Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week 2021 begins today (Monday 22 November) and gas distributor Northern Gas Networks (NGN) is urging households to stay vigilant of the dangers of the ‘Silent Killer’ through a set of seven simple safety steps.

With this year likely to be financially difficult for thousands of households across the North East, Yorkshire and Cumbria due to increased energy prices, the rising cost of living and the Covid-19 pandemic, many customers may put off their annual gas appliance service or take risks to stay warm in the hope of keeping bills down.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas produced by incomplete burning of fossil fuels, including through faulty gas appliances.

Signs of CO in the home often include dark stains on gas appliances, lazy yellow flames and condensation on windows near appliances.

Carbon monoxide can’t be seen, smelled, tasted or heard and is currently responsible for around 200 hospitalisations and 50 preventable UK death each year. Symptoms of CO poisoning include dizziness, nausea, headache and breathlessness.

Lack of safety awareness is often the root cause of these statistics with unsafe practices in the home all increasing the risk of exposure to carbon monoxide.

As the region’s emergency response to a smell of gas or suspected carbon monoxide, NGN’s seven steps to CO safety are:

• Don’t use gas hobs and ovens to heat rooms
• Keep ventilation outlets clear and unblocked
• Don’t heat a single room for living and sleeping
• Limit cooking pans to one pan per cooker ring, rather than lighting all four burners under one large pan
• Call the National Gas Emergency Service immediately on 0800 111 999 if you smell gas or suspect carbon monoxide in your home
• Buy an audible carbon monoxide alarm for your home, at a cost of around £15
• Get your gas appliances serviced annually by a qualified Gas Safe Register engineer

In addition, customers struggling with increased bills can contact their energy supplier to see if they qualify for affordable debt repayment plans or payment breaks.

If eligible, bill payers can also apply for the Warm Homes Discount Scheme, which could involve a £140 discount on their electricity bill, via their supplier.

This one-off discount is taken off the customer’s electricity bill between October and March. Contact your supplier to find out more.

And anyone living with a disability, chronic or mental health illness, or who is of pensionable age, or with children aged under 5 at home can sign up to the Priority Services Register. This free support scheme entitles them to extra help in the event of interruption to their gas or power supply.

To find out if you’re eligible, visit NGN’s Priority Services Register web page here and fill in the form.

Steve Dacre, Innovation Vulnerability Lead at Northern Gas Networks, said: “This winter is going to be financially challenging for many individuals and families across our communities and certain costs such as annual servicing may get pushed down the list of priorities.

“It’s also tempting to cut corners in ways that are unsafe, such as living and sleeping in one heated room, or heating rooms with gas cookers or ovens.

“But preventative action is absolutely critical to avoiding exposure to carbon monoxide.

“The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include dizziness, nausea, breathlessness and headache, and could be mistaken for other conditions common in winter, such as flu and of course Covid-19.

“Before the winter weather really kicks in, there are several simple steps customers can take now to protect themselves and their families.

“Firstly, if you think there could be carbon monoxide in your home, call 0800 111 999 straight away. This is the free number for the National Gas Emergency Service, and an NGN gas engineer will be sent out to you. In the meantime, turn off all your gas appliances, open the windows and leave you home while you wait for the engineer to arrive.

“Secondly, book a gas safety check with a registered gas engineer. You can find one fully approved and local to you on the Gas Safety Register website, at www.gassaferegister.co.uk

“And thirdly, buy an audible carbon monoxide alarm. They are only around £15, and could save your life one day. When it’s fitted, remember to test it regularly to check that it’s working and doesn’t need a new battery.

“There is also a wealth of support out there for customers struggling with higher bills this winter. Please contact your energy supplier to talk about how they can support you with balancing your payments.”

NGN, which supplies gas to 2.7 million properties across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Cumbria, has equipped all its frontline gas engineers with hand-held devices to detect the presence of carbon monoxide as quickly as possible.

 It has also provided carbon monoxide awareness training to its partner organisations, such as Community Action Northumberland, Yorkshire Energy Doctor, Green Doctors, Lake District Foundation, Highfield CO-OP, Hull & East Yorkshire Children’s University, Durham County Council, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service.

More information about carbon monoxide safety can be found on the NGN website

To find a registered Gas Safe engineer and book an appliance service, visit the Gas Safe Register website

Take our Carbon Monoxide Quiz! Click here to test your knowledge.