Established in 1962, Worcester Bosch, the leader boiler manufacturer in the UK, today reveals how a lack of regular boiler maintenance and servicing by much of the nation will put families at risk this winter. The Gas Safety survey reveals that half of the nation has never asked for the service history of a boiler upon moving into a new house, with 18 per cent believing that servicing is unnecessary until a boiler breaks down, leaving a home without heating or hot water.
Worcester Bosch conducted some research regarding peoples attitudes to heater maintenance and it showed that, more than one in ten homeowners do not think they are placing their family at risk if they do not get their boiler serviced. This is despite the fact that breakdown in winter could have severe implications for people such as the elderly, with the cold potentially leading to serious health problems.
Often, a boilers warranty is invalidated if it is not serviced at least once a year, meaning that a significant number of UK homes may have lost this opportunity. This could cause problems for much of the population, particularly millennial, of whom over a third said they would wait for their boiler to break down before servicing it. However, for those who do choose to have their boiler serviced, it is claimed that 6 in 10 people would still prefer a CORGI registered engineer, and 58% of consumers still believe that CORGI registration is a must-have when choosing a gas engineer, despite them no longer being the official register of gas engineers – having been replaced by the Gas Safe Register in 2009. Research showed that having a CORGI registered engineer is of more influence than one recommended by a friend or family member. This is down to the fact that they demonstrate experience of the individual gas engineers, have positive online reviews and even receive manufacturers accreditations.
Top Tips for Gas Safety at home
According to the Gas Safety Week website, there are five steps that you can take to keeping you safe and warm in your home this winter. Firstly you must ensure that all of your gas appliances are checked every year by a Gas Safe Registered engineer. (If you rent, you can ask your landlord to arrange this for you or ask for a copy of their current Gas Safety Record. Ensure you check your engineer’s Gas Safe Register ID card to ensure that they are qualified to do the work you are requiring them to do. You can find this information on the back of their card that they should have
with them. Follow the link here to ensure that your engineer is Gas Safety Registered or call 0800 408 5500They also recommend you know and understand the six signs of Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning, which can be anything from headaches and dizziness to being breathless, feeling sick, collapsing and loss of consciousness. If you have unsafe or unchecked gas appliances, you can be at risk of CO Poisoning, Gas leaks, fires and explosions. To help prevent this happening to you, you could fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm, which alerts you when there is any carbon monoxide in your home. You are able to able to check for warning signs on your gas appliances that show if they aren’t working properly, for example – a tired looking yellow flame instead of a crisp blue one, any condensation in the room or even black marks on or around the gas appliance.
‘Must-haves’ when choosing a gas e
ngineer
- Gas Safe registered – 64% said this is a ‘must-have’
- CORGI registered – 58% said this is a ‘must-have’
- Highly recommended by people I trust – 42% said this is a ‘must-have’
- Lots of relevant experience fixing my problem – 37% said this is a ‘must-have’
- Positive online reviews – 32% said this is a ‘must-have’
- Accredited by the manufacturer of my appliance – 28% said this is a ‘must-have
It is clear that the UK’s population don’t realise the risks of ignoring their boiler, with one fifth of men and nearly one sixth of women in the nation believing that their money could be spent better elsewhere. Ahead of this week’s Gas Safety Week, Worcester Bosch highlighted that heating maintenance should not be taking lightly. New homeowners should be especially vigilant, as many Brits that have recently moved into a new house could have a boiler that has not been serviced for well over the recommended time of one year and some perhaps, never.
Martin Bridges, Director of Technical Communication and Product Management at Worcester Bosch, stated that he is concerned that people in the UK are heightening the risk of discomfort in their homes. “It is extremely important to understand the importance of servicing your boiler. Not only doesn’t an annual service ensure the boiler is running smoothly, you could be subjecting yourselves and your loved ones to safety risks, particularly with older, open flue boilers”
As we approach Gas Safety Week this week Worcester Bosch is demonstrating to homeowners across the UK just how important it is to regularly service their boilers and the importance of boiler maintenance in advance of the winter months. For more information, you can look at their website here.
