Gas Safety Week: the warning signs 9 in 10 households would miss

The survey

Source: British Gas / Centrica, 14 September 2026.

British Gas released research on 14 September 2026 for Gas Safety Week, which runs from 14 to 20 September. The OnePoll survey covered 2,000 adults who rent or own their homes. It found that 26 percent were not confident they could recognise a gas safety issue in their home. British Gas commissioned the research and sells boiler services and cover.

The gaps in recognition were wide. Asked which signs they would not identify as a warning, 95 percent said dead patches of grass outside, 91 percent said condensation on windows, 91 percent said chest pain, 89 percent said dying house plants, 86 percent said animals acting nervous or confused, 84 percent said sore eyes, 78 percent said eye and throat irritation, 77 percent said a hob flame weakening when the boiler switches on, 75 percent said a gas fire flame dropping when another appliance is switched on, 74 percent said fatigue, 72 percent said black soot around appliances, 70 percent said high gas bills, 61 percent said recurring headaches, 60 percent said a burning smell from a gas appliance, 56 percent said dizziness, 50 percent said a rotten egg smell and 47 percent said a quiet hissing sound.

On alarms and basic safety knowledge, 46 percent of those with a battery-operated carbon monoxide alarm do not regularly replace the batteries, and 14 percent do not own an alarm. Only 32 percent are confident testing smoke alarms, 29 percent can read their own energy meters, 18 percent know how to turn off their gas supply, 17 percent can check a carbon monoxide alarm works, 18 percent do not know where their boiler is, 18 percent cannot find the fuse box and 17 percent cannot locate any meter. If they suspected a problem, 67 percent would turn off the gas, 61 percent would open doors and windows and 66 percent would know who to call. Asked how they learned home safety, 42 percent said from parents or family, 22 percent by trial and error and 27 percent from online searches.

Peter Knowles, Technical Repair Engineer for British Gas, said: 'Carbon monoxide can present unexpectedly, it is silent, and has no smell or colour, with symptoms including headaches, nausea, dizziness and breathlessness.' British Gas says it has a nationwide network of 7,000 Gas Safe registered engineers.

The twenty signs

The survey asked people which of a list of possible signs they would not recognise as a warning of a gas safety issue. The top ten, with the percentage who would not identify each, were: dead patches of grass outside at 95 percent; condensation on windows at 91 percent; chest pain at 91 percent; dying house plants at 89 percent; animals acting nervous or confused at 86 percent; sore eyes at 84 percent; eye and throat irritation at 78 percent; a hob flame weakening when the boiler switches on at 77 percent; a gas fire flame dropping when another appliance is switched on at 75 percent; and fatigue at 74 percent.

The remaining signs in the list were black soot around appliances at 72 percent, high gas bills at 70 percent, recurring headaches at 61 percent, a burning smell from a gas appliance at 60 percent, dizziness at 56 percent, a rotten egg smell at 50 percent and a quiet hissing sound at 47 percent. Some of these are physical symptoms that can be linked to carbon monoxide, while others are signs of a leak or of an appliance burning incorrectly.

The pattern in the answers matters because several of the most missed signs are the ones that appear away from the appliance itself. Dead grass, dying plants and condensation on windows are all things a householder might see without connecting them to gas. The same applies to symptoms such as chest pain, sore eyes, headaches and dizziness, which can have many other causes. The survey also found that 46 percent of those with a battery carbon monoxide alarm do not regularly replace the batteries, and 14 percent do not own an alarm at all.

What the law requires

Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, landlords must have gas appliances and flues checked every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Records must be kept for two years. Tenants must be given a copy of the record within 28 days of the check, and a copy must be given to new tenants before a new tenancy starts. The Gas Safe Register is the official list of engineers who can legally work on gas appliances, and householders can check an engineer's ID card.

For rented homes in England, the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 require landlords, from 1 October 2022, to fit a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation that has a fixed combustion appliance. Gas cookers are excluded from that requirement. Homeowners have no equivalent legal duty, but the same checks apply in practice if they want the same level of assurance about their appliances and flues.

The rules place the annual check, the record keeping and the alarm duty on the landlord, but the survey findings suggest that awareness of warning signs is low among renters and owners alike. The 26 percent who were not confident they could recognise a gas safety issue, and the large shares who would miss individual signs, sit alongside the legal duties that apply to the properties they live in. The Gas Safe Register and the engineer's ID card are the two checks the regulations point to when work is done.

What to do and what it costs

If a gas leak is suspected, the advice is to get outside, not to use switches, and to call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. The line is free and operates 24 hours. If carbon monoxide is suspected, the advice is to get fresh air, call 999 if someone is unwell, and not to go back in. The survey found that 67 percent would turn off the gas if they suspected a problem, 61 percent would open doors and windows and 66 percent would know who to call, while only 18 percent know how to turn off their gas supply and 17 percent can check a carbon monoxide alarm works.

On cost, an annual boiler service is a one-off fee paid to any Gas Safe registered engineer. Cover plans spread the cost across the year and add repairs. British Gas, which commissioned the survey, sells both boiler services and cover, and says it has a nationwide network of 7,000 Gas Safe registered engineers. The choice between a one-off service and a plan is a matter of how the cost is paid and what is included, not of who is allowed to do the work, since any Gas Safe registered engineer can carry out a service.

The survey figures point to where the practical gaps are. Only 29 percent can read their own energy meters, 18 percent do not know where their boiler is, 18 percent cannot find the fuse box and 17 percent cannot locate any meter. For renters, the record of the annual check should arrive within 28 days and before a new tenancy starts, and the carbon monoxide alarm should be in place in any living room with a fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker. For owners, the same checks and alarms apply, even though the legal duty does not.

Source: Centrica media centre, 14 September 2026.

Related coverage on Kael Tripton: British Gas Boiler Cover Review UK: Homecare Plans, Costs and FOS Data, HomeServe Boiler Cover Review UK: Cost, Cover and Alternatives, Carbon Monoxide Alarm Rules UK: What Landlords Must Provide and Tenants Can Demand, British Gas vs HomeServe Home Emergency Cover UK: Full Comparison, HomeServe vs British Gas Homecare UK: Boiler and Home Emergency Cover.

Frequently asked questions

How many people were not confident they could recognise a gas safety issue at home?

26 percent of the 2,000 renters and homeowners surveyed by OnePoll for British Gas were not confident they could recognise a gas safety issue in their home. The research was released on 14 September 2026 for Gas Safety Week, which runs from 14 to 20 September.

Which warning signs did most people say they would not identify?

The most missed signs were dead patches of grass outside at 95 percent, condensation on windows at 91 percent, chest pain at 91 percent, dying house plants at 89 percent, animals acting nervous or confused at 86 percent, sore eyes at 84 percent, eye and throat irritation at 78 percent, a hob flame weakening when the boiler switches on at 77 percent, a gas fire flame dropping when another appliance is switched on at 75 percent and fatigue at 74 percent.

What does the law require of landlords?

Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, landlords must have gas appliances and flues checked every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer, keep records for two years, and give tenants a copy within 28 days of the check and before a new tenancy starts. In England, the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 require landlords, from 1 October 2022, to fit a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation with a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers.

What should be done if a gas leak or carbon monoxide is suspected?

If a gas leak is suspected, get outside, do not use switches, and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999, which is free and operates 24 hours. If carbon monoxide is suspected, get fresh air, call 999 if someone is unwell, and do not go back in.

What does a boiler service cost compared with a cover plan?

An annual boiler service is a one-off fee paid to any Gas Safe registered engineer. Cover plans spread the cost across the year and add repairs. British Gas, which commissioned the survey, sells both boiler services and cover, and says it has a nationwide network of 7,000 Gas Safe registered engineers.