Subject to being approved by Parliament, the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 will come into force on 6th April 2018. An amendment to regulation 36(3a) introduces flexibility in the timing of landlords’ annual gas safety checks. (Source:-http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/139/pdfs/uksi_20180139_en.pdf)
The new clause will allow landlords’ gas safety checks to be carried out in a window of between 10 and 12 months following the previous check, but treated as if they had been carried out on the last day of that 12 months’ validity, thereby preserving the existing expiry date of the safety check record.
Many Landlords currently start the process for gaining access around 10.5 months after the last check according to a survey carried out by CORGI Technical Services. (Source:- http://www.agsm.uk.com/mot-style-of-servicing-survey-results/)
However, since access is granted promptly in about 75% of cases this, in turn, leads to a shortening of the safety check cycle year on year. This can result in 10 annual gas safety checks being completed over a 9 year period instead of the statutory 9, which, of course, can have cost implications.
How our MOT-style service checks save you time and money
Servicesoft now has the MOT-style of servicing built into its system, enabling Direct Labour Organisations and Heating Contractors to reap the benefits immediately without the need for retraining or system alterations. Simply tick the box and Servicesoft takes care of the rest.
It is now stipulated that the landlord is responsible for creating and maintaining an audit trail. Landlords will be required to retain records showing that consecutive gas safety checks have been carried out in this 10-12-month window to prove that the original expiry date has been retained.
Where this cannot be provided, the safety check will revert back to being 12 months from the date of the last safety check.
Servicesoft provides detailed records of services allowing for the preservation of the expiry date. Although there is no legal requirement to alter the Landlord Gas Safety Record, Servicesoft will now print the expiry date along with the date of the previous safety check on the current LGSR. This will give the tenant a clear indication as to when the next inspection is due.
Prior to starting the MOT-style gas safety checks, due consideration should be given to logistical savings. These are the savings expected as a result of being able to more effectively group gas checks in nearby properties owing to the flexibility afforded by the dates.
Servicesoft helps with the profiling of these property groups, ensuring scheduling no longer concentrates on due dates but works on a tighter geographical route to minimise transport costs and increase the number of engineers’ daily appointments.
This now gives you a fantastic opportunity to ensure more resource is available for winter boiler breakdowns by reducing servicing during this busy period, a job ordinarily done every year in late November due to the shifting servicing schedule.
See the system in operation for yourself, contact us now for a demonstration of how Servicesoft will save your organisation time and money by being more efficient.