Glossary · Faults, servicing and gas safety
What is the Gas Safe Register?
The Gas Safe Register is the official register of businesses and engineers who are competent and legally allowed to carry out gas work in the UK. Anyone working on gas appliances in a home must be on it. Registered engineers carry an ID card showing their photo, number and the types of gas work they can do.
Key points
- By law, a business doing gas work in a home must be on the Gas Safe Register, and the engineer must be competent in that type of work.
- The front of the ID card shows a photo, registration number and expiry date. The back lists what the engineer is qualified to do.
- A registered engineer may only work in the categories shown on the back of the card, such as boilers, cookers or gas fires.
- Registration is renewed every year, and new businesses start with a 3 month probation period.
- The register launched on 1 April 2009 and replaced the CORGI scheme.
How the Gas Safe Register works
The Gas Safe Register keeps the list of businesses and operatives who are competent to do gas work on natural gas and LPG. Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, a gas engineering business must be on it to do gas work legally.[1]Health and Safety Executive, Gas Safe Register Anyone employed to work on gas appliances in a home must be a Gas Safe registered engineer and be competent in that area of gas work.[2]Health and Safety Executive, Domestic gas: frequently asked questions
The register operates under an agreement with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). It launched on 1 April 2009 and replaced the older CORGI scheme.[1]Health and Safety Executive, Gas Safe Register
To join, a business has to prove it has the necessary qualifications and experience. It must renew its registration every year. New registrations start with a 3 month probation period, during which the business must keep records and tell the register about all of its gas work.[4]GOV.UK, Register to carry out gas work The register also has inspectors who monitor whether gas work is done competently and safely, and they deal with complaints.[1]Health and Safety Executive, Gas Safe Register
How to check an engineer
Every registered engineer carries an ID card. HSE encourages you to ask to see it before any gas work is done in your home.[1]Health and Safety Executive, Gas Safe Register
| Part of the card | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Front | A photograph, a registration number and an expiry date |
| Back | The categories of work the engineer is qualified to do, such as cookers, boilers or gas fires |
Check the back as well as the front. An engineer may be registered but not qualified for your type of appliance. HSE advises checking that the engineer is competent in that specific area of gas.[3]Health and Safety Executive, Gas safety check - who can do it? If you are in any doubt, you can check the Gas Safe Register website or ring the register.[2]Health and Safety Executive, Domestic gas: frequently asked questions
What does the law let others do? HSE says a non-registered person may carry out wet work, such as installing water pipes and radiators for a heating system. Any work on the gas boiler itself, and the final connection of the water pipework to the boiler, must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer.[3]Health and Safety Executive, Gas safety check - who can do it? Householders should not open a boiler casing or touch gas pipework, flues or the gas supply to an appliance. Only a registered engineer should do that.
Example
Aisha in Leeds gets three quotes for a new boiler. Before the first engineer starts work, she asks to see his ID card. The front shows a photo and an expiry date that has not passed. She turns it over and checks that the categories include boilers. She also looks the business up on the register’s website to be sure.
BASI Heating lists its own Gas Safe registration number on its website, so a customer can run the same check on it.[5]BASI Heating, BASI Heating home page
What people get wrong
A common assumption is that any engineer with a van and a trade qualification can fit a boiler. The law is stricter. HSE says anyone employed to work on gas appliances in a home must be Gas Safe registered and competent in that type of work, and an engineer who is registered for one category is not automatically covered for another.
Another mistake is believing a registered engineer can sign off work done by someone else. HSE says it is not acceptable for a registered engineer to knowingly sign off gas work carried out by a person who is not registered, and both may face prosecution.[3]Health and Safety Executive, Gas safety check - who can do it?
The bottom line
The Gas Safe Register is the legal list of gas engineers in the UK. Ask to see the ID card, read both sides, and check the register if you have any doubt. Registration is renewed every year and covers specific types of work. Only a registered engineer should touch a gas appliance, flue or gas pipework in your home.
Common questions
How do I check that an engineer is on the Gas Safe Register?
Ask to see their Gas Safe ID card before work starts. HSE says you can also check the Gas Safe Register website or ring the Gas Safe Register on 0800 408 5500 if you are in any doubt.
What is shown on a Gas Safe ID card?
The front shows a photograph, a registration number and an expiry date. The back shows the categories of work the engineer is qualified to do, for example cookers, boilers or gas fires.
Can a plumber who is not registered do any work on my heating?
HSE says a non-registered person may do wet work such as water pipes and radiators. Any work on the gas boiler itself, and the final water connection to it, must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Who runs the Gas Safe Register?
It operates under an agreement with the Health and Safety Executive. HSE awarded the contract to run it in 2008, and the register launched on 1 April 2009.
Sources
We cite the original source for every figure: government, regulators, standards bodies and manufacturers' own documents. Each one shows the date we last checked it.
- Health and Safety Executive. Gas Safe Register. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Health and Safety Executive. Domestic gas: frequently asked questions. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Health and Safety Executive. Gas safety check - who can do it?. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- GOV.UK. Register to carry out gas work. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- BASI Heating. BASI Heating home page. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩