| Guvnor

What this means for your business

34 obligations

29 penalties

29 can imprison

8 guides

Enforced by: Ofgem
Applies to: United Kingdom
On this page: 34 compliance obligations, 8 practical guides across 2 topics

Read full text on legislation.gov.uk

What you must do

34 compliance obligations under this legislation — 29 can result in imprisonment.

Equipment and safety 8

If you or your contractors install a gas appliance that hangs from the ceiling or wall, you must make sure the pipework it connects to is built and fitted to safely carry the appliance’s weight, and that the appliance itself is designed for suspended installation. In practice this means checking design calculations, using the right pipe material and fittings, and keeping records of the installation.

Contractor s.31 Historic England When installing a suspended gas appliance

Whenever you first supply gas to a premises you must fit an emergency shut‑off valve in the right place and make sure it can be reached easily. The valve’s key or lever must be fixed correctly, clearly marked to show whether it is open or closed, and any hand‑wheel must indicate the direction of operation. If the valve is not next to the main meter you must put a permanent notice nearby that tells people what to do if gas escapes, and keep that notice up‑to‑date.

Any Person s.9 Historic England When gas is supplied for the first time to a premises (or …

When you (or anyone acting for your business) install a gas appliance, you must make sure the flue is the correct type, in good condition and installed where it can be inspected. The flue must be sealed so combustion products can’t escape into other rooms, and power‑operated flues must automatically stop the appliance if the draft fails. In short, only install flues that are suitable, inspectable, sealed and positioned safely.

Any Person s.27 Historic England When installing a gas appliance or its flue

Whenever you (or your employees/contractors) fit a gas appliance, you must do it so the appliance can be readily reached for use, checking and servicing. This means you cannot hide the appliance behind permanent fixtures or place it where it cannot be safely accessed for regular inspection or maintenance.

Any Person s.28 Historic England When installing a gas appliance

You must not fit a regular gas appliance in a bathroom, shower room or a bedroom (or any cupboard/compartment linked to those rooms) unless it is a room‑sealed unit, or it has a safety control that shuts the appliance off before dangerous gas can build up. This applies wherever you or your contractors install gas appliances, whether in a private home, rental property or commercial premises.

Any Person s.30 Historic England When installing a gas appliance in a bathroom, shower room, sleeping accommodation, …

When you install any gas meter, bypass or connect a gas storage vessel, you must fit a regulator that automatically stops downstream pipework from being over‑pressurised, provide backup protection if the inlet pressure is 75 mbar or more, and ensure any relief valve is vented safely. The regulator must be sealed straight after fitting, and if that seal is ever broken you must replace it promptly with a new, adequate seal. Only authorised gas suppliers may break seals.

Contractor s.14 Historic England When installing a primary gas meter, meter bypass, gas storage vessel or …

When you install gas pipework where liquid or solid build‑up could happen, you must fit a clearly visible, easy‑to‑reach container to catch any material and ensure there is a safe way to clean it out. This prevents blockages and keeps the system safe for users.

Any Person s.21 Historic England When installing pipework where deposits of liquid or solid matter are likely

When you or your staff carry out any work on a gas fitting, you must attach a proper bonding device to keep the electrical circuit continuous. This must be in place for the whole time you are working and until the permanent electrical bond is restored, to stop the risk of electric shock or fire.

Contractor s.10 Historic England Whenever work on a gas fitting is performed and there is a …

Inspections 1

When you install a gas appliance while the gas supply is already on, you must immediately test that the connection is gas‑tight and check the appliance meets the regulations, the correct pressure, the maker’s instructions and that all safety controls work. If anything is wrong you must either fix it or disconnect/seal the appliance. If you later turn gas onto an appliance that has not been tested, you must have it tested or sealed off before use.

Any Person s.33 Historic England When a gas appliance is installed with gas on the premises, or …

Management duties 23

If gas leaks from a pipe on your premises or you suspect a leak, you must shut the gas supply off straight away and tell the gas supplier. The gas supplier must then take steps to stop the escape within 12 hours of being notified. You must not turn the supply back on until the leak is fully repaired.

Landlord/Property Owner s.37 Historic England Gas escapes from a pipe on the premises or you suspect a …

Whenever you or your staff work on gas pipework or install gas equipment, you must take steps to stop gas leaking and ensure any released gas cannot harm anyone. This means sealing every open pipe, not using ignition sources, testing for leaks after work, installing vessels only in safe locations, and never tampering with storage vessels.

Any Person s.6 Historic England When carrying out any work on a gas fitting or installing a …

If a gas safety check is carried out within the two months before the official deadline, it counts as having been done on the deadline day. As a landlord you can also choose to do the next check within the two months after the deadline to line up the check dates for all appliances or flues in the property, but you may only do this once per item and only to match the dates of other items.

Landlord/Property Owner Determination of date when next safety check due u Historic England When a gas appliance or flue in a rental property is due …

When you first supply gas through a primary meter – whether it’s a brand‑new meter or an existing one you’re using for the first time – you must put a permanent, clearly worded notice next to the meter explaining what to do if gas escapes. If the meter is more than 2 m away from the nearest emergency shut‑off, the notice must also tell people where that shut‑off is.

Trader/Business s.15 Historic England When you first supply gas through a primary meter (newly installed or …

If you run a business that has gas appliances or storage vessels, you must not carry out any changes to the building that would make those gas fittings unsafe. You also must not do anything else that could make a fitting or its ventilation dangerous. As an employer or self‑employed person you need to put checks in place so any work affecting gas equipment is safe and complies with the Regulations.

Employer s.8 Historic England When you carry out any alteration to premises with existing gas fittings …

If you run or occupy a premises, you must not use – or let anyone use – a gas appliance that you know or suspect could be dangerous. If you (or a contractor working on gas pipes, storage or fittings) become aware of a possible danger, you must act immediately to stop its use and arrange for it to be repaired, replaced or removed.

Occupier s.34 Historic England When you know or have reason to suspect a gas appliance is …

If your business installs gas appliances you must make sure every fitting is securely supported, correctly positioned and protected so it isn’t damaged. Where there is any risk of foreign matter blocking the fitting you must fit a suitable filter, and where the fitting could be exposed to corrosive substances you must use corrosion‑resistant material or add protection. Not doing this can lead to criminal prosecution.

Any Person s.7 Historic England When installing a gas fitting

If you (or a contractor you hire) install gas pipework, you must make sure the work does not weaken the building’s structure or any fire‑resistant parts. Check the installation route, use suitable methods and, where needed, get a structural or fire‑engineering sign‑off before the work starts.

Any Person s.20 Historic England When installing gas pipework

If you arrange or have any control over gas‑fitting work at a site you manage, you must make sure the person carrying out the work is approved by the Health and Safety Executive. In practice this means checking their qualification or only hiring contractors who are on the HSE‑approved list. The same rule also applies if you are self‑employed and carry out the work yourself.

Employer s.4 Historic England When you require or control any gas‑fitting work at a workplace under …

If your business does any work on gas fittings or gas storage vessels, you must make sure the people doing the work are properly trained and recognised as competent. Where the Regulations require it, they must also be a member of a class of persons approved by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Keep written proof of their competence/approval and never allow anyone without it to work on gas equipment.

Employer s.3 Historic England When your business carries out any work on gas fittings, service pipework …

If your business installs or maintains a gas meter in an external box or compound, you must build it so any gas leak vents to the outside, never store flammable items inside, and if you fit a lock you must give the consumer a clearly labelled key. This keeps the premises safe from gas entering the building.

Any Person s.13 Historic England When a gas meter is housed in a box or compound attached …

Whenever you or your staff install, connect, or carry out any work on a gas appliance you must make sure it can be used safely. This means using a permanent rigid pipe for flued appliances, checking used appliances are safe, providing a shut‑off at the inlet (unless impossible), not removing approval markings, testing the flue, combustion air and pressure/heat input after work, and promptly reporting any defects.

Any Person s.26 Historic England When installing, connecting, or performing work on a gas appliance

When you install gas pipework you must place it so it can be used safely, taking account of other services, supports and the building structure. If you connect that pipework to a primary gas meter and electrical equipotential bonding might be needed, you must tell the responsible person that a competent person should carry out the bonding work.

Any Person s.18 Historic England When installing gas pipework or connecting pipework to a primary gas meter

If you install gas pipework for a building with a large‑diameter service pipe (50 mm or more for multi‑storey buildings, or 30 mm or more for other service pipework), you must put a clearly visible, easily reachable valve on that pipe and attach a permanent line diagram showing the pipe layout near the main meter or gas storage. This lets anyone quickly shut off the gas and understand the installation.

Contractor s.24 Historic England Service pipe to a building with two or more floors (or any …

When you fit a gas appliance you must use an automatic flue damper that is mechanically linked to the gas supply so the burner cannot run if the damper fails. After fitting, you must check the appliance and damper together to confirm they are safe to use. Manual dampers must not be used on domestic gas appliances unless they are permanently held open.

Any Person s.32 Historic England When installing a gas appliance with a flue damper (or fitting an …

Whenever you fit a gas meter you must make sure the location does not block fire‑escape routes, the meter is built to stop gas leaking in a fire, it is protected from electrical damage and placed where it can be easily reached for inspection. You must also avoid rigid pipe connections on soldered joints, test the installation for gas tightness and then purge the system to remove air and any other gases before the meter is put into service.

Contractor s.12 Historic England When installing a gas meter

If you let residential premises, you must make sure any gas appliances and their flues are kept in safe condition, have them checked by a qualified person at least once a year, keep detailed records of each check and give a copy of those records to your tenants (or display them). You also must not install gas appliances in bedrooms that breach the regulations.

Landlord/Property Owner s.36 Historic England

If you run a business or work for yourself, you must make sure any gas appliances, pipework or flues at your workplace are kept in a safe condition to prevent injury. This means carrying out regular checks, servicing, and fixing any faults promptly.

Employer s.35 Historic England

When you install a gas appliance you must give the owner or occupier the full set of instructions that came with the product. This ensures they know how to use and maintain the appliance safely. It is a simple step you need to do as part of every gas‑appliance installation.

Any Person s.29 Historic England When you install a gas appliance

You must not install a pre‑payment meter as the main meter that feeds other meters, must display a permanent notice whenever more than one primary meter is fed from the same pipe, and when a primary meter is taken out you must close any dedicated valve, seal the outlet, clearly mark the live pipe and, if the meter isn’t replaced within 12 months, disconnect and seal the pipe. You also need to give the gas supplier enough notice before you remove a meter.

Any Person s.16 Historic England When you install, supply gas to, modify or remove a primary gas …

If your business runs equipment that could cause pressure fluctuations in the gas network, you must obey any instructions the gas supplier (transporter) gives you. If you plan to use any other gas (including compressed air) together with your gas supply, you must give the supplier at least 14 days’ written notice and then follow any written directions they issue to keep that gas out of the supply. Any device the supplier requires you to install must be kept in good working order.

Trader/Business s.38 Historic England When you use gas for plant that may cause pressure fluctuations, or …

Whenever you (or your employees) carry out work on gas pipework that could affect its tightness, you must immediately test it for leaks, apply any required protective coating, purge the system to remove air and unwanted gas, and seal off any outlets that won’t be used straight away. If a connection was loosened during the work you must retest it after tightening, and all seals must be checked for leak‑tightness.

Contractor s.22 Historic England After any work on gas installation pipework that may affect gastightness, or …

When you or your staff install, repair or maintain gas pipes, fittings or storage vessels, you must only use parts that are well‑made, strong enough and suitable for the type of gas. Lead pipes and most plastic pipework are prohibited unless the specific exemptions apply, and all work must follow recognised standards to prevent danger.

Any Person s.5 Historic England When installing, repairing, or maintaining gas fittings or storage vessels

Other requirements 1

If you install any gas pipework that can be inspected – for example in a factory, office or shop – you must permanently mark it so anyone can see it is a gas pipe. The person responsible for the premises must also make sure that marking stays clear for as long as the pipe is used to carry gas.

Any Person s.23 Historic England Installation of gas pipework (accessible to inspection) in premises that are not …

Record keeping 1

If you supply gas to a secondary meter you must have a permanent diagram showing how the primary meter, secondary meter(s), pipework and any emergency shut‑offs are arranged. The diagram has to be clearly visible near the primary meter (or gas storage) and near any emergency controls, and you must update it whenever you change the layout.

Any Person s.17 Historic England When you supply gas through a primary meter to a secondary meter, …