Gas Servicing

Your Gas Safety Check
SBHA has a legal responsibility to carry out a gas safety check on the gas appliances in your home every 12 months.

What do we check?
The gas appliances checked will be the ones installed by SBHA, i.e. boilers, gas fires (not tenants own fires) and gas supplies.

The Association's contractor will also service the gas appliances to ensure that they are working efficiently and will continue to work effectively over the next 12 months.

The contractor will leave a gas safety certificate in each property to confirm that the check has been carried out.

Tenants' responsibilities
Tenants are responsible for getting their own appliances (gas fires and cookers, for instance) checked by a qualified Corgi engineer.

Who looks after the Gas Servicing?
We have an administration officer whose job is to run the gas servicing programme. We view this programme as an essential service for our tenants.

If you want to speak to someone about this service, please contact Repairs on 0800 074 2130.

What will happen if you don't let us carry out the gas safety check?
We make every effort to contact tenants and arrange suitable appointment dates. However, at times, a minority of tenants do not allow us reasonable access to check their appliances. If this occurs and remains unresolved, we are forced to take legal action against these tenants to allow us access to check the gas appliances.

Presently, legal action is pending against 20 tenants. One tenant has been taken to court, where the magistrate granted the Association access. The cost of the court case was £700 plus other associated costs which will be charged to the tenant concerned.

What can you do?
Please allow SBHA early access to check and service your gas appliances. It is for your safety and comfort. Failure to allow us access will result in legal action and a bill for the legal costs.

You can also win prizes!
Tenants who allow early access to our contractors are rewarded by being entered into a monthly prize draw where they could win vouchers worth £50, £100 or £150!

Gas Appliances
The main reason for allowing access to our contractors to check gas appliances is for your safety and the safety of your family.

According to the Health and Safety Executive every year 30 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by gas appliances and flues which have not been properly installed or maintained.

We don't want you to be one of these statistics. When gas does not burn properly, excess carbon monoxide is produced, which is poisonous. You are at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if your appliance has not been regularly checked for safety.

You can access the Health and Safety Executive site, for more information or leaflets in other languages.