Gas safety

Gas and carbon monoxide emergencies

If you smell gas or you are worried that carbon monoxide is escaping, contact the National Grid immediately on 0800 111 999 and our Repairs Contact Centre on 020 8356 3691.

Do not:

• smoke
• use matches
• turn any electrical appliances or light switches on or off
• use entry phones or door bells

Do:

• open all doors and windows
• turn off all gas appliances
• turn gas off at your meter

Gas safety checks

On average, seven people a year die in the UK from carbon monoxide poisoning. This is due to poorly maintained appliances, such as gas central heating boilers.

To reduce the risk of this happening in our homes, we carry out annual gas safety inspections and regular maintenance of all gas appliances. We also install carbon monoxide alarms.

Every year, we carry out gas safety checks for all our tenants. We check that the gas in your home is safe and won’t cause danger. We have a legal responsibility to do this.

We write to you to tell you the date and time of your gas safety check. Our gas safety registered engineers:

• service your boiler and any other gas appliances owned by us
• check and test your gas supply work
• carry out a visual risk assessment on any gas appliances owned by you, for example, gas cookers and gas fires to make sure they’re safe to use

To ensure everything is working safely, it’s essential that you have a valid gas safety certificate. You get this by having your gas safety check done every year.

If you don’t let us into your home to carry out an annual gas safety check, this puts you, your family, and potentially your neighbours at risk. You will also be in breach of your tenancy conditions, and we may take legal action to gain entry to your home.

See your tenancy conditions (PDF 3mb).

Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. It’s a colourless, odourless, tasteless, poisonous gas. There are some signs to look out for if there’s a build up of carbon monoxide in your home:

• yellow or orange rather than blue flames in the gas appliance
• soot or yellow/brown staining around or on appliances
• pilot lights that frequently blow out
• increased condensation inside windows

Early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can mimic many common ailments. They may easily be confused with food poisoning, viral infections, flu or simple tiredness. Symptoms can include:

• headaches or dizziness
• breathlessness
• nausea
• loss of consciousness
• tiredness
• pains in the chest or stomach
• erratic behaviour
• issues with eyesight

For more information, visit NHS – Carbon monoxide poisoning.

If you or your family experience any of the above symptoms and believe you may have been exposed to carbon monoxide, you should seek urgent medical advice. Contact your GP or call the NHS on 111.

If you think you have a build up of carbon monoxide in your home:

• call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999
• switch off the appliance and shut off the gas supply at the meter control valve
• open all doors and windows to ventilate the room
• visit your GP and tell them you believe you may have been exposed to carbon monoxide
• contact our repairs contact centre on 0208 356 3691 if you’re a Hackney Council tenant

To book your annual service, or if you have concerns about any of your gas appliances, contact our Gas Admin Team. You can contact them by calling 020 8356 8828 or emailing gasservices@hackney.gov.uk.

See Gas is dangerous look after yourself – information about keeping you and your home safe from gas and carbon monoxide (google doc).