70% of private homes at risk: Burton Smith Group offers free carbon monoxide alarm installations

Toby Burton, the Managing Director of Burton Smith Group, which specialises in heating and plumbing services estimates that only around 30% of privately owned homes have carbon monoxide alarms. This highlights a significant gap in safety compared to rental properties. Legally, rental properties in England, where a solid fuel burning appliance is present, must have a CO alarm installed. However, no such legal requirement exists for private homeowners.

“I’m concerned about the safety of private homeowners,” Toby said. “Gas boilers can produce carbon monoxide if they are not installed correctly, are faulty or poorly maintained. Carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless, which means having an alarm is vital. The lack of carbon monoxide alarms in private homes suggests the severity of the danger is either misunderstood or underestimated. I appreciate that installing alarms can be difficult for many people, which is why my business is offering to help residents install their alarms for free within a 30-mile radius of our base in Silsoe.”

According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), approximately 440 hospital admissions in England are reported each year due to carbon monoxide poisoning. This statistic reinforces the importance of preventive measures such as installing CO alarms and ensuring regular maintenance of heating appliances.