The All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group welcomes the new boiler scrappage scheme for London as it will improve gas safety

• Replacements must be installed by a Gas Safe registered installer.

• The All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group hopes that this initiative will encourage homeowners and landlords to have boilers in their properties serviced on an annual basis by a Gas Safe registered installer.

• The APPCOG recommends residents also invest in a carbon monoxide alarm.

The All Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group (APPCOG) welcomes £2.6m of funding that has been announced to enable homeowners and landlords in London to have any boilers that are functioning at 70% efficiency or less replaced. This will not only make homes in the capital more energy efficient, but also safer from the threat of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

This follows on from the 2015 APPCOG report Carbon Monoxide: From Awareness to Action, which called for UK government to introduce a boiler replacement scheme targeting the most dangerous appliances with a view to creating greater energy efficiency (available here).

As all installations will need to be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer, the APPCOG hopes that this scheme will raise awareness amongst participating owner-occupiers and landlords about the importance of regular servicing by competent persons, and that private landlords will keep proactively meeting their obligations under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations (1998) with regard to annual appliance servicing. It is also hoped that owner-occupiers will continue to ensure that their appliances are serviced on an annual basis. Frequent servicing by qualified engineers will ensure that homes are not only warm and efficient, but safe from CO, the ‘silent killer’.

The APPCOG recommends that all appliances – whether they burn gas, liquid or solid fuel - should be serviced on an at least an annual basis by a competent person. Additionally, all homeowners and landlords should install audible CO alarms compliant with British Standard EN 50291, as a vital part of a ‘belt and braces’ approach to prevent CO poisoning.

Key facts:

• Private landlords in England are required to have gas appliances serviced by a qualified engineer, according to the Gas Safety and Installation Regulations (1998).
• The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations (2015) for England require landlords to install CO alarms in any properties which contain solid fuel burning appliances. Additionally, in guidance released in October 2015, the Department for Communities and Local Government recommended that all “reputable” landlords should install CO alarms in all properties (more info).  
• The APPCOG recommends that all landlords and homeowners ensure that all appliances – whether they burn gas, solid, or liquid fuels – serviced on an annual basis by a competent person, and install an audible CO alarm compliant with British Standard EN 50291 as a vital back-up in the prevention of CO poisoning.