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A guide on us installing carbon monoxide alarms
We’re currently sending letters to tenants as we need your help to complete an important programme of work to keep you safe.
The Government has published new guidance that all social housing providers across the country should install carbon monoxide alarms in rooms with a fixed combustion appliance, such as a gas boiler, excluding gas cookers, by 1 October 2022.
Over the next five weeks, we’ll have teams of installers visiting neighbourhoods to equip homes with alarms as required.
If you’re already expecting us for a scheduled repair or maintenance visit before 1 October, we will look to fit carbon monoxide alarms at the same time.
Neighbourhood visits that haven’t been pre-arranged with you for a specific time, will mainly be carried out between Monday to Friday and should take no longer than 30 minutes.
If you’re home, it’s important that you allow our engineers in to complete the installation. If you’re out, we’ll leave a note to arrange for another time.
We understand that it’s somewhat unusual for us to turn up at your home without a pre-arranged appointment time. To confirm our identity, our engineers will carry and show you their ID badges before you let them in.
During our visit we’ll give you more detailed information on the alarms, how to use them and how to report any future repairs that may be needed.
It’s very important that we carry out this installation and accessing your home for this work is consistent with your tenancy agreement with us.
Many thanks for your support.
More information
Why and where are alarms needed
The Government expects social housing providers like us to ensure tenants’ homes are fitted with alarms as appropriate, to support home safety and give peace of mind.
Under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022, landlords are now required to provide carbon monoxide alarms in rooms used wholly or partly as living accommodation where a fixed combustion appliance is present, excluding gas cookers.
Examples of these appliances are gas boilers, gas wall heaters, gas fires, inset gas fires, flueless gas fires and warm air units.
This isn’t a response to any recent issues within our properties locally. They’re a precautionary measure in preventing carbon monoxide poisoning, and other housing providers should be installing them before October too.
Carbon monoxide is poisonous and can be produced if a gas appliance is faulty. You can’t see, taste or smell it, but the effects can be harmful and potentially deadly.
Carbon monoxide (also known as CO) alarms alert you if carbon monoxide gas is present.
Signs to be aware of
The following signs don’t necessarily mean that there’s a release of carbon monoxide, but they could indicate a faulty appliance and you should report them to us on 01204 328000:
- Gas flame appears ‘floppy’ and burns orange or yellow rather than mostly blue.
- Pilot light frequently blows out.
- There is soot or yellow-brown staining on or around an appliance.
- You see or smell smoke or have excessive condensation in the room where you have a gas appliance.
Symptoms of exposure to carbon monoxide
There are several symptoms. The main ones include headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, feeling sick, collapsing and losing consciousness.
If you experience any of these symptoms and they can’t be explained by any other reason, such as another illness you are already aware of, or you immediately feel better when stepping outside a property or building, there’s a chance you’ve been exposed to carbon monoxide.
Some people often describe the early symptoms of exposure as being flu-like or feeling hungover.
If you’ve experienced these early symptoms or know you’ve been exposed to low levels of carbon monoxide, you should seek medical advice from your doctor.
The effects of carbon monoxide exposure get worse over time, meaning early detection is vital.
Over an extended period of carbon monoxide exposure, further symptoms could occur such as vision and memory loss, confusion and difficulty thinking, changes in mood and chest pain.
How an alarm works and what to do if it goes off
They’re fitted with a sensor that detects and measures carbon monoxide concentration in the atmosphere. If the sensor detects high levels, an alarm will sound. Other ways of alerting a tenant will be provided where someone is deaf or has significant hearing loss.
If the detector triggers the alarm, first, try to improve room ventilation by opening windows and doors to rid your home of the gas.
Carbon monoxide is most dangerous and concentrated when in a sealed-off environment, so you need to give the gas somewhere to escape to.
Switch off any fuel-burning appliances like fires, boilers, cookers, or ovens as quickly and safely as possible, and shut off the gas supply at the meter using the emergency control valve (ECV).
Exit your home and remain outside if you can.
Report a gas leak or carbon monoxide emergency at your home as soon as possible by calling the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999.
Seek medical attention if you think you may have been exposed to carbon monoxide. A doctor will need to verify this to ensure the appropriate follow up action is taken.
Checking alarms
You should regularly check them to ensure they’re working fine.
- Test the ‘beep’ on the alarm at least weekly. You could set a reminder on your mobile phone to remind you to do this check.
- Pay attention to any ‘chirps’ from your alarm. These could be a warning of low batteries.
- Please contact us if you feel the batteries aren’t working properly. The batteries should last several years.
Please phone us on 01204 328000 if you’ve any questions or concerns about carbon monoxide alarms.
Our approach
With approximately 15,500 properties involved, a team of 50 current employees will focus on visiting neighbourhoods and fitting alarms in homes over the next five weeks.
Our colleagues doing the installations come from a range of repairs and maintenance roles, to minimise the operational impact across services and so you can expect a quality installation done quickly.
We’ll carry identification and have official paperwork with us for you to check and sign so you’ll know our visit is genuine.
We’re very sorry if this safety programme requires us to reschedule any other type of appointment that you might have been expecting with us at this time. We’ll only do this if it’s unavoidable and we’ll contact you in any such case.
What the installation involves
It involves us screwing a device, similar to a small smoke alarm, to a wall. A quick and clean job.
Why we’re doing this now
Our plans to install carbon monoxide alarms have been accelerated under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022.
These regulations have been updated to ensure tenants’ homes have such alarms fitted immediately if they’re not already in place, and we’ve formed an installation team to carry out the work now.
It comes from the Government reviewing and amending the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 and asking social housing providers to comply with extended regulations as well as the private sector.
Still progressing outstanding repairs
Addressing the backlog of repairs resulting from the pandemic remains a top priority.
As such, our work to address outstanding repair issues will continue alongside the carbon monoxide detector installation programme.
Our dedicated Backlog Team remains focused on resolving repairs, which had to be delayed, as soon as possible.
If you’re not in when we visit
One of our team will post a card through your letter box asking you to phone our Contact Centre on 01204 328000 to arrange a suitable appointment time.