Gas authority Gas Safe Register found dangerous gas appliances lurking in one in five of the 4,267 homes it has inspected in Scotland in the past five years.

Scotland has the third highest number of homes with unsafe gas appliances in the UK, behind Wales and the West Midlands. These types of dangers have led to six deaths and over 300 injuries in the last year alone across the UK.

In the last year alone, there have been more than 67,000 gas emergency call outs to homes in the UK, the equivalent of 186 every day.

Common problems associated with faulty or badly maintained gas appliances include black staining on surrounding walls, burst gas pipes, excessive condensation and in extreme cases, house fires and explosions.

Having a gas safety check is a legal requirement for landlords, however for homeowners the onus is on them to get this done. To mark this year’s Gas Safety Week, Gas Safe Register is calling on homeowners to protect themselves and their property by having a safety check.

Jonathan Samuel, chief executive of Gas Safe Register, said: “With the average cost of safety checking your gas boiler at just £53, it’s a small price to pay to keep you and your family safe and prevent damage to your home. While we’re seeing more people getting gas safety checks compared to last year, millions are still taking risks so we’re reminding people to make sure all their gas appliances are safety checked every year.”

The public can find out the number of unsafe gas appliances and gas incidents there have been in their local neighbourhood by visiting Gas Safe Register’s interactive gas map at www.staygassafe.co.uk. People can also sign up to a free annual gas safety check reminder service.

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