Back in September, the Gas Safe Register (GSR) launched its first ever safety week to raise awareness of gas safety. As we battle through the winter months, the number of boiler breakdowns continues to escalate during the industry’s busiest period, leading to the potential of more and more people instructing the services of unqualified boiler engineers. These so called “cowboy” installers continue to operate up and down the country, putting lives at risk by undertaking unsafe gas work in thousands of UK homes.

Homeowners need to be more aware of the dangers imposed by rogue heating engineers. Incorrectly fitted and poorly maintained gas appliances could lead to injury or death in a gas explosion or exposure to carbon monoxide, which could also result in loss of lives.

According to the GSR – which is the official gas registration body for the UK – there are somewhere in the region of 7,500 cowboys who operate illegally nationwide, accounting for approximately 250,000 illegal jobs annually.

To highlight their warning, a survey of boiler installations carried out by “rogue” installers in London revealed a massive 79% of boilers fitted were either a risk or “immediately dangerous”.

As head of field operations for the GSR, Ross McTaggart said the most feasible way to stamp down on the illegal activities is by enlisting the help of consumers.

“These traders are putting people’s lives in danger. We need to raise awareness of this and urge people to make sure they check a fitter’s credentials,” he said.

Over the weekend Trevor Wallwork and his two young children have become the latest fatalities of the silent killer as they sat watching television at their remote bungalow in Co Sligo, Ireland.

Mr Wallwork’s step-daughter Vicky Barnes, 22, discovered their bodies of fifty-two year old Trevor and daughter Kim, 12 and Harry, 9, when she called at the property after failing to contact the family late on Sunday night.

Gardai (Irish police) are currently investigating the deaths, however it will be a number of weeks before toxicology tests will be completed. An autopsy has indicated that carbon monoxide poisoning was responsible for the fatalities, believed to have been attributed  to an open coal fire.

Forensics officers are continuing with their investigations, including establishing what ventilation there was in the sitting room, where all three members of the family were discovered in a sitting room, which was being heated by a coal fire. A gas container was also found linked to a heater in the hallway.

The triple tragedy has left the local community reeling, made even more tragic given Mr Wallwork’s wife Susan is currently battling cancer.

Every year at least 50 deaths are attributed to the poisonous gas. A faulty boiler or a gas fire are the most common suspects for carbon monoxide poisoning in the home.

The operation has seen crews paying a visit to more than 20,000 homes to record the levels of carbon monoxide present in the properties.  Some 17,649 properties were targeted in Merseyside, and of those a worrying number – 15,576 to be precise – did not have a carbon monoxide alarm fitted.

As part of the study – which aims to give a clearer understanding of carbon monoxide poisoning and its deadly effects – around 1,200 homes in Liverpool will receive free carbon monoxide alarms, which will enable readings to be taken every two minutes over a two week period.

The study is set to be the biggest of its kind ever undertaken in the UK, with previous similar research only ever having tackled 500 or 600 properties.

Dr Andrew Shaw, of Liverpool John Moores University said the study was very important because it will show exactly how many homes do not have carbon monoxide alarms fitted, which in turn will provide a true figure when it comes to the potential risk of CO poisoning.

“The impact on people’s health may well be underestimated because of this lack of knowledge,” he added.

Every year around 50 people die as a result of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, which can be omitted from a faulty boiler or a gas fire. Unfortunately, because the gas is odourless and colourless, it is extremely hard to detect. Which is why every home should ensure that their gas appliances and central heating systems are properly fitted and maintained, and why CO detectors are as vital as smoke alarms in the home.

Customers now have until 31 March 2012 to take advantage of a new boiler under the scheme, which applies to selected models in their popular Greenstar range.

In a move designed to further reinforce the company’s reputation for manufacturing products that are high in reliability and quality, Worcester Bosch have chosen to offer an extended five year guarantee across their Greenstar CDi and Si boiler range; a range which won the CORGI Boiler Of The Year award for three consecutive years running.

Giving more peace of mind to customers, instead of the standard two year guarantee, for a limited period Worcester Bosch boilers are sold with an additional three year warranty on top.

Models which qualify for the extended warranty include the Greenstar CDi combi, Greenstar Highflow CDi combi and the Greenstar Si combi.

“Quality and reliability are strongly associated with our brand and it is widely recognised that our products are chosen because the call out rate following the installation is so low,” said Martyn Bridges, director of marketing and technical support.

As the UK’s voice for gas safety, the Gas Safe Charity has launched a new scheme which not only aims to raise awareness but also hopes to educate people in terms of what can be done to prevent CO poisoning.

With carbon monoxide poisoning attributing to 50 accidental deaths annually – not to mention around 200 non-fatal poisonings and somewhere in the region of 4,000 visits to A&E – as well as providing gas safety information, the scheme will also be handing out free CO2 detectors to 10,000 families.

Prevention is always better than a cure, and aside from fitting audible CO2 alarms, there are various other preventative measures that householders can implement to stay safe. Things you need to know should include being aware of the symptoms to look out for; making sure your fuel-burning appliances, such as your boiler, are serviced regularly; maintaining good ventilation in rooms and ensuring flues and chimneys are regularly swept.

The ‘Be Gas Safe’ programme is calling on local organisations to get involved to help deliver the awareness campaign across the UK. Organisations interested in taking part have until 6 January 2012 to submit their interest.

Established in 2009 by the Gas Safe Register and the Health and Safety Executive, the Gas Safe Charity has teamed up with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents to deliver the program.

“Gas Safe Charity is delighted to be working on this new carbon monoxide programme with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents,” said the charity’s chairman, Les Philpott.

“Awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide has been improving in recent years, but the number of CO poisoning cases still being recorded shows there is no room for complacency,” he added.

To learn more about the scheme, or to get involved, visit www.carbonmonoxidesafety.org

One such victim was 31-year-old Katie Haines, who died from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning at her home in Wokingham, Berkshire in December 2009.

Almost two years on from her untimely death, Katie’s family have been speaking out about their devastating loss to highlight the hidden dangers of the highly toxic gas. As her mum, Avril Samuel explains:

“People think carbon monoxide poisoning happens in bedsits or in run-down hotels abroad. Katie’s death shows it happens in the UK – and in greater numbers than people realise.

“It really is the silent killer because there’s no smell and you can’t see it,” said Avril, 60, in an interview with the Daily Mail.

According to figures released by the Department of Health, one person perishes every week in the UK due to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, with another 4,000 treated in hospital. But more and more people could be living with the effects without even realising it.

Symptoms – often mistaken for the common flu – include headaches, dizziness, tiredness and nausea. In more serious cases, repeated exposure to carbon monoxide gases can cause depression, chest pains and personality changes, some types of dementia and even death.

An inquest heard how the boiler at the property Katie shared with her husband Richard had been flagged as being ‘at risk’ following an earlier boiler inspection.  However the couple continued to use the faulty boiler, unaware of the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning. Katie died after being overcome by an invisible cloud of carbon monoxide as she took a bath one evening, downing after hitting her head as she fell.

Carbon monoxide gases are produced when fuel that has been lit doesn’t have enough oxygen to burn properly, which causes the highly toxic gas to be produced instead. When it comes to this silent killer, prevention is key. And that means making sure your home is fitted with a carbon monoxide alarm, which, for around £20-£30, can be purchased from any well known high street DIY store.

According to research conducted for the national Carbon Monoxide – Be Alarmed campaign, almost two thirds of people in the UK don’t have an audible carbon monoxide alarm. Katie’s family hope that by speaking out and sharing their story, it will help raise awareness of the dangers surrounding what has become known as the silent killer.

Katie’s family have set up a charity in her memory, the Katie Haines Memorial Trust, which promotes awareness of carbon monoxide.

Most households in the UK would love to save energy. A mild November is likely to have eased the pressure on consumer bills this winter, but the cold weather is surely not far away. Cold weather means turning up the central heating, which in turn means more money will be spent on gas central heating. Coupled with sunless days and starless nights, households could also spend a small fortune on electricity.

Electricity-saving plugs and devices promise to reduce energy consumption to a mere trickle – enough to keep the kettle boiling over but no more than is absolutely necessary. Could these electronic wizards fool energy companies and release households from fuel poverty? In a word, no.

The TSI has warned members of the public that bogus electricity-saving plugs are not only completely useless at saving energy, but they might also be dangerous, posing a serious fire risk. Costing £99, one such device, which is claimed to save up to 40 per cent on energy bills, is proving a source of frustration for TSI staff.

Ron Gainsford, the Chief Executive of TSI, commented: “Consumers are warned not to use the product as they pose a risk of fire and electrocution and a safety recall has been issued for the items traced so far”.

Mr Gainsford added: “Unscrupulous criminals are using the rising energy prices as an opportunity to lure cash-strapped consumers. Elderly people seem to have been deliberately targeted. The number of complaints we are currently dealing with is bound to be only the tip of the iceberg”.

Not a single Christmas goes by without the elderly being targeted in some dodgy scam or another. If it is not milk-based driveway ‘sealant’, it is a poorly crafted conservatory, Ponzi scheme or the secret to eternal youth. This year, the golden ticket appears to be in the form of energy-saving devices, which are more or less useless even when they are not wired up dangerously.

Making sure your hot water tank and pipes are properly insulated can help to reduce energy bills, as can installing a new energy efficient condensing boiler, ensuring your loft space is sufficiently insulated or getting double glazing fitted.

With the launch of the non-domestic phase of the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (RHI) last week, RenEnergy is on hand to help people save money and reduce their carbon output by switching to green heating.

“I am delighted to announce the launch of our dedicated biomass team,” said Damian Baker, RenEnergy’s managing director.

“We expect to see demand for renewable heat to grow enormously in the next few months as people take advantage of the subsidy,” he added.

Under the RHI scheme, people are paid to generate their own renewable heat. The type and size of the renewable technology will determine how much, but if you were to install a biomass boiler less than 200kW in size, you would earn 7.6p for every kilowatt hour.

RenEnergy provides home owners, farmers and businesses with a range of renewable energy technologies. Heading up their biomass team is Project Manager Pierre Delhougne and Technical Sales Consultant Adam Groves, who have sixteen years of renewable heating experience between them.

The domestic side of the RHI scheme is set to be introduced next Autumn.

In 2010, the Government introduced the boiler scrappage scheme to much success. In fact, without the scheme, 61% of households would not have taken the opportunity to replace their old energy inefficient boiler.

Fuel poverty is a growing problem and during these tough economic times, with high levels of unemployment and householders struggling to meet the demands of rising gas central heating and electricity bills, it’s becoming imperative that we try to find ways to save money.

Saving energy means saying money. It’s as simple as that. And one way to do that is to swap that old energy-sapping boiler for an A-rated energy efficient boiler. However many homeowners, already struggling to pay their bills, simply cannot justify the upfront costs needed for a new boiler. Which is why the boiler scrappage scheme is worth its weight in gold.

Calling for the need to reinstate the scheme – which is currently working well in Scotland – the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council, a division of the Society of British Gas Industries (SBGI), has appealed to Chancellor George Osborne to include the measure as part of his Pre Budget Report, due on 29 November.

According to the SBGI, on average householders’ bills are reduced by £290 a year through the installation of an energy efficient boiler. With the first boiler scrappage scheme resulting in the scrappage of 118,618 boilers – which resulted in £34 million of bill savings annually -that’s a saving not to be sniffed at.

“Given the state of our economy, the Boiler Scrappage Scheme is a real no-brainer,” said SBGI chief executive Mike Foster, adding that the scheme raises money for the Treasury, protects British jobs in the industry and helps people to cut both their fuel bills and greenhouse gas emissions.

HHIC is committed to promoting and supporting sustained growth of the domestic heating and hot water industry in the UK.

The Penarth engineer was called out to investigate a gas leak in an office block, but fell victim to the silent killer as a result of faulty boiler work that had been carried out the day before.

A Cardiff magistrates court has heard how experienced heating engineer John Courtney – employed by Wales and West Utilities – attended the scene at Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay, on 22 October last year.

During the court proceedings it was revealed that the fire service investigated the cause of the suspected leak and discovered, over an eight-hour period, levels that were more than 16 times the maximum safe CO level.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched an investigation into the cause, and found the gas valve had been adjusted incorrectly, causing the boiler to produce a high level of carbon monoxide.

Lewis John Rees and Christopher Bates of BR Greenwell Heating and Plumbing Services in Llantrisant had visited the premises on 21 October to repair an open flue gas boiler and to fit a new gas control valve. They pleaded guilty to breaching Gas Safety Regulations and were handed a fine of £5,000. They were also ordered to pay £8,000 in costs.