There will be always be dubious individuals who will offer to do jobs for people, though they are unqualified. One particularly alarming example of this is the increase in cowboy gas engineers. The consequences of employing these unqualified workers may not only be serious, but, in some instances, fatal.
Because of the UK recession many households are looking to cut back on expenditure, and the unscrupulous are seeing this as an opportunity. Supposed gas engineers, who offer cheap prices, are well aware of how many people are struggling to make ends meet, and they will offer to do work at seemingly favourable prices. Unfortunately, the saying “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” comes to mind.Gas engineers who carry out work, though not properly qualified, are actually breaking the law. The Gas Safe Register, which used to be known as Corgi, is a regulatory body for gas engineers working in the UK. It’s a legal requirement that all gas engineers must be on the Gas Safe Register to carry out work in the UK, Isle of Man and Guernsey. On the Gas Safe Register website it’s easy to search for businesses that only employ legitimate gas engineers in your area. This can be done just by typing in your postcode, and there is also a name search facility. It’s always advisable to only employ a gas engineer on the Gas Safe Register, or to use an engineer you’ve used in the past, who you know is fully qualified.
All engineers who are registered on the Gas Safe Register have the necessary qualifications to carry out work on boilers, cookers, fires, and gas appliances generally. The Gas Safe Register has protecting the public from unsafe work at the top of its agenda. The Register checks its members regularly – which number 123,000, and it investigates any reports of unsafe work. There is also a strong focus on establishing where illegal gas engineers are operating. In addition, the Gas Safe Register helps the public to protect themselves by way of education, and found on the Gas Safe Register are many safety tips. These may well prove to be useful, especially in the event of problems caused by employing unqualified gas workers.
The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC) website is also worth checking, and it complements the Gas Safe Register site. The APHC is the trade body for highly efficient heating and plumbing contractors. This site has a search facility for consumers to find qualified gas engineers in their area, that includes postcode, town, area of work/business name.
For all work carried out in your home by a gas engineer always ask for a photo ID and their membership number. A genuine gas engineer will be happy to show you their ID, whereas someone who is unqualified will probably come up with an unconvincing excuse, such as they forgot to bring their ID with them.
Though employing a cheap gas engineer may seem a good option, a botched job will be costly both financially and in terms of safety. There are many areas where you can save money, but paying less for a job undertaken by someone who is unqualified should be one option that should never be considered.
Plumbing On-Tap takes your safety seriously. We only employ qualified Gas Safe certified Engineers. Our Gas Safe Number is 231862. To view our Gas Safe company profile click here.