How to Check an Engineer Is Gas Safe Registered

Before anyone touches your boiler, gas fire or cooker, you are entitled to know they are legally allowed to. Checking takes a couple of minutes and any genuine engineer will expect it. With the busy servicing season a few weeks away, now is a good time to know exactly what to look for.

Who is allowed to work on gas appliances?

Only engineers on the Gas Safe Register can legally carry out work on gas appliances and pipework in homes and businesses in Great Britain. That covers servicing, repairs, installation, moving a cooker and landlord gas safety checks. It applies whether the work is paid or a favour for a friend.

The requirement comes from the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Gas work done badly can lead to gas leaks, fires and carbon monoxide poisoning, which is why the register exists and why it is a criminal offence to do gas work without being registered.

What should I look for on a Gas Safe ID card?

Every registered engineer carries a Gas Safe ID card with their photo, name, licence number, the registered business they work for and the card's start and expiry dates. Check the photo matches the person in front of you and that the card has not expired. Then turn it over, because the back is where most people stop too early.

Why do the categories on the back matter?

Registration is not a blanket licence to work on anything gas. Each engineer is assessed for specific appliance types, and the back of the card lists them. Someone qualified for gas cookers is not automatically qualified for central heating boilers, and a domestic qualification does not cover a commercial kitchen.

Match the card to the job:

• Boiler service or repair: look for central heating boilers or wet central heating under domestic natural gas (or LPG if you are off the mains).
• Cooker fitting: look for cookers or cooking appliances.
• Gas fire: look for gas fires or space heaters.
• Restaurants, cafes and takeaways: look for commercial catering categories, which are separate from domestic ones.
• Mobile catering vans and trailers: these need their own LPG categories.

If you are unsure what a category means, the Gas Safe Register website explains them, or you can simply ask the engineer. They should be happy to show you.

How do I check an engineer on the Gas Safe Register website?

Go to the Gas Safe Register website and use the search to look up the engineer's licence number or the business registration number. The result shows whether the registration is current and which types of work the engineer or business is registered for.

You can do this before booking, not just on the day. Most businesses display their registration number on their website, vans and paperwork. Ours is 220932, and you can look it up yourself. If a company is vague about its number, or the number does not come up, treat that as a clear warning sign.

What happened to CORGI registration?

CORGI was the previous gas safety register. It was replaced by the Gas Safe Register in 2009, so a CORGI card on its own no longer proves anything. Some people still say CORGI out of habit, which is harmless, but an engineer who offers only CORGI credentials is not showing you current registration.

We cover the history and legal side in more detail in why the law requires a registered gas engineer. The practical point is simple: the Gas Safe ID card and online register are what count today.

What paperwork should a registered engineer leave?

A registered engineer should leave a clear record of what they did. After a service, that usually means a service report and an updated Benchmark service record in the boiler manual. A landlord gas safety check produces a gas safety record. A new boiler installation should be notified so that you receive a Building Regulations compliance certificate.

That record is useful for warranty claims, for selling your home and for the next engineer who works on the boiler. If you want to know what a thorough visit should cover, our boiler service checklist sets it out step by step.

Booking a Gas Safe registered engineer in Stoke-on-Trent

Every engineer we send carries a current Gas Safe ID card, and we are happy for you to check it at the door or look up our registration, 220932, beforehand. You can read more about our gas engineers and book an annual boiler service in Stoke-on-Trent from £90.

We work across Staffordshire, south Cheshire and Derbyshire, including boiler service in Stafford and boiler service in Cannock. To book or ask a question, call 07896 677083.