Why It Is Important to Choose a Certified Installer for Your Boiler
A new boiler is not a small investment, typically costing upwards of £2000 for parts and labour. It is not a quick job, and the cost of labour is likely to be as high, if not higher than the cost of the boiler itself. It is neither a quick or easy job to do, which is why it is a requirement by law that the installer is Gas Safe registered.
What is the Gas Safe register?
Hopefully, it will have been a number of years since you last required your boiler to be replaced, so you may be more familiar with the term CORGI registered. The Gas Safe Register replaced the CORGI system in 2009 (2010 in Northern Ireland), and has been running ever since. By law, all gas engineers must be on the Gas Safe Register, however, there are unscrupulous engineers who are not registered, or even worse, pretend to be.
In order to remain on the Gas Safe Register, engineers must undertake regular training and inspection, in order to ensure that both their knowledge and work are up to standards. The Gas Safe Register will investigate reports of unsafe gas work, both by its registered engineers and will also track down those who are not on the register and working illegally.
What are the risks of using an installer who is not certified?
The risks of using an uncertified installer are plentiful. At the lower end of the scale, the job they may be only semi functional. At the other end of the scale, it could be dangerous, or even deadly if their work is performed to a particularly poor standard. Other problems you may run into include work carried out by an unregistered gas engineer voiding the guarantee on your new boiler, or invalidating your insurance should it lead to any further problems.
Can I do the work myself?
No (unless you happen to be Gas Safe registered). By law, all gas work should be undertaken by somebody who is Gas Safe registered. However well you might think you know what you are doing, by undertaking the work yourself, you are exposing yourself and your family to the exact same risks as you would be by using any other uncertified installer. You may think you are saving yourself some money, but the risks are too high and it is just not worth it.
How do I know if the engineer I am using is on the Gas Safety Register?
The best way to check is by visiting the Gas Safety Register website where you can search for Gas Safety registered engineers by postcode - http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk. Registered engineers should also carry a card with them showing both their photo that they are a member of the Gas Safety Register. This is the sort of thing that you should ask them to show when they come round to do a quote for your new boiler. As this is the sort of thing that could be fraudulently duplicated, it is always worth checking the online records too, once you have chosen an otherwise suitable engineer.
