How Do I Get a Copy of my Gas Safe Certificate?

If you are a landlord and have gas on your property, you must get an annual inspection of gas appliances and an annual gas safety record. Under the gas safety regulations, it is a legal requirement in the UK. Gas is widely used in most parts of the world, mainly for heating and cooking. Mostly it is supplied to homes and commercial properties directly through pipelines, but also available in cylinders.

The gas safety rules and regulations equally apply to both types of gas supply. Ideally, gas is considered a safe energy source for homes and businesses. However, it has some potential risks as well. It can catch fire instantly when exposed to a flame or electric spark. It can cause an explosion in case of consistent leakage. It can be harmful to human health.

That's why ensuring your property's gas and gas appliances meet safety standards. It can be ensured by an annual gas safety check conducted by a qualified gas engineer. After successful inspection, the engineer gives a gas safety certificate, which proves that the gas appliances installed in the property are safe for use by the tenants.

Gas Safety Rules

Due to the potential risks involved in using gas appliances, it was felt necessary to regulate the installation and use of gas and gas appliances in homes. The relevant authorities in the UK formulated a law known as “Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998”.

The law aims to protect the residents from possible risks associated with gas installations, fittings, and appliances, such as flues, cookers, and boilers. It provides complete guidelines for the landlords, including annual gas safety checks and obtaining the gas safe certificate for their property. As per the provision of this law, landlords are required to ensure the following:

1. The landlords are bound to get their gas installations and appliances checked annually by a gas safety engineer registered with the gas safe register. The gas safe register is an official organization registering qualified gas safety engineers.
2. After completing the annual inspection of gas appliances, the gas safety engineer will provide the gas safety certificate to the landlord, which carries complete details of the appliances and installations checked by the engineer.
3. The landlords are bound to provide a copy of this certificate to the new tenant when entering into a lease agreement and within 28 days to the current tenants.
4. Only the registered gas safe engineer, mentioned on the official website of the gas safe register, is authorized to conduct the annual gas safety check. If the landlord gets this done by someone else, who is not registered with the gas safe register, it will be an illegal act on the landlord's part.
5. The gas safety certificate is valid for 12 months, and the landlord must renew it before the expiry date.
6. Landlord is also required to provide a copy of the user manual, often supplied by the manufacturers, to the tenants enabling them to know how to operate and maintain the safety of the gas appliances and what they should do in an emergency.

Amendment in the Law

The basic gas safety law, as discussed above, was amended in 2018 under the name “The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2018". Amongst various amendments, the most relevant for the landlords is the date of expiry and renewal of the gas safety certificate.

Accordingly, rule 36 was amended by adding sub-section 36A, which explains how to determine the expiry date of the current gas safety certificate. Before this amendment, the next date of expiry of the certificate was calculated from the date of inspection. After this amendment, the next date of expiry of the certificate will not be affected by the date of the new inspection.

The amendment allows the landlords to conduct the gas safety check within the last two months of the currency of the existing certificate. Still, it will be presumed that the inspection has been done on the expiry date. It means the expiry date will remain constant if the inspection is done at any time in the last two months of the current certificate.

Example: If the current certificate expires on 31st July 2023, the landlord can get the inspection done from 1st June 2023 to 31st July 2023. But the next expiry date of the certificate will be 31st July 2024.

Annual Gas Safety Check

The law binds the landlords to conduct annual gas safety checks for all gas installations and appliances, including boilers, cookers, hobs, flues, chimneys, and entire gas pipe work. And this needs to be done by a qualified and registered gas safety engineer.

The gas engineer needs to ensure the following:

• All the gas appliances are installed correctly, per the specifications provided by the manufacturers, and in compliance with the safety standards.
• All the appliances are working with the allowed pressure.
• Gas is burning entirely as per the required safety standards. Incomplete or improper burning of gas causes the generation of carbon monoxide. Hence this check is of vital importance for the safety of the occupants.
• Fresh air is abundantly available around the gas appliances. When gas is burnt, it consumes oxygen and produces carbon dioxide. Hence it is very important to ensure the supply of fresh air around these appliances to reduce the impact of this phenomenon.
• Check for proper ventilation. The exhausts and vents must be working perfectly. Chimneys and flues must be free of any blockages so that the harmful gases may vent out without any hindrance.
• Safety devices installed on the gas appliances must work per their specifications. This is important for the safe working of these appliances.
• Check for any leakages from any gas pipework or gas installations. Connections and joints should be perfect. There should be no damaged pipework.
• Most importantly, the engineer must ensure the gas installations are safe for use on this property and location.

Impacts of Non-Compliance of Law By the Landlords

The relevant laws bind the landlords to ensure the safety of tenants against potential risks associated with using gas and gas appliances, such as cookers, boilers, and hobs. The main thing required from the landlords is the annual gas safety check and obtaining a gas safety certificate for their properties.

So, if the landlord fails to produce the annual gas safety check record or gas safety certificate, he will be held responsible for non-compliance with the law. In this scenario, he will have to face legal proceedings, which may involve penalties, imprisonment, or both.

Further, consequences might be even more severe if there's a mishap due to any faulty gas appliance without a valid gas safety certificate. Apart from this legal obligation, it is also the moral responsibility of the landlord to ensure the safety of his tenants against any potential threat linked with the use of gas appliances.

Step-by-Step Guide for Getting a Gas Safety Certificate

First, you need to know whether you are required to get an annual gas safety check under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

• If you are a landlord and have rented out the property, you are legally bound to get the gas safety certificate after a successful annual gas safety check.
• If you are a homeowner and haven't let your property, you are not legally bound to get a gas safety certificate. But it is highly recommended that homeowners get their homes inspected annually for gas safety. This is in their interest, though not a legal requirement.

Engage a Qualified Gas Safety Engineer

Once you are convinced that you should get a gas safety certificate for your property, the next step is to hire the services of a qualified gas engineer. The gas engineer must be registered with a gas safe register. His credentials must also be available on the official website of the gas safe register.

Just search their website for a registered gas engineer near your location. Call him to see when he will be available for the annual inspection of gas appliances at your property. The inspection date is also convenient for the tenants, so consult him.

Prepare Your Property on the Agreed Date and Time

You must prepare your place for a smooth inspection of the gas installations and appliances well before the agreed-upon date and time. This may include:

• The property must be easily accessible by the engineer.
• You must be physically available on the property to complete the safety check without any problem. You may also depute any other responsible person who may act on your behalf if you are not available.
• Ensure all the installations and appliances are easily accessible by the gas engineer.
• Remove any obstacles and hindrances around the gas installations and appliances so that the engineer may do the required inspection swiftly.
• Keep all the user manuals the manufacturers may have provided when buying that appliance. The gas safety engineer might have to refer to these manuals to ensure the appliances are installed strictly per the specifications.

On the Day of the Gas Safety Check

Welcome the gas safety engineer and facilitate him to conduct a comprehensive safety check of all gas installations and appliances. It will include:

• Visual and general inspection of all gas installations and appliances.
• He may check the color of the flame in your burners and hobs. It should be clear blue. If on igniting the burner, the color is orange, it indicates improper burning of gas, which may need further inspection and removal of the fault.
• He will then check and record the gas pressure on each gas appliance. He will also check the flow rate of the gas in these appliances.
• The engineer must also check for gas leakages, especially at all connecting points and joints. A general examination of gas pipe work may also be done to identify if there’s any leakage.
• Emissions are very important. So, every appliance has to be tested for any possible emissions.
• The pressure vessel of the boiler also needs to be examined by the gas engineer.
• He also needs to examine the ventilation system of the boilers.
• The engineer will also clean the condensate trap of your boiler.
• A comprehensive inspection of the heating system is also a part of this annual gas safety check that includes checking of radiators as well.

Information on the Gas Safety Certificate

Upon completing the safety checks, the gas safety engineer will give you a gas safety certificate within 48 hours of the inspection if he is satisfied and convinced that all the installations and appliances are in perfect working condition. If he identifies some faults, you must rectify them as soon as possible and get the property re-inspected by the engineer.

The gas safety certificate proves that the gas appliances installed on your property have been checked and found safe for use. So, you need to check the information on the gas safety certificate. Usually, the certificate will show the following information.

• Complete details of all the appliances, which the gas safety engineer checked.
• The engineer's credentials, such as his name and registration number, will also appear on the gas safety certificate. He also has to sign this certificate with the date of inspection.
• It must also have the property's complete address, which the engineer inspected.
• Your name and address as the property's landlord, should also appear on the certificate.
• The engineer will also record the issues detected by him against each appliance.
• Finally, he will record the final result of the inspection on this certificate.
• This certificate will be valid for 12 months from the date of issuance and needs to be renewed in the 11th or 12th month before the expiry.

If you are a Tenant

The responsibility of conducting annual gas safety inspections rests with the landlord. If you are a tenant, the landlord is bound to provide a copy of a valid gas safety certificate to you within 28 days from the issuance of the certificate. If you are a new tenant, it is your right to ask for a valid gas safety certificate before entering into a lease agreement.

Conclusion

Gas appliances are a compulsory part of our life these days. You cannot imagine a home without gas cookers, gas boilers, and burners. Natural gas is relatively cheaper than other fuels and is also considered safe for home use. But at the same time, it also carries some potential risks, such as fire and explosion, if not used following the provisions of gas safety rules and regulations.

An annual gas safety check is one of the obligations of these rules and regulations. This is important for the safety of the users of gas appliances. A professional, qualified, and registered gas safety engineer must conduct the annual gas safety check. Upon completing this annual check, you will receive a gas safety certificate, which proves that the appliances installed on your property are safe for use by the residents.

So, don’t forget to do it immediately if not already done. Also, remember it needs to be renewed annually.