In short
A gas safety check confirms gas appliances and flues are safe to use: the flue, ventilation, gas pressure or heat input and safety devices. A boiler service goes further, inspecting and cleaning parts to the manufacturer's instructions. HSE tells landlords not to assume one includes the other. Both can usually be done at the same visit.
What a gas safety check covers
A gas safety check is a safety inspection. Regulation 26(9) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 sets out what an engineer must examine on an appliance, and a landlord's annual check under regulation 36 must include at least these points:
- the effectiveness of the flue, so combustion products, including carbon monoxide, are carried away;
- the supply of combustion air (ventilation);
- the operating pressure or heat input, or, where that is not reasonably practicable, the combustion performance;
- the operation of the appliance, so it works safely, including its safety devices.
The engineer records the results. For landlords this is the gas safety record, often called a CP12, and it must include the date, the address, each appliance checked, any safety defect found and any action taken.
What a boiler service covers
A service is maintenance. The engineer follows the boiler manufacturer's servicing instructions, which usually means opening the appliance, inspecting and cleaning parts where the instructions require it, checking seals, the condensate trap and system pressure, and checking combustion with a flue gas analyser. It is meant to keep the boiler running efficiently and catch worn parts before they fail. Most manufacturers make an annual service a condition of the boiler's guarantee. Our guide to how often a boiler should be serviced has more detail.
The difference at a glance
| Gas safety check | Boiler service | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Confirms appliances and flues are safe to use | Maintains the boiler to the manufacturer's instructions |
| Covers | Every gas appliance and flue checked, such as boiler, hob and fire | Usually the boiler only |
| Legal requirement | Yes for landlords, every 12 months | No, but often a guarantee condition |
| Paperwork | Gas safety record (CP12 for landlords) | Service record or service history entry |
Who needs which?
Landlords must have every gas appliance and flue they provide checked for safety within 12 months of installation and then at least every 12 months, by a Gas Safe registered engineer. They also have a separate duty to maintain those appliances, flues and pipework in a safe condition. HSE's landlord guidance says good practice is regular annual maintenance, and warns: "You should not assume that an annual service inspection includes the points required by a safety check; neither should you assume that carrying out an annual gas safety check will be sufficient to provide effective maintenance."
Homeowners have no legal duty to have a gas safety check on their own home. A yearly boiler service is the usual way to keep the boiler safe and the guarantee valid. A homeowner gas safety check is useful when you buy a house, when appliances have not been looked at for a while, or when you want every gas appliance checked, not only the boiler.
Businesses have a duty under regulation 35 to keep gas appliances, flues and pipework at work in a safe condition. See our guide to commercial gas safety inspections.
Can both be done at one visit?
Usually, yes. Many landlords have the boiler serviced and the gas safety check done at the same appointment, so the property is visited once a year. The gas safety record is still issued as a separate document. Tell us when you book that you want both, so enough time is allowed.
CombiCert in Telford
CombiCert Ltd is a Gas Safe registered (621146) gas and heating company based at The Old School House, Park Lane, Telford TF3 4TG, working across Telford and Shropshire for homes and businesses. We are open Monday to Saturday, 08:00 to 19:45 (closed Sunday).
Boiler service from £90 + VAT. Homeowner gas safety check from £90 + VAT. Landlord Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) £90 inc VAT.
See Gas safety checks and landlord CP12 for details, or call or WhatsApp 07393 220694, or email hello@combicert.co.uk.
Sources
- HSE: Gas safety, landlords and letting agents
- legislation.gov.uk: Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 26
- legislation.gov.uk: Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36
- legislation.gov.uk: Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 35
Frequently asked questions
Does a boiler service count as a gas safety check?
Not automatically. A service maintains the boiler to the manufacturer's instructions, while a gas safety check examines every appliance and flue against the points in regulation 26(9) and produces a record. HSE tells landlords not to assume a service includes the safety check. Ask for both if you are a landlord, and you will receive a separate gas safety record.
Does a gas safety check include a boiler service?
No. A gas safety check confirms the boiler and other gas appliances are safe at the time of the visit, but it does not include the cleaning and component checks a service involves. HSE says a safety check alone should not be assumed to provide effective maintenance, so landlords and homeowners should still have the boiler serviced yearly.
Do homeowners need a gas safety certificate?
No law requires owner-occupiers to have a gas safety certificate for their own home. The annual check is a legal duty for landlords. Homeowners are still advised to have gas appliances serviced every year, and a homeowner gas safety check is worth booking when you buy a property or when appliances have not been checked for some time.
Can a boiler service and a CP12 be done at the same visit?
Yes. A Gas Safe registered engineer can service the boiler and carry out the landlord gas safety check at the same appointment, so the tenant only has one visit. The engineer completes the gas safety record for all the gas appliances checked. Mention both when booking so the right amount of time is set aside.
How much do a boiler service and a gas safety check cost at CombiCert?
CombiCert boiler services start from £90 + VAT, homeowner gas safety checks start from £90 + VAT, and a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) is £90 including VAT. We work across Telford and Shropshire. Call or WhatsApp 07393 220694 and tell us how many gas appliances the property has when you book.
This guide is general information, not a substitute for an on-site assessment by a Gas Safe registered engineer. If you smell gas, call 0800 111 999.