Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service (WFRS) is urging residents to protect themselves from the dangers of carbon monoxide as part of Gas Safety Week 2026.
The theme for Gas Safety Week 2026 is Take No Chances. It is a simple but important reminder that if something does not feel right, it should not be ignored. If a gas appliance needs checking, do not put it off. And if gas work needs doing, always use someone who is Gas Safe registered and qualified for the type of work needed.
WFRS has seen a steady rise in carbon monoxide alarm attendances across Warwickshire over the last three years, with incidents increasing from 61 in 2023/24 to 125 in 2025/26. The majority of callouts continue to be to residential properties, highlighting the important role of having a working carbon monoxide alarm and ensuring gas and other fuel-burning appliances are properly maintained. Often referred to as the "silent killer", carbon monoxide cannot be seen, smelt or tasted, making early detection crucial to keeping households safe.
Councillor Robert Gisbourne, Portfolio Holder for Fire and Rescue, Community Safety and Flooding, said: "This Gas Safety Week, make sure you take no chances with your safety by ensuring you get your gas appliances maintained by professionals regularly. We hope to educate the community by sharing these safety tips, reducing the risk of gas leaks, fires and explosions.
“If any resident should be concerned about the fire safety of their home, a Safe and Well visit can be carried out by the service at their request.”
To keep yourself, and your loved ones, safe as we start to enter the colder months, follow these top tips on gas safety:
- Regularly maintain gas appliances - Gas appliances should be safety checked once a year and serviced regularly by a qualified and registered engineer. Landlords are responsible for organising this for tenants.
- Look out for warning signs that could indicate your gas appliances are not working correctly - Signs may include lazy yellow/orange flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks on or around the appliance, a pilot light that keeps going out, too much condensation in the room, or error messages on the appliance’s control panel.
- Ensure your home’s vents and/or flues are not blocked - Vents and flues are there to ensure your gas appliances work safely. Blocking them could prevent this.
- Purchase and regularly test an audible carbon monoxide (CO) alarm - Ensure any CO alarms are marked to standards EN50291 and still in date.
- Never DIY gas work - Never DIY on a gas appliance; if you suspect there is something wrong with your appliance or it is not working correctly, call an engineer.
Following these best practices and safety tips and properly maintaining gas appliances ensures the safety of yourself, your family and our community.
To stay safe as possible at home, follow these fire safety tips:
- Fit smoke alarms on every level of your home and test them at least monthly.
- If you smoke, ensure you stub your cigarettes out properly – Put it out. Right out.
- Don’t leave cooking unattended and keep it out of reach of children.
- Don’t overload electrical sockets and turn off electrical appliances and plugs before you go to bed or go out – apart from appliances that are designed to stay on, like freezers.
- Keep lit candles, portable heaters and other sources of heat away from curtains and furniture and never use them for drying clothes.
- Plan and practise an escape route and make sure everyone knows it.
- In the event of a fire, don’t tackle the fire yourself. Get out, stay out and call 999.
Residents concerned about the fire safety of their home can apply for a free Safe and Well Visit carried out by Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service.
For more gas safety information, visit https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/home-fire-safety-tips/safe-home-heating/5.