Fire services are being called to 10% more carbon monoxide leaks in homes compared to five years ago[1], a Uswitch investigation reveals
Almost a third of households do not have a carbon monoxide alarm[2] in the home putting families at greater risk from the odourless ‘silent killer’[3]
More than a quarter of households haven’t had their boilers serviced in over a year[4], with the pandemic delaying checks for a third of boiler owners[5]
London’s fire service received the highest number of carbon monoxide call-outs in 2020, attending more than 2,000 incidents in homes[1]
Uswitch.com and London Fire Brigade are urgently calling on people to buy a carbon monoxide alarm and ensure their next boiler service is scheduled
Fire services are being called to 10% more carbon monoxide incidents in homes than they were five years ago[1] — but almost a third (32%) of households say they do not have an alarm to detect the deadly gas[2], according to research by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service, which is working with London Fire Brigade to encourage consumers to get an alarm.
More than 3,000 incidents related to carbon monoxide in people’s homes were attended by firefighters in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 12 months[1], reveals Freedom of Information requests submitted to UK fire and rescue services.
Household appliances such as gas fires, boilers, central heating systems, water heaters, and cookers are possible sources of carbon monoxide. The gas is tasteless, odorless and invisible, meaning residents may not know there is a leak unless they have an alarm.
Despite the risk from the ‘silent killer’[3], a fifth (19%) of those with an alarm say they have never changed the batteries[6].
London Fire Brigade — the UK’s busiest service — recorded the highest number of incidents of those that responded to the FoI request. It saw 2,019 call-outs related to carbon monoxide in 12 months — the equivalent of 58.9 incidents per 100,000 households[1].
The 27 services that responded attended 3,236 incidents related to carbon monoxide in homes in 2020, compared to 2,954 in 2016, a 9.5% rise[1]. (See table in notes to editors for full breakdown).
A tension headache is the most common symptom of mild carbon monoxide poisoning. Other effects can include dizziness, feeling and being sick, tiredness and confusion, stomach pain and shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. Long-term exposure can cause neurological symptoms, and death in severe cases[7].
Of those who have a carbon monoxide detector, a quarter of households (26%) say they would not know what to do if the alarm went off. Even among the three quarters (74%) who said they would know what action to take, the majority did not mention all the recommended steps, such as turning off appliances, opening doors and windows, getting out of the property and calling a qualified technician[8].
One of the most common sources of carbon monoxide in homes is the boiler[9]. It is recommended that boilers are serviced annually to ensure they are operating safely and at peak efficiency.
However, more than a quarter of households (29%) have not had their boiler serviced in over a year[4]. This has been exacerbated by the pandemic, as almost a third (31%) of those with a boiler said they have waited longer than normal[5].
Two fifths (41%) of those who have waited because of Covid-19 said they had done so because they were worried about the risk of infection from having an engineer in their property, and nearly a quarter (24%) said they had put it off as their household finances are tighter because of the pandemic[5].
Overall, a fifth of people (20%) say they only get their boiler serviced every two years or more, and 7% only get a service when there is a problem[4].
Uswitch.com and London Fire Brigade are now calling on people to ensure that their boiler is regularly serviced and to buy a carbon monoxide alarm. Uswitch.com has also created a guide to ensure people understand the risks of carbon monoxide and how to prevent CO poisoning.
Sarah Broomfield, energy expert at Uswitch.com, comments:
“Carbon monoxide is odorless, invisible, and can cause serious health problems or even be fatal. Without an alarm, families will be unaware there is a problem in their home.
“With households turning their heating up during the cold weather, and a majority working from home, boilers are under more pressure than ever and boilers which have not been serviced for a long time could be at risk of causing serious problems.
“The pandemic has held up a lot of services, but we are urging people to get their boilers checked by a qualified engineer regularly.
“In the meantime, buying a carbon monoxide alarm and regularly checking that the batteries work is a vital way to protect yourself and your family.”
A spokesman at London Fire Brigade, comments:
“At London Fire Brigade, we have developed a specific response to incidents involving carbon monoxide, so we are well aware of the risks and how devastating it can be for victims and their families.
“We would encourage everyone to get a carbon monoxide alarm for their home to keep them and their family safe.
“Many households don’t have CO alarms, whereas around 85% have a smoke alarm so there is a real need to raise awareness of the dangers and the importance of getting an alarm.
“Poisoning symptoms can easily be confused with just feeling unwell, which is why CO poisoning is so dangerous and so often missed.”
Find out how you could save nearly £1,000 a year with Uswitch here.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Ross Stebbing
Phone: 07827 836 709
Email: ross.stebbing@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors:
Research conducted online by Opinium, 8 to 11 January 2021, among 2,003 adults, weighted to be nationally representative.
1. Freedom of Information requests to 50 fire authorities in the UK. 27 responded. Fire authorities were asked to provide data for how many call-outs their fire service attended related to carbon monoxide in domestic properties, in the years 01 August 2015 to 31 July 2016, 01 August 2016 to 31 July 2017, 01 August 2017 to 31 July 2018, 01 August 2018 to 31 July 2019, 01 August 2019 to 31 July 2020. 27 fire authorities attended 2,954 incidents in 2015/16 3,236 incidents in 2019/20 = 9.5% increase. See table for breakdown. Household data for each fire service calculated using household data from ONS, ‘Estimated number of households in the local and unitary authorities of England and Wales, Council areas of Scotland, and local government districts of Northern Ireland, 2012 to 2018’.
2. Survey respondents were asked ‘Does the property you live in have a carbon monoxide alarm?’ 57% said ‘yes’, 32% said ‘no’, 11% said ‘don’t know’.
3. Public Health England, ‘Carbon monoxide – the silent killer’.
4. Respondents were asked ‘When was your boiler last serviced?’ 16% said within the last three months, 14% said between 3-6 months ago, 18% said between 6 months and and a year ago, 16% said between a year and two years ago, 5% said between 2-3 years ago, 3% said between 3-4 years ago, 2% said between 4-5 years ago, 1% said between 5-8 years ago and 1% said between 8-10 years ago. 1% said over 10 years ago.
Respondents were asked ‘How regularly is your boiler usually serviced?’ 4% said ‘more than once a year’, 53% said ‘once a year’, 9% said once every two years, 5% said once every 3 years, 3% said once every 4 years, 2% said once every five years, 1% said more than once every 5 years. 7% said only when there is a problem. 3% said they don’t get their boiler serviced.
5. Respondents were asked ‘Have you waited longer for your boiler to be serviced for any of the following reasons as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic?’ 31% said they waited longer than usual. Of those who waited longer, 41% said it was due to ‘Infection risk - I don’t want an engineer coming into my house during the pandemic’, 24.7% said ‘Cost - my household finances are tighter due to Covid-19’, 40% said it was due to a cancellation. 18.9% said ‘Too busy - I’ve had too much on my plate to organise a service’.
6. Respondents were asked ‘When did you last change the batteries in your carbon monoxide alarm?’ 19% said they had never changed the batteries.
7. NHS, ‘Carbon monoxide poisoning’.
8. Respondents were asked ‘Would you know what to do if your carbon monoxide alarm went off?’ 74% said ‘yes’, 26% said ‘no’. Respondents who said yes were asked ‘You mentioned you would know what to do if your carbon monoxide alarm went off, what would you do?’ In open answers, most people responded they would leave the building, but they did not all follow all the recommended steps, such as turning off appliances, call a qualified technician. SSE, carbon monoxide safety.
9. Central Gas Safety, ‘The potential carbon monoxide dangers linked with boilers’.
About Uswitch
Uswitch is one of the UK’s top comparison websites for home services switching, including energy, broadband and mobiles.
More people go to Uswitch to switch their energy, broadband and mobile than any other site, and we have saved consumers over £2.7 billion off their bills since we launched in September 2000.
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