Whether you require a new boiler, a replacement system or a boiler service, you must ensure you select a qualified engineer to perform the task at hand. Otherwise, you might be putting your house and yourselves in jeopardy.

According to the Gas Safe Register, over a million households are put at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning by inadequately-fitted gas appliances. Here at Alpha, we strongly advise homeowners to make sure the boiler expert they hire has a Gas Safe ID card to confirm they are on the Gas Safe Register.

The process is super easy; all you have to do is request to see the card, check their photo and the card’s expiry date. Their ID should also inform homeowners on the scope of works they are permitted to undertake; from refitting a boiler, to servicing a water heater.

Whilst it might seem a daunting to ask a seemingly qualified tradesperson on whether they are allowed to, for example, service your boiler, if they are who they say they are then requesting their ID will be no issue.

If they’ve forgotten their ID, call the Gas Safe Register who will confirm whether your tradesperson is qualified. Considering illegal gas fitters installed over 147,000 boilers in one year, valid tradespeople should know that, in the face of your safety, asking for proper identification is simply a matter of course and nothing to be offended by.

Put it this way, you wouldn’t make a payment on an insecure website so why would you pay an unqualified tradesperson? Although only 16% of people would trust an engineer if they said they were registered, rather than checking their ID card, this figure is still high enough to be a potential issue. Always bear in mind that you are well within your right to ask a tradesperson for their ID. All in all, it could be the difference between a good boiler and an extremely bad one.