Top tips for gas safety
Always use a Gas Safe registered engineer to install, repair and service your gas appliances, including your:
gas boiler
gas fire, gas cooker or hob
central heating system, radiators or your hot water system, if they are connected to either a Natural Gas or LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) supply
Always ask for the card. Gas Safe registered engineers all carry a Gas Safe Register ID card. It shows you what they look like and what gas work they are qualified to do. It also gives you a unique licence number that you can use to check they are still on the register.
Only allow an engineer to work on your gas appliances after you have checked their Gas Safe Register ID card. If you have any doubts call 0800 408 5500 and quote the unique licence number on your engineer’s ID card.
If you suspect an engineer is not registered and working illegally, you should report it to Gas Safe Register using the 'Report an illegal engineer' service.
Check that your engineer is qualified to work on your gas appliance.
Not all engineers are qualified to carry out all types of gas work. Make sure you check the qualifications on the back of their ID card to make sure they are competent to work on your appliance. You can also check them on this website by using the 'Check an engineer' service in the right hand panel of this page.
If you have a complaint about work carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer, then let us know by using our complaints form.
Get your appliances checked once a year, or in accordance with your manufacturer's guidelines, by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Install an audible, carbon monoxide alarm. Fitting an alarm will alert you to the presence of the poisonous gas carbon monoxide, produced by unsafe gas appliances
If you think there might be a gas leak or notice any signs of carbon monoxide, act fast and follow the advice for gas emergencies.
visit www.gas-safe-hampshire.co.uk for a gas engineer in Southampton, Portsmouth, Winchester, Eastleigh and surrounding areas
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Monday, 1 June 2009
Telegraph article on Stoves
More people are switching to wood burning stoves which both cut costs and are carbon neutral.
One manufacturer, Charnwood on the Isle of Wight, has seen sales quadruple this year.
It's had to double its night shift to increase capacity and is now taking orders for next April.
"We've been inundated, we've never known anything like it" said spokesman Ced Wells.
The third generation family firm has found that some customers have completely replaced their gas and oil central heating systems in favour of wood.
"At the moment, that's the only problem" said Mr Wells, adding: "We export a lot of stoves to France where, in rural areas, every house has a log store. Here there's a bit of a problem at the moment in the distribution of wood.
"The Forestry Commission says there is plenty of wood available – it's just that distribution is patchy, but it's starting to improve".
The firm's stoves start at around £600 and rise to around £2,500.
Industry icons, the classic Aga and Rayburn, confirm demand is skyrocketing with sales tripling in the last five years.
A few years ago, Rayburn was considering discontinuing the wood burning model because it accounted for only a small fraction of sales, but now it represents over 50 per cent of their sales.
Recently the firm launched a system which uses solar power to provide up to 65 per cent of a home's hot water while saving up to 60 per cent on fuel costs. The firm says that using a wood burner for five hours a day will cost only 50p. A further incentive is that VAT on buying the stoves is 5 per cent instead of the standard rate of 17.5 per cent.
John Dabb, head of marketing for Aga claimed: "Wood burning Rayburns have gone from zero to hero."
The firm boasts a galaxy of celebrity clients – from Prince Charles to TV chefs, footballer Ronaldo to David Cameron and Jeremy Clarkson.
Meanwhile the Solid Fuel Association is lauding the health benefits of burning a mix of coal and wood which, it claims promotes healthy circulation of air in a house and minimises condensation and also gets rid of mold spores which can cause bronchial irritation.
The fire also uses the chimney to rid the house of other gases and particles in the air which may give rise to asthma and hay fever.
The Association's website claims "Medical research has demonstrated that people living in houses with solid fuel heating are significantly less likely to suffer from asthma and hay fever compared to those living in houses with other forms of heating".
On the question of patchy wood supplies it says that there are nearly 1,000 coal merchants, many of whom sell logs and supplies are also available from supermarkets, farmer's co-operatives and garage forecourts.
Finally, there's one word of warning. The National Society of Master Thatchers (NSMT) says that each year about 50 thatched cottages catch fire, increasingly because owners have installed wood burners that are too powerful for old chimneys.
In some cases owners, particularly of weekend cottages, have filled up fireplaces with the burners because they look more inviting that way.
Scientist Marjorie Sanders, chief executive of the society said "When these appliances are fitted into elderly chimneys with only a four inch layer of brick between the flue and the thatch, the thatch will be especially vulnerable to the risk of heat transfer and a consequent fire.
"People are trying to save money by using wood instead of fuels like oil and gas."
One manufacturer, Charnwood on the Isle of Wight, has seen sales quadruple this year.
It's had to double its night shift to increase capacity and is now taking orders for next April.
"We've been inundated, we've never known anything like it" said spokesman Ced Wells.
The third generation family firm has found that some customers have completely replaced their gas and oil central heating systems in favour of wood.
"At the moment, that's the only problem" said Mr Wells, adding: "We export a lot of stoves to France where, in rural areas, every house has a log store. Here there's a bit of a problem at the moment in the distribution of wood.
"The Forestry Commission says there is plenty of wood available – it's just that distribution is patchy, but it's starting to improve".
The firm's stoves start at around £600 and rise to around £2,500.
Industry icons, the classic Aga and Rayburn, confirm demand is skyrocketing with sales tripling in the last five years.
A few years ago, Rayburn was considering discontinuing the wood burning model because it accounted for only a small fraction of sales, but now it represents over 50 per cent of their sales.
Recently the firm launched a system which uses solar power to provide up to 65 per cent of a home's hot water while saving up to 60 per cent on fuel costs. The firm says that using a wood burner for five hours a day will cost only 50p. A further incentive is that VAT on buying the stoves is 5 per cent instead of the standard rate of 17.5 per cent.
John Dabb, head of marketing for Aga claimed: "Wood burning Rayburns have gone from zero to hero."
The firm boasts a galaxy of celebrity clients – from Prince Charles to TV chefs, footballer Ronaldo to David Cameron and Jeremy Clarkson.
Meanwhile the Solid Fuel Association is lauding the health benefits of burning a mix of coal and wood which, it claims promotes healthy circulation of air in a house and minimises condensation and also gets rid of mold spores which can cause bronchial irritation.
The fire also uses the chimney to rid the house of other gases and particles in the air which may give rise to asthma and hay fever.
The Association's website claims "Medical research has demonstrated that people living in houses with solid fuel heating are significantly less likely to suffer from asthma and hay fever compared to those living in houses with other forms of heating".
On the question of patchy wood supplies it says that there are nearly 1,000 coal merchants, many of whom sell logs and supplies are also available from supermarkets, farmer's co-operatives and garage forecourts.
Finally, there's one word of warning. The National Society of Master Thatchers (NSMT) says that each year about 50 thatched cottages catch fire, increasingly because owners have installed wood burners that are too powerful for old chimneys.
In some cases owners, particularly of weekend cottages, have filled up fireplaces with the burners because they look more inviting that way.
Scientist Marjorie Sanders, chief executive of the society said "When these appliances are fitted into elderly chimneys with only a four inch layer of brick between the flue and the thatch, the thatch will be especially vulnerable to the risk of heat transfer and a consequent fire.
"People are trying to save money by using wood instead of fuels like oil and gas."
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