Gas Safety Week 2026: keeping Sussex homes safe

The boiler is one of those things you want to be able to leave to get on with its job. A warm house, hot water when you need it and no surprises. Giving your gas appliances a little regular attention helps you look after the home you rely on every day.

For Gas Safety Week, 14 to 20 September 2026, we're sharing practical advice with our neighbours in Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill and the surrounding Sussex villages. The national message is “Take No Chances”. For us, that means making the important checks easy to understand and knowing when to ask for help.

Smell gas now? Get everyone outside and call 0800 111 999 from a safe place. If your CO alarm is sounding, get into fresh air and seek urgent advice. You'll find more on emergencies below.

1. Give every gas appliance a place in the diary

Start with the last service date. If you cannot remember it, have a look for the paperwork or contact the engineer who attended. Remember any gas fire or cooker as well as the boiler.

HSE strongly advises at least annual servicing and regular maintenance by a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer. The work should follow the appliance manufacturer's instructions. If something seems wrong between visits, arrange help then rather than waiting for the next date in the diary. Read HSE's homeowner advice.

On a boiler service in Haywards Heath last September, our work included checking the flue connection and taking combustion readings. Those checks help us understand how the boiler is running, beyond whether it happens to produce hot water when the tap opens.

If you're booking a visit, mention anything you've noticed, such as repeated lockouts, unusual noises or a leak. It helps us allow for the work you actually need. Our boiler service guide explains what servicing involves and when a repair appointment makes more sense.

2. Get to know your carbon monoxide alarm

Carbon monoxide, often shortened to CO, has no colour or smell. An audible CO alarm can give you a warning that your senses cannot.

Choose an alarm meeting BS EN 50291, with an appropriate approval mark, and follow its instructions for fitting, testing and replacement. Check the replacement date as well as the battery. A normal smoke alarm does not detect CO unless it is a combined unit.

Keep the instructions somewhere you can find them, and make sure everyone at home knows what the warning sounds like and what to do. Our carbon monoxide guide covers choosing an alarm, looking after it and getting help if it activates.

3. Ask to see the engineer's Gas Safe ID

Please ask us when we arrive. It is a sensible part of welcoming someone into your home to work on a gas appliance.

Check the engineer's identity, current validity and qualifications for the work you've booked. Their ID may be a physical card or a digital one. On a physical card, the work categories are on the back; a digital card also shows qualification details.

A registered engineer may be qualified for some appliances or fuels and not others. You can check the engineer directly with Gas Safe Register before booking and again if anything is unclear on the day.

4. Leave gas repairs to a qualified engineer

There are plenty of useful jobs you can do around the house. Adjusting gas components, dismantling a faulty appliance or altering its gas supply should be left to someone properly qualified for that work.

If your boiler keeps stopping, tell the engineer what happens and any fault code you can see on the normal display. Resist the temptation to keep resetting it just to get through another day. If it has been left off for safety, keep it off until it has been made safe.

Sometimes the answer is a repair. On a Burgess Hill job in June, we replaced a gas valve and carried out the necessary tests before putting the boiler back into use. Our guide to a boiler being turned off for safety explains that visit and the questions worth asking your engineer.

5. Keep air vents and flues clear

A vent provided for a gas appliance needs to stay open, even when a draught is annoying. The flue, which carries combustion gases away, also needs to remain clear.

If you're putting up a shed, enclosing a space or planning building work near a flue outlet, speak to a suitably qualified engineer before the work starts. Different appliances have different ventilation requirements, so the right arrangement depends on what is installed in your home. HSE explains this in its ventilation and flue advice.

6. Know who to call in an emergency

For a suspected mains gas leak in Great Britain, get outside and call 0800 111 999 from a safe place. Do not operate electrical switches, smoke or use flames. Open doors and windows and turn off the gas at the meter only if it is safe and does not delay leaving. Do not enter a cellar to reach a meter when you smell gas.

Follow the emergency operator's instructions. For an LPG leak, contact your supplier's emergency service. Call 999 for fire or immediate danger to life. HSE emergency advice.

If a CO alarm activates or you suspect exposure, get into fresh air and obtain urgent advice. Do not go back inside until told it is safe. Our CO action guide includes the current NHS advice on symptoms and medical help. Never wait for a social media reply in an emergency.

7. Help someone get the basics organised

A quick conversation with a relative or neighbour can be useful. With their agreement, help find the last service record, check the alarm instructions or put the emergency number somewhere easy to see.

If you rent, make sure you have the current gas safety record and know how to report a fault. Landlords have annual checking and ongoing maintenance duties, which we explain in our Sussex landlord guide. There is also a separate guide to arranging access for a landlord check.

For anyone helping an older relative or someone who needs support at home, our gas safety advice for carers and families covers appointments, accessible alarms and planning how to get help.

Need a hand with your next service?

Our Smart Heat team looks after heating systems across Haywards Heath and the nearby villages. If your service is due, take a look at our boiler servicing page or send us the details. Let us know which appliances you have and anything you're concerned about, and we'll help you arrange the right visit.