Illegal gas fitters put lives in danger doing 250,000 gas jobs

NEW research on cowboy gas fitters in Great Britain reveals that they are doing a QUARTER OF A MILLION gas jobs each year. All gas fitters have to be Gas Safe registered by law. In the right hands gas is perfectly safe, but in the hands of an illegal gas fitter it can kill. So, how do you spot a cowboy gas fitter in Liverpool?

Cowboy gas fitters in Liverpool come in many guises. But, thanks to new research, Gas Safe Register has been able to develop an accurate profile of those most likely to be involved in illegal gas work for the first time ever.

* More than half of these cowboys are sole traders.

* As well as carrying out gas work, many also undertake plumbing jobs (90%), bathroom fitting (81%), kitchen fitting (67%), general building (43%) and electrical work (43%).

Beware of where you go to find a local gas engineer. Directories such as Yellow Pages and Thomson Local check for registration in gas categories, so few illegal gas workers advertise their services there compared to online and in some local papers.

Phill Brewster, Gas Safe Register’s national investigations manager said:- “Gas and cowboys do not mix, it’s a fact. 1 in 10 of the illegal gas installations we investigated in the last 9 months have been so dangerous that we had to disable the appliances straight away to make them safe. Over a 3rd were leaking gas, and almost half had faults that could lead to lethal carbon monoxide exposure. So, with our research showing that illegal gas fitters do 250,000 jobs in our homes each year, it’s worrying to think how many gas appliances out there have been left in a dangerous state.”

Gas Safe Register’s investigation team are searching out illegal gas fitters who are not registered. Phill Brewster explains things you should look for:- “Different types of gas work require different qualifications. Just because someone is qualified and registered to work on one gas appliance, for example gas boilers, does not mean that they are automatically qualified to put in a gas fire. If they do this, the work is illegal and potentially life threatening. The work that engineers can legally do is listed on the back of their Gas Safe Register card – it’s so important you check this every time you have work done.”

Gas Safe Register is also urging the public to report suspected illegal gas work, and to nominate their property for a free gas safety check if they have had gas work done in their home in the last six months.

Phill Brewster concluded:- “Don’t be intimidated asking your engineer for their Gas Safe ID card. If the engineer you’re employing is legal and qualified they will not hesitate to show you their card. If they do hesitate or make an excuse don’t let them work on your appliance until you are 100 percent certain they are qualified and registered to do the work.”

Gas Safe Register’s top tips to avoid cowboy gas fitters:-

always ask for and check the engineer’s Gas Safe Register ID card to make sure they are qualified to do the work. Don’t be afraid to ask.

nominate your property for a free gas safety check, which checks that recent gas work is to the correct standard

report suspected illegal gas workers to Gas Safe Register.

For more advice on avoiding illegal gas workers visit:- GasSafeRegister.co.uk/illegals or call:- 0800 408 5500.

How just parking our car makes us stressed, frustrated and angry

IF you drive a car there’s one thing you can’t get away from; at some time you’ll have to park it. And in our crowded country of over 30million cars, that’s not always an easy task. Now a new survey reveals nearly one in five motorists have difficulty parking and two thirds have given up and driven off because they haven’t been able to park.

Car insurance specialist, elephant.co.uk surveyed 4,200 motorists to find out how difficult and stressful they find parking. Overall 18% said they can rarely or never parallel park, with women motorists having a tougher time than men; 22% of women said they can rarely or never parallel park, compared with 9% of men. Far more women than men have also given up and driven off because they haven’t been able to park. 75% of women have done this compared with 50% of men.

elephant.co.uk’s research also shows that people find it harder to park if they are being watched or if another motorist is stopped waiting for them to manoeuvre. 66% said they find it more difficult to park if someone is watching from the pavement, while 73% said they find it more difficult if a car is stopped waiting for them to park.

Managing director or elephant.co.uk, Brian Martin, said:- “Our research shows just what a problem many motorists have with parallel parking and I think it’s something most people don’t like to admit to their friends, especially men.   Parallel parking is difficult enough to do when no one is around, but it seems to be made much worse if we are being watched. I guess we just don’t want to make a fool of our self.”

22% of motorists admit they sometimes have to get someone else to park their car for them. Again, women are happier than men to admit to this, 28% of women said they had resorted to this compared with 12% of men.  Many motorists (45%) also say they’ve given up trying to park tidily and knowingly left their car badly parked.

Parking even makes some people angry, with 1 in 5 motorists saying they frequently get angry because they can’t find a parking space.  But it’s not only the stress of being able to park that upsets motorists.

Having your parking space ‘stolen’ by another motorist can really get your blood boiling, and elephant’s survey shows this has happened to 56%. This sometimes spills over into an argument; 17% admit they have got into an argument with another motorist over a parking space.

Brian Martin, said:- “We all know what it’s like, you drive around looking for a parking space and just when you find one and prepare to manoeuvre into it, another motorist nips in and steals it. It adds to your frustration and you feel you’ve been shown contempt.  But is it really worth getting angry about? Surely it’s better for your blood pressure if you rise above it and find another space.”