Elderly and vulnerable Brits urged to make use of free gas safety checks as winter approaches

£200 million worth of potentially life-saving gas safety checks going unclaimed each year

Around £200 million worth of potentially life-saving gas safety checks offered free by the energy suppliers are set to go unclaimed this year, prompting the Gas Safe Register to launch a campaign today urging elderly and vulnerable Brits to find out whether they are eligible. 88% of elderly homeowners have never claimed a free gas safety check.

Safety experts advise householders to have their gas appliances checked annually to ensure they are running safely; if not checked people are at risk of gas leaks, fires, explosions or carbon monoxide poisoning.  Yet new research shows that while 1.9 million elderly people are eligible for a free check, only one in ten homeowners aged over 60 have ever claimed one.

Because people are more likely to be using these appliances in winter to heat their homes, with increased pressure on our central heating systems the next few months are potentially the most dangerous of the year.

Having a faulty gas appliance can also lead to inefficient and dangerously low levels of heating, which has experts extremely concerned; latest ONS statistics show more than 25,000 people die every year from cold-related illnesses, with nine elderly people dying every hour from cold-related illnesses.

To keep warm and safe this winter, Gas Safe Register urges people, particularly the elderly, to make sure they have well-maintained and safe gas appliances, because when a gas boiler, gas fire or heater fails, the average home can quickly drop to 16°C, the temperature at which hypothermia can set in. While younger people feel cold, it’s far more serious for older people, whose temperature can fall far faster and to dangerous levels. That’s why the energy companies offer free checks to the most vulnerable.

The UK has the highest winter death rate in Northern Europe, so Gas Safe Register is warning people to make sure their home gas appliances will see them and their loved ones safely through the winter. ONS data shows that the cold can cause or exacerbate illnesses such as high blood pressure, thrombosis or respiratory infections, as it weakens the immune system.

Listen to our podcast with Gas Safe Register’s Phil Brewster where he discusses the issue of gas safety.

For more information you can visit :www.gassaferegister.co.uk