How often do you check the gas and electric appliances in your house? If you're anything like us, the answer is probably 'not enough' – but now is the perfect time to run a home MOT.
Regulations company Gas Tag is urging homeowners to check their appliances over the summer months after a survey revealed a basic lack of safety knowledge among property owners.
According to the research, 66 per cent of homes in the UK have defective gas appliances and 40 per cent of smoke alarms don't work.
If that wasn't worrying enough, there are also over 1.1 million illegal gas installations carried out each year, putting the lives of millions of people at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, gas leaks, fires and explosions.
Gas Tag suggests getting a Gas Safe-registered engineer to come out during the summer months.
Stephen Ullathorne, co-CEO of Gas Tag, says, 'We all know how busy it gets at this time of year, but taking time out from our hectic schedules to ensure our appliances are safe could be a life-saver.
'Research tells us that fewer than five per cent of households put a gas safety check on their to-do list during the summer season, but it really should be the number one priority.'
Almost a fifth of households don't have their gas appliances legally checked, meaning that as many as 12 million people could be living with dangerous appliances.
The easiest way to ensure you're employing a trustworthy and legal tradesperson is to check their ID card and qualifications – and ensure that they're registered on the Gas Safe register.
