Gas Safe news

FROM THE EDITOR

Comment

Happy new year, everyone! After a year like no other in 2020, the roll-out of vaccinations against COVID-19, and the anticipation of returning to a more normal way of living in 2021 definitely starts the new year on a real high.

We’ve all seen big changes in the way we live and work over the past year. But there’s more to come in 2021, thanks to the Green Industrial Revolution set out by the Prime Minister late last year, followed closely by the Climate Change Committee’s publication of the Sixth Carbon Budget.

This detailed report sets a route map to a fully decarbonised nation, its ambitions, the changes that will be required, and key milestones up to 2035. As far as heating our homes is concerned, it comes down on the side of heat pumps, including those working in tandem with boilers (hybrids), plus better insulation, and a support role for hydrogen. It could change the way many of us will heat our homes in the future, and points to a huge re-skilling task ahead.

It sets a timeline that includes phasing out the use of gas by 2033, although it does allow for the use of hydrogen in designated conversion zones. Has the death knell been sounded for gas boilers as we know them? Only time will tell.

Nicki Shearer, editor

The quickest way to reach the magazine team is via email.

Gas Safe Register, PO Box 6804, Basingstoke, RG24 4NB.

Email: enquiries@gassaferegister.co.uk, register@gassaferegister.co.uk or technical@gassaferegister.co.uk Managing editor: Scott Darroch scott.darroch@gassaferegister.co.uk Editor: Nicki Shearer editorial@registeredgasengineer.co.uk News: Jennie Ward news@registeredgasengineer.co.uk Publisher: Peter McCreary publisher@registeredgasengineer.co.uk Technical consultants: Gary Aymes, Carl Banister, David Smith, Jonathan Stirling Production: Mark Turpin Advertising enquiries only: Ian Carter ian@rgemagazine.co.uk

The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Gas Safe Register. The publishers will accept an advertisement or other inserted material only on the condition that the advertiser warrants that such advertisement does not in any way infringe copyright or contravene the provisions of the Trade Descriptions Act. All copy is subject to the approval of the publisher, who reserves the right to refuse, amend, withdraw or otherwise deal with advertisements submitted to it at its absolute discretion and without explanation. All advertisements must comply with the British Code of Advertising Practice. ABC membership approved 19 March, 2009. Calls to phone numbers starting 084 and 087 cost up to 7p per minute plus your service provider’s charge.

Registered Gas Engineer is written, designed and published by The Team on behalf of Gas Safe Register. 30 Park Street, London, SE1 9EQ

CIRCULATION: Jan-Dec 2019 76,651

There’s more to your registration than just an ID card

Are you making the most of being Gas Safe registered? Here are 10 of the services you can access automatically as part of your registration.

1

Technical support

A dedicated team of gas safety experts is there to help you with technical and gas safety advice if you need it. The technical support officers have all worked in different parts of our industry themselves. Their guidance and advice comes from their in-depth knowledge of the standards and regulations, and years of experience.

They also help you stay up to the date with essential changes in standards and regulations, working with industry partners to create the Technical Bulletins, Industry Standard Updates and Safety Alerts that you read in this magazine and in your Gas Safe Register online account.

2

Stamping out illegal gas work

Illegal gas work isn’t just dangerous, it could be taking money out of your pocket too. That’s why Gas Safe Register investigates thousands of reports, gathering evidence so that illegal gas fitters can be brought to justice. In 2019/2020, more than 6,000 defects found at inspection were attributed to illegal gas fitters, and around two-thirds of illegal gas work inspected by the Register is found to be At Risk or Immediately Dangerous.

If you find gas work that you think has been carried out illegally, please report it to Gas Safe Register – it will help you to protect your own work and livelihood, as well as enhancing your reputation with your customers.

Gas Safety Week

The industry’s biggest annual gas safety event marked its 10th anniversary in 2020. When Gas Safety Week started in 2011, it was a new way to support gas safety that had never been seen before. Since then, every year, gas engineers, manufacturers, retailers, landlords, MPs and many others join together to talk to their customers with one voice and share a single message: always use a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Gas Safe Register always creates a free toolkit for supporters to use, containing logos, banners, images, leaflets and posters, pre-written social media updates and gas safety articles for your own website. It’s a simple way to help promote gas safety and share vital information with your own communities.

Advertising and marketing

The Register creates a variety of different ads and consumer messages help to ensure that people know they should always use a registered gas engineer when they need work done in their home. Whether it’s TV ads, with perfectionist dad Jack Corner telling people that he never cuts corners when it comes to gas work, or the new Stay Safe at Home online ads, providing winter safety tips to people who are at home more than usual this winter, the message comes through loud and clear to your customers: always use a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Helping customers find you

When customers are looking for you, Gas Safe’s website gives them the tools they need to find you – and then to check that you’re competent. Customers can search for you by location and check your business registration number, your ID number, and that you’re qualified to do the work they need. Your photo helps to reassure customers that you’re who you say you are, but it’s not a requirement to display your picture on the website. Gas Safe Register never shares or sells its registration data.

6

Registered Gas Engineer magazine

You receive a copy of this magazine every single month, keeping you up to date with the latest gas safety-critical information, all the latest news from Gas Safe Register, Technical Bulletins, Industry Standard Updates and Safety Alerts.

But did you know you can also get a digital full edition of the magazine on your phone and tablet, so that you can take us with you wherever you go? Just search for Registered Gas Engineer on the App Store and Play: it’s free to download, and you’ll also have access to the previous 12 editions on your mobile device, as well as a stream of the latest news from our website at www. registeredgasengineer.co.uk

7

Innovation

During 2020, Gas Safe Register introduced three new services to support you in your work. Video support was launched in the autumn, so that you can use your phone to live video stream the specific installation in front of you to a Gas Safe Register technical support officer instead of trying to describe it.

You can now request a concession to the manufacturer’s installation instructions. This is intended only for those rare occasions when extenuating circumstances mean that you need to balance your customer’s requirements against those of the manufacturer’s instructions. The Request for Concession to Manufacturer’s Instructions template and supporting process provides an auditable record of the concession approval that is recognised by Gas Safe Register. You must do this at the quotation stage before you start any work, and you can download the template by logging into your Gas Safe Register online account.

Open Channel from Gas Safe Register is a way for you to ask questions and have a conversation with the Register during a live online event. During 2020, Open Channel discussed RIDDOR, the role of hydrogen and the world of LPG. We know that sometimes there isn’t enough time for your questions to be answered, so we always follow up in this magazine.

8

Marketing toolkit

There’s a whole host of free digital tools to help you promote your business when you log into your Gas Safe Register online account. You can use the Register’s campaigns as the basis for your own marketing and advertising, with free downloads of web banners, leaflets, pre-written social media updates and copy for your website – all with the same researched, tested and eyecatching visuals that the Register uses in its own campaigns.

9

Access to Standards

You can view and print more 80 gas-related normative documents that set the standards for safe gas work, provided by IGEM, BSI and Liquid Gas UK. When the documents included in the subscription service are updated or changed, they are updated automatically on Gas Safe Register’s website. A fee is payable for this optional subscription service.

10

Notification

You can report the installation of heat-producing appliances in England and Wales. Gas Safe Register will then send a Building Regulations Compliance certificate to your customer or the builder, and advise the local authority building control department of the work.

You can also give your customers peace of mind on appliances that do not need to be notified – such as a gas cooker or hob – and Gas Safe Register will send your customer a Declaration of Safety Certificate.

There is no requirement to notify in Scotland and Northern Ireland: however, you can notify voluntarily and then your customer will receive a Declaration of Safety Certificate.