Meet the Guardians of Gas Safety

At the start of Gas Safety Week (11-17 September 2023), all 152,000 gas engineers are being recognised and celebrated in a special Gas Safety Guardians calendar. It’s the first of its kind and the limited-edition calendar exemplifies the diversity in our industry, featuring engineers from across the UK alongside gas safety tips every month.

The calendar’s release comes as analysis of the latest gas safety inspection figures carried out by Gas Safe Register reveals that one in every five UK homes contains potentially dangerous gas appliances, such as gas boilers, cookers or fires.

The 10 engineers chosen for the calendar, whose job it is to keep the nation’s homes warm and safe from these dangerous gas appliances, channelled their inner superhero in the photos. Chosen from the UK’s 152,000 strong pool of gas engineers, the Guardians stand with pride and intention, showing off their own tools and equipment, which, as with any true superhero, help them do their job to the best of their ability.

Coinciding with the release of the calendar, brand-new research  reveals that gas engineers are the most trusted tradespeople, trumping plumbers, carpenters and hairdressers. For more than half of homeowners (55 per cent), their gas engineer was the best person to have on their contacts list.

The research with more than 2,000 UK homeowners reiterated the importance of having trust in the tradesperson hired: three-quarters (74 per cent) would only ever have faith in a friend, family member or someone who was recommended to them.

Eight in 10 (82 per cent) have greater peace of mind if they know their engineer is Gas Safe registered and 62 per cent say being properly qualified is the most important factor for them when recruiting a tradesperson. And 79% of those who have hired a non-qualified or unregistered tradesperson now regret not checking, highlighting the importance of ‘trusting the triangle’ and ensuring that a gas engineer is registered before having appliances safety checked or other gas work carried out.

Lily Clarke, 34, who is a plumbing and gas assessor from London, stars in the calendar and says: “Gas Safe registered engineers like me love what we do, and I’m so proud to make an important contribution to the community. By attending schools and events in London, I hope to help more young female apprentices into the trade – breaking down stereotypes and showing there is no one size fits all – all while keeping our communities safe.

“As I always say to my customers, by taking care of your gas appliances and being clued-up on what the signs and symptoms are that something could be faulty or potentially dangerous with any of them, means you are taking care of your home and your loved ones.”

Rob Denman, Head of Professional and Field Services at Gas Safe Register, says: “Diversity is this year’s overall theme for Gas Safety Week, and our first-of-its-kind calendar sets out to highlight the diversity of the 152,000 strong Gas Safe registered engineers’ community across the UK – from the breadth of their personal and professional experience, to what they have worked on, the qualifications and training they have undertaken, and the size and type of properties they work on.

“Gas Safe registered engineers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about what they do, and the role they play in our communities – and so the calendar gives us an opportunity to champion and hero Gas Safe registered engineers, who work tenaciously to ensure the nation is gas safe.

“As we mark another Gas Safety Week, we are using the opportunity to remind homeowners that prevention is better than cure when it comes to gas safety and keeping you covered for the unexpected.

“With the current cost of living, there’s no doubt many of us will be feeling the financial squeeze. However, ensuring that your boiler is regularly serviced not only keeps it working efficiently, helping reduce bills and a potential winter breakdown, but can also reduce the risk of gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning – keeping you and your loved ones safe.”

Gas Safe Register is running a Facebook competition throughout the week, for a chance to win a £50 Amazon voucher, CO alarm and a copy of the Gas Safety Guardians calendar. Fifty runner-ups will also receive a calendar and CO alarm. The calendar is a limited edition run and is not available to buy.