Keeping your home safe with a terminal illness

Looking after a house when you’re unwell can be hard, even with help. Sometimes when appliances relating to energy and water get worn out or broken, they can become dangerous.

Make sure you use reliable information and advice on how to keep yourself safe, such as:

You own your home

• British Gas: How safe is my boiler?
• Electrical Safety First: Safety around the home

You rent your home

If you are renting, you may be able to ask your landlord to organise repairs and maintenance.

• Take a look at Shelter’s information on what landlords should be doing to keep your home safe.

Monitoring your energy and water appliances is important, as worn or broken ones can become dangerous.

It is recommended that you service your boiler every year, as it is the best way of keeping it working safely. Even if your boiler is brand new, you’ll still need to service it regularly for its warranty to stay valid.

Hiring qualified and trusted gas engineers, plumbers and electricians is important to keeping your home safe. If someone does not have the right training, they could make mistakes that put you and the people who live with you in danger.

Regular servicing is important to keep appliances safe and working properly and is recommended annually:

• Gas appliances like boilers, cookers and heaters should be serviced by a Gas Safe engineer.
• Oil appliances should be checked by someone registered with OFTEC. This is a heating engineer recognised by the Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC) who can certify their work.
• Solid fuel appliances such as wood burners and coal fires should be serviced by a HETAS registered engineer. This is someone who has been certified by HETAS to safely install, maintain and service woodburning, multi-fuel, and other appliances in accordance with regulations.
• While most electrical systems do not need to be serviced every year, regular checks are still important to keep your home safe. In particular, the consumer unit/fuse box, wiring (especially in older homes), sockets and light fittings, and any fixed electrical appliances (such as electrical showers, cookers and heaters).

It is recommended to have an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) every five years in rented homes (which landlords are required to obtain) and every 10 years in privately owned homes. Or as soon as there are signs of wear and tear, such as damaged wires or overloaded sockets. A qualified electrician can also check your smoke alarms if they are hardwired.

• Find a gas engineer on the Gas safe register.
• Find a registered electrician from Electrical Safety First.
• How to find a good plumber from Which?
• Find a technician for your open fire or wood burner (including chimney sweeps) from Hetas.
• Find an oil technician from OFTEC.

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that can make you seriously ill. You cannot smell it, so it’s important to know what other signs to look for.

Any appliances in your home that burn gas, wood, oil or coal may give off carbon monoxide if they are broken or not fitted properly. This includes ovens, boilers, heaters, open fires, wood burners and more.

BS EN 50291 certified carbon monoxide alarms should be fitted in every room where there is a potential source of carbon monoxide, near fuel burning appliances and bedrooms. They normally last around 7-10 years but should be tested regularly and bought from a trustworthy source. Always check the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure proper and safe usage.

Carbon monoxide risks are not limited to your home. They can also be found in caravans, boats, vans and holiday rentals.

Carbon monoxide detectors are simple to set up and can be bought easily in many high street shops or online.

If you have carbon monoxide poisoning, you might experience:

• dizziness
• sickness
• confusion
• chest and muscle pains
• shortness of breath
• headaches.

These symptoms can sometimes be mistaken for food poisoning, so be sure to check your appliances if you suspect that could be an issue. You may also experience loss of consciousness or collapse as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.

If you have a terminal illness, you may be more at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It may also be harder for you to notice the signs if you are already experiencing some of the symptoms as part of your illness.

The NHS has information on carbon monoxide poisoning.

If you have a carbon monoxide leak you might see:

• a yellow or orange flame on a gas appliance which should be blue
• flames that burn weakly, slowly or go out, including the pilot light on your boiler
• yellow or brown sooty marks on an appliance
• lots of condensation in a room with the appliance

If you think you have a carbon monoxide leak, get everyone out of the house straight away and call the National Gas Emergency Helpline. This is a different number depending on which part of the UK you live in. See What to do in a gas emergency from the Gas Safe Register.

You will likely already have health issues which make you more at risk because of carbon monoxide leaks.

• It may be harder for you to notice the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning if you are already experiencing some of the symptoms.
• If you suspect that you have a carbon monoxide leak it is important to get outside, open windows and turn off appliances. This might not be easy to do if you are less able to move around.

Damp and mould are an unwelcome sight in the winter months and addressing them early is vital for protecting your health.

Damp and mould can cause problems with your breathing, your eyes and your skin. You may be more likely to get viruses and bacterial infections. It can also be stressful and upsetting when parts of your home or belongings are damaged. Children and people at the end of their life are at a higher risk of getting health problems related to damp.

These could be because of:

• cold temperatures inside that cause condensation
• water coming up from the ground
• water coming in from another source, such as a leaking gutter, pipe or roof

You are most likely to find damp and mould:

• in rooms where steam is created, like a kitchen or bathroom
• on and around cold surfaces such as window frames
• on outside walls and in unheated rooms
• in wardrobes and cupboards.

For practical advice on how to tackle condensation, damp and mould:

• Visit the National Energy Action’s advice on damp and mould.
• If you rent your home, Citizen’s Advice have information on damp and mould here.

If you or someone you care for is living with dementia, autism, or a memory-related condition, a locking cooker valve could be helpful.

The locking cooker valve supports independent living by reducing the risk of gas-related accidents.

The valve is fitted to your existing gas cooker pipework. SGN will do this for free.

• When locked, it stops the flow of gas to the cooker, preventing it from being accidentally turned on or left on.
• A carer or relative uses a key to unlock the valve when it’s safe to use the cooker again.

• prevents unintentional use of the gas cooker
• helps people stay safe and independent at home
• offers reassurance to carers and family members
• easy to operate using a key
• free fitting without the need to change your energy supplier.

Locking cooker valves are usually provided for free by your gas distribution network. This isn’t who you pay your bills to.

SGN

Phone: 0800 975 1818

Online: sgn.co.uk

North West, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England and North London:

Cadent

Phone: 0800 389 8000

Online: cadentgas.com

North of England:

Northern Gas Networks

Phone: 0800 040 7766

Online: northerngasnetworks.co.uk

Wales and the South West of England:

Wales and West Utilities

Phone: 0800 912 2999

Online: wwutilities.co.uk

Alternatively, call your gas or electricity supplier’s customer service and they will confirm who your local network operator is.