Trust the Gas Safe card

Don’t be too trusting, Gas Safe warns consumers

More than 50 per cent of people have let a tradesperson into their home without checking whether they are qualified to do the job. The shocking findings from Gas Safe Register’s latest research are part of its campaign to highlight the dangers of using illegal gas workers.

While gas engineers were found to be the most trusted tradespeople – ahead of electricians, plumbers and joiners – not checking they are registered could be leaving families at risk, says Gas Safe chief executive Jonathan Samuel.

“People are letting tradespeople into their homes without checking their ID,” says Jonathan. “When it comes to hiring gas engineers, our message is clear: don’t cut corners and always use a Gas Safe registered engineer to know that they are working legally with the correct qualifications in place.

“We are calling on engineers to remind families how to spot the signs of unsafe gas appliances, the symptoms of CO poisoning and to always check that their gas engineer is on the Gas Safe Register by checking their ID card.”

Consumer psychologist Dr Simon Moore says: “Our propensity to trust tradespeople is based on a variety of factors, such as personal presentation, their body language and how official they look – and not always on their qualifications or credentials. This is a natural thing and is often how we cut corners to speed up our decision-making.

“Cutting corners on gas safety, however, can result in a much more dangerous situation than most other decisions we make. I have partnered with Gas Safe Register to remind families to not rely on their trust instincts, and to always check their gas engineer is on the Register and check their Gas Safe ID card before letting them carry out work.”

What makes people trust a tradesperson?
Personal presentation (44%)
How official they look (43%)
Body language (25%)
Personality (22%)
A friendly face (18%).

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