Ariston survey reveals confusion among public concerning gas safety

Gas Safe Register became the registration body ten years ago, but still confusion reigns among consumers
Gas Safe Register became the registration body ten years ago, but still confusion reigns among consumers

One in ten 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 an independent survey conducted by Ariston.

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 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.

An eighth (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.

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.”

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 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.

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