Boilers - HSE issues gas fitting reminder

01/02/2008

Landlords have been reminded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that they must not attempt to fit gas boilers themselves.

The warning came after a landlord admitted two charges under the Gas Safety (installation and use) Regulations at Rhondda magistrates and was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,786.

Martin Griffiths of Herbert Street, Treorchy was prosecuted after he fitted a boiler in a property he owned in Tonypandy, only for the tenant to subsequently notice a gas leak, reports the South Wales Echo.

HSE inspector Hugh Emment told the newspaper that his organisation would continue to prosecute people who failed to use qualified tradesmen to install gas appliances.

"The law requires that only trained, competent people work on gas appliances and the only accreditation currently recognised by HSE is membership of Corgi," he explained.

John Heron, managing director of specialist buy-to-let lender Paragon Mortgages, recently advised landlords that there are grants available for them to help fund the cost of fitting energy saving measures, such as modern boilers, in their properties.