Winter warmth: Half of gas fires in UK homes thought to be faulty or unsafe
Have you turned the heating on in your home yet? It's thought that millions of households in the UK won't be switching on the central heating this year due to the high cost of energy bills. In fact, more than ten million people in the UK can only afford to heat one room in their entire home this winter, according to the latest data.
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00:00 Hello, my name's Elizabeth Saxton. I am a Gas Safe Registered Engineer and I have my
00:07 own company called Mrs Gas.
00:09 During the colder winter months, households up and down the UK are preparing to face the
00:13 biggest financial pressures of the year, with high energy bills at the top of the list.
00:18 According to research from Gas Safe Register, it will mean that this year, more than a third
00:23 of Brits will not be able to afford to heat their entire home to a comfortable level when
00:26 it's cold outside, choosing instead to heat just one room.
00:30 With the cost of living at the moment, more people are trying to find ways to heat their
00:34 houses cheaply. So that's causing lots of issues because you should still make sure
00:40 your house is ventilated. People block up vents with pillows and bits of clean film,
00:45 but you need those vents to make sure your appliances are burning properly.
00:49 From October, gas prices dropped slightly, but there are concerns they may rise again
00:53 in January, meaning around 15 million Brits will spend most of their time in one room,
00:58 eating, sleeping and socialising in the warmth, while the rest of their house stays cold and
01:03 dark. But this poses a safety risk for many homes this winter.
01:07 One in two gas fires in the UK were found to be unsafe. This is due to poorly ventilated
01:14 rooms. That's often the culprit for carbon monoxide poisoning. It also reveals that 4.5
01:23 million Britons are at potential risk from heating just one room in this winter.
01:31 With 4.5 million households planning to heat one room by using a gas fire this winter,
01:36 there's fears of carbon monoxide poisoning, with the latest inspection data estimating
01:41 that half of UK homes contain a potentially faulty or unsafe gas fire.
01:45 An improperly maintained gas fire can lead to incomplete combustion, that's what we call
01:53 it. So carbon monoxide, because the less air you have coming in, the more the flame can
02:01 burn incorrectly, which then makes the carbon monoxide rise, which is the dangerous product.
02:09 Carbon monoxide poisoning can be deadly and is especially dangerous as it cannot be seen,
02:13 tasted or smelt. And some symptoms mimic the effects of a virus and even a bad hangover.
02:19 Nausea, vomiting, headaches, sometimes it can feel like a hangover. Make sure that it's
02:25 ventilated. You can fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm. Know the signs of carbon monoxide.
02:31 Know where your emergency control valve is. That's usually next to the gas meter itself.
02:36 So if you ever have any concerns, you just turn the handle straight off and then you
02:41 get in contact with a GasSafe registered engineer.
02:44 Do you have any advice for keeping those bills down but staying warm this winter?
02:51 Just get your appliances checked. Honestly, a good service on an appliance will make it
02:55 burn a lot better, which is more efficient on fires and boilers as well. And peace of
03:02 mind for everybody as well.