Owning a house is a major accomplishment. It is a fundamental feature of financial stability as buying a house indicates settling. It is the most significant investment for the majority of people. While house ownership is a privilege earned through hard work and sound financial decision-making, it is a privilege that comes with its own set of responsibilities.
House ownership requires continuous work because homeowners must maintain the value of the property and ensure suitable living conditions. Houses, like all other fixed assets, undergo depreciation and that is why you must keep investing money so that the value of the house is preserved.
Some fundamental features of being a good homeowner include timely repair and maintenance, improving the safety and security characteristics of the property, and adding more features that add value to the property.
One way to maintain the value of a property is through improved safety and security measures. This does include installing security cameras and alarm systems, but it also consists of other precautionary measures.
Additional measures include such things as installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and getting frequent inspections of the property. A gas safety check is one such measure.
Reasons Why You Need a Gas Safety Certificate
Getting a gas safety certificate is not free of cost. It requires payment to a gas safety engineer who will inspect your property’s gas connections, appliances, and mains. It also means that they must schedule a visit and be available so that the engineer can do their job.
Considering all the hassle, there is no alternative to getting a safety check for your gas connections. Here are all the reasons why you as a homeowner need Gas Safety Certs regularly:
· Law May require it
In certain cases, getting an annual certificate is a mandatory requirement. Yes, homeowners can voluntarily call a gas safety engineer and get an assessment of their property’s gas setup. However, it is a legal requirement for homeowners who rent out their property.
In the UK, landlords must get an annual gas safety certificate each year. Otherwise, they cannot lend out the property. In addition to this, they must keep a record of the past two years of gas safety check-ups.
· It Keeps you Safe
Naturally, the main reason for getting a gas safety check is to ensure that all the gas connections within the property are operating well. A gas safety engineer checks for any possible leaks and monitors the gas pressure, connections, and all the gas appliances.
Timely action can be taken if there is a leakage or an appliance is faulty. This can reduce the cost of repair work and save lives because a gas leak is very dangerous and is often overlooked. Detecting a gas leak, in particular, is notoriously hard.
Even though the number of deaths attributed to gas leaks has gone down in recent years, it is still a major cause of concern. Around 3,500 individuals between the ages of 16 and 64 die due to unexplained circumstances. It is believed that leak is the main culprit in these cases.
This alone should be enough to convince homeowners to get a gas safety check each year. It does not matter whether it is legally required or not; the safety of human life should be prioritized above all concerns. Human life, after all, is invaluable.
· Reduces Costs of Repair
Getting appliances fixed in time can greatly decrease the wear and tear your appliance may be suffering. This is why immediately knowing when an appliance is not performing optimally is key to getting it fixed quickly.
It is hard to tell when a gas appliance is underperforming, unlike electrical appliances. You need an expert to let you know if anything is wrong and what may be the reason.
· Increase the Value of your Property
The value of your property is based on multiple factors. It depends upon the location, the condition of the building, the durability of the structure, and so on. One key factor is the availability of utilities.
Frequent gas safety checks mean your gas utility is in good working condition. This adds to the value of the house since it is a basic utility necessary for cooking and heating.
· Make you a Responsible Citizen
Ensuring gas safety in your house by getting annual gas safety checks also makes you a responsible citizen. A gas leak may result in a fire and fires tend to spread quite rapidly if they are not contained in time.
You are keeping yourself and those around you safe. In this manner, you are doing your duty not just as a homeowner but also as a resident of a community. Gas safety checks are for the greater good.
Staying Safe
Safety and security are very broad terms. Home safety includes measures to protect you and your loved ones from a whole host of threats. These include dangers posed by natural disasters to the threat of robbers.
Making a house 100% secure and safe from all kinds of threats is impossible. But we can certainly minimize the probability of harm or injury. Gas safety checks conducted regularly are one such measure. It keeps you, your family, and those around you safe. It makes your house one of the safest places you can be and gives you security and comfort. There are many other ways to keep your house safe and maintain its value. Yet, gas safety checks are simple and must be included as part of your home security measures.
It is very easy to get an appointment for a safety check. All you have to do is contact a registered gas safety engineer and set up an appointment. All you have to do is be available for the session so you can walk the engineer through your home’s gas system. It is better to be present so the gas safety engineer can give you immediate feedback.
Gas safety is best left to experts. There are a lot of projects you can DIY, but gas safety is not one of them. With default gas safety checks, you can be at ease that your house is being monitored by experts and you have one less thing to worry about. It is truly an excellent investment.