Social landlords must comply with gas regulations to avoid prosecution....

Social landlords must comply with gas regulations to avoid prosecution in case of an explosion, says Matthew Lake

On average there are four gas explosions each year in the UK. The Health and Safety Executive might conclude that those explosions were the result of unavoidable and tragic circumstances.

However, if a death occurs the police might prosecute the landlord of the property - potentially even for suspected corporate manslaughter - if it discovers a breach of gas safety regulations.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 require landlords to protect tenants’ safety by ensuring regular inspections of gas appliances are undertaken by suitably qualified persons on the Gas Safety Register.

While a breach of the provisions may not be the cause of the explosion, this will certainly not assist a landlord which becomes the subject of a regulatory investigation following an explosion.

To ensure compliance with the regulations, landlords should undertake regular audits and maintain a register of those they employ to work on gas appliances and flues to ensure they are on the Gas Safe Register (which replaced the Corgi registration scheme from 1 April 2009).

For registered providers of social housing it will often be the case that they have entered into long-term service contracts before the transition from Corgi registration to the Gas Safe Register took place. Installers’ Corgi registration numbers were available to landlords at the point of registration on the Gas Safe Register so an audit should be a fairly straightforward exercise to undertake - but an important one.

Matthew Lake is a solicitor in the property litigation team at Weightmans LLP
matthew.lake@weightmans.com

Plumbing news - Energy efficient boilers and renewable technologies

Hove MP, Mike Weatherley and Brighton Kempton MP, Simon Kirby visited their local PTS trade counters to learn more about a range of technology and to discuss its wider importance to the UK economy with PTS managing director, Kelvin Stevens, and policy manager at the BMF, Brett Amphlett.

"It's encouraging to see newly-elected MPs taking a keen interest in how renewable technologies can improve the UK economy as we believe that more Government support and incentives are needed to really make this sector take off." said Stevens.

"This was a great opportunity for us to express our belief in the importance of taking emitted and embedded carbon out of buildings whilst communicating the concerns felt by the installers we talk to every day.

"As a nation we rate the worst in Europe for wasting energy, but by working with merchants like PTS, the Government can make renewable technologies more enticing for homeowners to adopt, which in turn provides a whole new revenue stream for the UK's plumbing and heating installers."

Mike Weatherley MP said: "We need to explain and persuade our constituents to carry out energy-saving work. With ever-increasing demand for electricity and other forms of energy, efforts on conservation and efficiency to combat fluctuating temperatures - and save money on bills - are incontrovertible".

The day was another in the Builders Merchants Federation's industry and parliament programme. Such visits bring MPs together with the building materials' supply chain to gain insight and understanding of each others' world.

For further information on trade discounts on boilers and energy efficiency contact Energy Smart

Scottish Boiler Scrappage Scheme - £1million in funding

Scottish Boiler Scrappage Scheme

Scotland has one of the most ambitious CO2 emission reduction targets in the world. The installation of an efficient heating system is one effective way of reducing your household energy bills and CO2 emissions. There are currently an estimated 250,000 homes in Scotland that have boilers of the least efficient type (efficiency of less than 70%).

To help address this, the Scottish Government has announced £1million in funding for the boiler scrappage scheme for owner/occupiers in Scotland. Scrappage schemes work by helping to meet the cost of replacing inefficient equipment with new more efficient alternatives.

What are the eligibility criteria?

What are the benefits?

Upgrading your boiler can result in:

•     Lower running costs
•     Reduced CO2 emissions
•     Lower energy bills

For example, this means that by upgrading an existing boiler with a SAP2005 efficiency of less than 70% to an Energy Saving Trust Recommended one, your household heating bill should drop by about a quarter – a saving on average of £190 a year, or £235 for a 3 bed semi-detached house.

•   You must be replacing a working boiler with a SAP2005 efficiency rating of less than 70% as detailed on www.sedbuk.com. If you wish to clarify if a system is eligible, please contact the Home Energy Scotland Hotline on 0800 512 012.
•  However, if you are aged over 60 and have a boiler that is not working but has a SAP2005 efficiency rating of less than 70%, you may still apply.
•  You must be installing an Energy Saving Trust Recommended (ESTR) boiler or a Microgeneration Certification Scheme accredited microgeneration technology. (Please note, an A-rated boiler does not automatically qualify as ESTR). You can find a list of ESTR boilers on our website or should you require further assistance please contact the Home Energy Scotland Hotline on 0800 512 012.

•   The property where the boiler is to be installed must be a domestic address in Scotland.
•   You must be the owner/occupier of the residential property (in Scotland) in which the new boiler will be installed.
•   You must have received a written/verbal quotation for your boiler replacement before making an application.
•   You must make an application and receive your voucher before having the boiler replaced.
•  Work on the installation must not have commenced before the date on which the rebate voucher is  received.
•  You have not received, nor will you be receiving, an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant or  home loan offer, and/or any CERT funding towards the installation of your new boiler.
•  The installer must be Gas Safe registered (for gas installation) and should be a member of a recognised industry body such as CLE, SNIPEF or OFTEC. Installation of a microgeneration technology must be carried out by a person qualified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme.

The scheme is now open for applications. see the following link for further information: Energy Saving Trust

Please obtain a written/verbal quotation from your installer before making your application.

For energy efficient boilers contact Energy Smart

PTS (Plumbing Trade Supplies) 320 PTS outlets stock 25 most popular spares

PTS continues its mission to make life as easy as possible for busy installers thanks to its ever growing spares service.

Since the launch of its own dedicated delivery service and the opening of the first standalone spares branch in 2008, PTS’ service now features six express delivery vehicles and 140 outlets, making it simple for customers to get the parts they need in the shortest amount of time. In addition to the branches which offer over 10,000 spares lines, all 320 PTS outlets now stock the 25 most popular spares so installers can get everything they need from one quick trip to their local trade counter.

Martyn Farrelly, Operations Director Spares, said: “We have had nothing but positive feedback from installers who now receive spares within hours of ordering, enabling them to honour commitments to their own clients. The express service allows orders to be processed immediately, with parts delivered to site on a daily basis for a unique ‘full time’ service which customers instantly reacted enthusiastically to.

“The whole growth of PTS’ spares offering demonstrates how listening to our customers is a vital part of who we are as a leading merchant whilst ensuring that we remain focused on providing services and product areas that are important to installers.”

For further information call PTS on 01455 551210, visit www.ptsplumbing.co.uk or text PTS or SPARES to 83332 to find your nearest branch.



For energy and cost efficient boiler contact Energy Smart today

Boiler news, make sure you have your boiler serviced regularly

Some interesting news worth reading...

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service was called to a thatch cottage in Winchcombe Road, Sedgbeberrow, to extinguish a boiler fire at 11.40am on Friday, January 14.

Four firefighters in breathing apparatus used two hose reels to put the fire - which started in the ground floor boiler cupboard - out by 1.45pm.

Station commander Mark Strutt said: “The occupants were alerted to the fire by a smoke alarm fitted in the cottage and had managed to get out themselves and save the family dog before we arrived.
“Knowing they were safe, our main priority then was to prevent the spread of fire to the thatched roof, and by cutting away and using a thermal imaging camera, we were able to contain the fire to the ground floor with only minor damage to the first floor.”

While the boiler at this property was relatively new, Station Commander Strutt advised that everyone should have their boilers serviced regularly to minimise the risk of fire.

He also stressed the importance of having a working smoke alarm fitted on every level of a house.

For Energy efficient boilers at the best prices in the market place save energy and stay smart with Energy Smart

Staying warm in winter - be Safe and Energy Smart

For very important information relating to staying warm and more importantly safe this winter please see the following information:

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Safety:
Any fuel-burning equipment or appliance, including wood stoves, fireplaces, space heaters, barbecue grills, furnaces, water heaters, boilers and ranges, has the potential to produce CO, a poisonous gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and non-irritating.
When breathed, CO combines with the blood and prevents it from absorbing oxygen. CO can be produced by incomplete combustion, often the result of improperly adjusted or poorly vented appliances. Annual check-ups of these appliances help ensure proper and safe operation of these types of appliances and equipment. To stay safe:
•    Have your gas central heating unit checked annually to make sure the heat exchanger is not cracked or rusted and that the burner area is clean.
•    Follow manufacturers' operating instructions properly for gas heating equipment.
•    Do not use stovetop burners or ovens to heat a room since they are not designed for this use.
•    Make sure to follow the blue flame rule. Natural gas flames should burn blue except natural gas fireplace logs which burn orange to have a more realistic wood burning look. Make sure the fireplace damper is open at all times when using gas logs.
•    Crack windows slightly if using unvented space heaters.
•    Consider buying a CO detector as another line of defense against CO poisoning. CenterPoint Energy recommends buying one with an audible alarm and continuous digital display; make sure it is tested to the national standard for residential CO detectors (UL2034 or IAS NO. 6-96).

If you smell gas:
•    Leave immediately and tell others to do the same.
•    Do not use electric switches, telephones (including cell phones), or anything that could cause a spark.
•    Call CenterPoint Energy from a safe location. Do not use e-mail or the Internet to contact the company about a leak, and never assume someone else has reported the leak.
•    Alert your neighbors. CenterPoint Energy checks suspected natural gas leaks at no cost to customers.
•    Never try to repair a natural gas leak yourself. Leave all repairs to a trained technician.

Vaillant ecoTec high efficiency boiler hits one million!

Energy Smart can confirm that Vaillant is celebrating the production of its one millionth ecoTEC high efficiency condensing boiler for the UK market, at its factory at Belper in Derbyshire.

The one millionth boiler produced was an ecoTEC plus 831 high efficiency combination boiler.
Vaillant is awarding £1,000 of holiday vouchers, shared equally by the householder and the installer of the one millionth ecoTEC boiler.

As every boiler has its own unique serial number, the winner will automatically be identified when registering their Vaillant boiler guarantee either over the phone, online or by post.

The Vaillant Group is an international family-owned company with a tradition of more than 135 years. In its core business of heating technology the company is the second-largest European manufacturer in this branch. In addition, the Vaillant Group is active in the branches of ventilation and air-conditioning technology.

For the best energy efficient boilers at the best prices in the market place contact Energy Smart today!