“With Gas Safety Week fast approaching, it brings a timely reminder of the collective duty across our industry to support safe installation, operation and commissioning of gas appliances. With routine servicing more critical than ever, there are four key priorities to address:
- With landlords being legally required to undertake an annual gas safety check which normally includes a service on the installed gas appliances every year, owner-occupiers face no such rule. Since the installed appliances are identical, I think the laws should be too. Regular servicing prevents costly mid-winter breakdowns whilst extending the lifespan of the appliance.
- For millions, the only reason to service their boiler is to extend warranties, but manufacturer small print shouldn’t replace national policy. Relying on commercial terms creates unnecessary risk and expense when poorly maintained boilers fail.
- Many modern UK homes are pairing boilers with air-to-air heat pumps to allow for cooling, while variable biogases in the grid can disrupt the consistency of combustion. Comprehensive checks are essential to keep these evolving, multi-appliance setups safe.
- The industry needs all-rounder installers who are trained across a diverse range of heating and cooling systems. Adding refrigerant skills to install and maintain air-to-air heat pumps will give a major competitive edge with ever-rising temperatures.
With at least another 10-15 years of gas upon us, it’s time to focus on regular appliance checks. It’s time to focus on the benefits of annual boiler servicing and inspections, from saving customers money to avoiding unnecessary callouts for installers.”
