One in 10 people are unaware they need to contact a Gas Safe registered heating engineer in the event of their gas boiler developing a fault or breaking down, according to a recent survey conducted by Ariston in association with a UK national newspaper. More worryingly, 27% of respondents said the credentials they would ask for would be evidence of CORGI registration – despite the Gas Safe Register having taken over as the registration body in April 2009.
The survey, conducted to coincide with Gas Safety Week 2018, presented respondents with a list of possible contacts in the event of a gas boiler fault which, in addition to a Gas Safe heating engineer, included a plumber, the gas board, CORGI or a local handyman. 11.33% did not select the correct option of a Gas Safe heating engineer from the list. Then, when presented with the question “What credentials do you ask for and/or check when contacting the above person?” 25% of those who had correctly stated they’d contact a Gas Safe heating engineer still specified they would ask to see their CORGI credentials. When analysing the total responses to the survey, a total of 27% of all respondents stated they would look for evidence of CORGI registration.
Commenting on the results, Victoria Gutierrez, Marketing Manager at Ariston said: “It is encouraging to see the majority of respondents are aware of the importance of using a Gas Safe registered heating engineer. However, there is still some confusion among consumers regarding installers’ safety credentials. Although all accredited gas engineers are on the Gas Safe Register, the fact that over a quarter of respondents to our survey still believe CORGI accreditation is required indicates more needs to be done regarding consumer awareness. At Ariston, we are committed to gas safety, which is why all our recommended installers are thoroughly checked – particularly when it comes to Gas Safe registration.”
Ariston opted to run a survey during Gas Safety Week following conflicting reports regarding the nation’s most trusted tradespeople, which also blurred the boundaries between a ‘heating installer’ and a ‘plumber’. Given that 699 deaths from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning have been recorded in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland between September 1995 and October 2017, gas safety awareness among consumers needs to remain top of the industry agenda.
Prior this survey being conducted, Gas Safe Register had already revealed only two in five people (41%) hiring a gas engineer were actually taking the time to check they’re letting a fully qualified professional into their home. Coupling this fact with Ariston’s findings, evidence suggests more needs to be done to raise public awareness and ensure lives are not being put at risk.
In response to this, Ariston has already added a consumer advice page to its website, while the company will also be conducting more gas safety focused initiatives during the forthcoming months.
Ariston’s “Be Gas Safe Aware” advice page can be found in the ‘homeowner’ section of the company’s website at: http://www.ariston.com/uk/Homeowner/be_gas_safe_aware
