The what, why, and how of gas and electricity safety checks | Tenant news

With spring here, and warmer weather approaching, you’re likely using more appliances like fans, garden tools or an outdoor barbeque, so gas and electrical safety needs to be at the top of your agenda.

As your landlord, it’s our job to make sure that gas appliances, pipework and electrical installations in your home are safe to use and that’s why we carry out regular safety checks.

Safety checks matter

Gas and electrical systems naturally wear out over time. Every day wear and tear can see parts loosen or decline and in some cases, this can lead to serious problems.

We ensure your gas appliances like boilers or cookers are checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

You’ll get a Landlord Gas Safety Record, and we’ll deal with anything that isn’t working properly.

By law we need to ensure the electrics in your home are inspected every five years and we must complete an Electrical Installation Condition Report.

As part of the report, we assess your fuse board, sockets, light fittings and wiring to check for faults, wear and tear, or signs of danger.

All the checks help to keep you, your family and neighbours safe by spotting a potential problem before it turns into an even bigger one.

What we check

During a gas or electric safety check our engineers will carry out a series of checks to ensure everything is up to standard. For gas, this includes testing pipework and ventilation. For electrics, we’re looking out for overloaded circuits, damaged cabling, or poor-quality installations.

You can help by:

• Keeping your appointment and letting our engineer in when and where needed. If you can’t keep your appointment, let us know as soon as possible so we can arrange another.
• Making sure engineers can access all areas, especially where your boiler or fuse board is located.
• Not tampering with wiring, plugs or gas appliances.
• Reporting anything unusual — like smells of gas, buzzing sockets, flickering lights or a burning smell near plugs.

What to watch out for

With warmer weather comes the seasonal switch and fans, gardening tools, extension leads, DIY equipment and other appliances come out of storage.

Now’s the perfect time to:

• Check appliances for frayed cords, cracks or signs of damage before using them.
• Make sure plugs and extension leads aren’t overloaded.
• Register your appliances at registermyappliance.org.uk and check for recalls at Electrical Safety First.

If something goes wrong, act fast

If you smell gas, you and your family must leave your home and call National Gas Emergency on 0800 111 999 straight away. They are available 24 hours a day.

If there’s water leaking through a light fitting or a socket smells like it’s burning, turn off the power at your fuse board and call us immediately.

Your safety is always our top priority. These checks are here to protect you — and by working together, we can make sure your home stays safe, all year round.

For more health and safety information, visit www.habinteg.org.uk/health-and-safety.

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