Northern Gas Networks to give away free carbon monoxide alarms this CO Awareness Week (18-24 November 2024)
- Only 37% of Northerners said they have a working CO alarm in their property
- Only 24% of people polled regularly test their CO alarms
- 19% would do nothing if they heard their alarm beeping
- 9% admit they’ve never had their boiler serviced
- Only 40% of those surveyed knew the dangers of CO poisoning
The North of England’s gas distributer, Northern Gas Networks (NGN), is marking National CO Awareness Week by giving away up to 2,000 free carbon monoxide (CO) alarms to its customers from now until February next year.
The life-saving giveaway* has been launched to help protect people from the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, which kills around 60 people and hospitalises 4,000 every year in the UK.**
Recent research*** conducted by NGN revealed that that only 37 percent of people in the NGN regions have a working CO alarm in their property, and only 24 percent regularly test it. 19 percent said they would do nothing if they heard their CO alarm beeping, while nine percent admit they’ve never had their boiler serviced.
Speaking about the research, Eileen Brown, Director of Customer Experience at Northern Gas Networks, said: “It’s worrying to see how many people still don’t have a CO alarm. Carbon monoxide poisoning cases rise in the winter when we’re using our cookers, fires, boilers and wood burners more, which is why we’re urging people to get in the know about CO and claim a free alarm through our week-long giveaway.
“Similar to a smoke alarm, CO alarms are activated when CO is detected in the air and will beep and flash to alert you of the danger. They’re small and easy to install, and you should have at least one on each floor. If you have a gas fire, log burner or open fire, it’s a good idea to have one in the room it’s in too.”
NGN wants to educate the region about CO by encouraging people to take two short online surveys to test their knowledge and rewarding those that take part with a free CO alarm. To take part, visit www.northerngasnetworks.co.uk/cohero. The giveaway will begin on 18th November 2024 and end at midnight on 28th February 2025 (or before, if the 2,000 alarms are claimed before that date).
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous, colourless and odourless gas that is produced when carbon fuels are burnt. It can leak from incorrectly fitted, badly repaired or poorly maintained gas appliances, as well as flues, chimneys and blocked vents. You can’t see or smell it, so you can’t detect it if it begins to build up in your home, and if you breathe it in, it can make you seriously ill.
The signs of CO poisoning include headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, collapse or loss of consciousness. If you think you may have carbon monoxide poisoning, immediately turn off the appliance you think may be causing it, open windows and doors, leave the building and seek urgent medical advice. You must also call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999*** and an engineer will come straight out to investigate and make the situation safe. This line is in operation 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
ENDS
For further information, please contact Jasmine or Nina at Content Soup on 07929 340 657 / 07971 598 904 or email hello@contentsoup.co.uk. A case study of a pregnant woman affected by CO is also available to support this story, see below.
Woman, 30, from Stanley, Durham, discovers carbon monoxide risk through routine midwife appointment
Ummay Alam was seven months pregnant in July this year when she went for a routine checkup with her midwife.
While carrying out the standard ‘blow test’, which is designed to detect whether carbon monoxide (also known as CO) is present in a patient, Ummay was shocked and alarmed when the reading came back as level 6 – a red flag that the patient is at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
She explains: “I couldn’t believe it. At my previous midwife appointments, my results had always been level 1. Up to level 3 is fine, anything between 4 and 9 is cause for concern, and anything above 9 is considered dangerous. To be at level 6 was a shock as we get our boiler serviced every year and the only other gas appliance in the house is a cooker.”
Following advice from her midwife, Ummay’s husband contacted their local gas distribution network, Northern Gas Networks, who came out the same day to carry out a full assessment on the property. The Gas safe registered engineer confirmed that the gas cooker was omitting CO.
Ummay adds: “Stupidly we didn’t have a carbon monoxide alarm fitted in the house as we never thought things like this happened. It’s been a real wake up call. Our cooker is only five years old; we bought it when we moved into the house, but looking back we had had problems with it cutting out for the past year or so and even had engineers out to look at it who didn’t spot any signs. We didn’t think anything of it.
“I was kind of aware of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, but I’d never have put two and two together as I was heavily pregnant at the time and a lot of the symptoms – nausea, fatigue, headaches – are all similar. I am so glad the midwife picked it up.”
Being pregnant meant Ummay was eligible for the Priority Services Register and qualified for to have her cooker repaired with new parts, free of charge. “Saving that money was really helpful with an impending newborn, and Northern Gas Networks came to the rescue within just a few days.”
Ummay and husband Mishbah welcomed their first child, daughter Yaseerah, in September 2024. Both mum and baby are healthy and doing well.
Notes to editors:
* This promotion is only open to any resident or business owner within the Northern Gas Networks distribution area. To check if you are in the Northern Gas Networks geographical area visit https://findmygdn.co.uk/. Full terms & conditions apply. Please see full details on www.northerngasnetworks.co.uk/cohero.
**Data provided by Open Data Portal for the period 1st November 2022 to 31st October 2023 (https://northerngasopendataportal.co.uk/)
***Research statistics taken from an NGN study conducted in February 2024, plus a survey of 2,008 people based in the North East of England, Yorkshire and Cumbria aged 18-80, conducted by Perspectus Global/Savanta in July 2024.