Sanctuary are responsible, by law, for carrying out an annual service and safety check to any gas appliances, fittings and flues that are in use in your home.
Our gas service contractors should put a label on each appliance which shows the date it was last serviced. If this label is missing or if you have not had such a service in the last 12 months, please let us know.
Your safety is very important to us. You must allow us entry to your home to carry out this annual service and safety check – we take this very seriously. If you do not allow us in we may have to take court action to gain access or we may arrange for the gas supply to your home to be cut off. If we have to do this, you will have to pay any costs involved.
Gas Safety Advice
Sanctuary Housing Group aims to take all ’reasonable steps’, to ensure that gas appliances, fittings & flues are safe, in accordance with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations1998. Sanctuary Housing Group recognises its duty to undertake an annual gas safety inspection of all gas appliances in use, in any of its properties, regardless of ownership of said appliance(s), and that all safety checks will be conducted by a GAS SAFE registered engineer.
Every year about 30 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by gas appliances and flues which have not been properly installed or maintained. Many other people also suffer ill health. When gas does not burn properly, as with other fuels such as coal, wood or oil, excess carbon monoxide is produced, which is poisonous.
You can’t see it – you can’t taste it - you can’t smell it. Yet carbon monoxide can kill without warning in just a matter of hours. You are particularly at risk when you are asleep because you cannot recognise the early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. These include:
- Tiredness
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- Pains in the chest
- Headache
- Stomach pains
These symptoms can mimic many common ailments and may easily be confused with flu or simple tiredness.
Never use a gas appliance if you think it is not working properly. Signs to look out for include yellow or orange flames (except fuel-effect fires which display this colour flame), soot or stains around the appliance and pilot lights which frequently blow out.
- Never cover an appliance or block the convection air vents
- Never block or obstruct any fixed ventilation grilles or air bricks
- Never block or cover outside flues
Carbon monoxide alarms are a very useful back-up precaution but must not be regarded as a substitute for proper installation and regular maintenance checks. It is therefore extremely important that you grant access to our GAS SAFE registered contractors when an appointment for your annual safety check has been made.
If you do smell gas, or suspect there is a gas escape, you should immediately do the following:
- Open all doors and windows
- Shut off the gas supply at the meter control valve (if you know where it is).
- If gas continues to escape call Transco on the
Gas Emergency Free phone Number
0800 111 999
In the case of suspected carbon monoxide leakage, follow the above procedures, except if you are able to identify the specific appliance at fault. In this case you should contact your landlord who will arrange for a GAS SAFE registered engineer to investigate and make repairs.
Your Feedback
We are keen to improve the service that we provide to our residents and therefore actively seek feedback on all maintenance and improvement works – including gas servicing - that are carried out in your home. The main way that we collect this feedback is through our Customer Satisfaction surveys. The information that is gathered from these surveys allows us to monitor the performance of our contractors and make any necessary changes and improvements.