or discolouring around the top of a gas fire or at the top of a gas water heater or boiler. A conventional gas appliance should have a normal blue flame - not yellow or orange.

The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to those caused by other illnesses, such as colds or flu. However, if you suffer from unexplained headaches, chest pains, muscular weakness, sickness, diarrhoea, stomach pains, sudden dizziness when standing up, or general lethargy after using a gas appliance, stop using it, report to the Trust and go to your doctor.

How we make sure that gas appliances are safe to use

We have an annual programme to visit all properties with gas pipework or gas appliances to check they are safe to use. We only use CORGI registered engineers to carry out inspections or work on gas appliances.

We service and maintain all gas appliances installed by the Trust and we check all gas pipe work to make sure there are no leaks.

Where a gas appliance is suspected as being unsafe or inadequately ventilated, it is isolated to prevent it from being used. In addition, a warning notice is attached to the appliance.

Following the annual gas service, the gas engineer records the inspection or what work has been carried out and leaves you a copy of his report - this is called a CP12 certificate.  

What you can do to assist with the Gas Servicing & Safety Check Programme

The most important thing you can do is to allow us proper access to your home for a gas service or safety check to be undertaken.

• If you are unavailable when the engineer visits, please contact Inspace on 0800 012 1313 to make another appointment
• Make sure that you keep the appointment
• Stay safe and treat your gas appliances with respect by ensuring they are serviced each year.

What to do if you suspect a Gas Leak

If you suspect you have a gas leak in your home, then:

• Do not smoke or strike matches
• Put out any cigarettes or naked flames
• Do not operate electrical switches or door bells, they can cause sparks
• Turn off the gas supply at the meter
• Open all doors and windows to ventilate the affected rooms
• Keep people away from the affected area
• Act immediately by contacting the National Grid Gas plc (formerly Transco) Emergency Freephone line 0800 111 999

Useful Do's and Don't's

Do

• Familiarise yourself with the gas appliances in your home 
• Familiarise yourself with your gas meter and know how to turn it off in an emergency
• Use a fireguard if there are young children or elderly people in your home.

Don't

• Paint or adapt any gas fire or boiler case in your home
• Install a ceiling fan in a room containing a fire without first obtaining permission
• Tamper with any internal controls of a boiler
• Dry cloths on or around the fire or boiler
• Sleep in a room where there is a gas fire or back boiler unit installed
• Block any vents, as this will shut out fresh air that your gas appliance needs to burn safely