Gas supply in your council home
Your gas supply will either be from Camden’s own gas network or from your chosen supplier.
If you're bringing your own cooker to your new home, you'll need to arrange for a Gas Safe registered engineer to install it after the gas has been reconnected. This is at your own cost.
We strongly recommend that you do not buy a second-hand gas appliance.
What to do if you smell gas
If you smell gas, think you have a gas leak, or are worried that fumes containing carbon monoxide are escaping from a gas appliance:
- call us on 0808 175 8880
- open doors and windows to ventilate your home
- turn off your gas supply at the emergency control valve, normally found near the meter
- put out all naked flames, do not smoke, strike a match or do anything else that could ignite the gas, including turning electrical switches on or off
If your gas is supplied by Camden
On some estates, heating and hot water are supplied to each flat from a communal boiler.
If your home is connected to a communal boiler, you'll pay a heating charge as well as your rent. This is a set amount, depending on the size of your home and the heating service provided. Find out more about heat metering and how we calculate your bill.
Some properties are fitted with heat meters. This means you only pay for the energy you use for heating and hot water.
You also pay a heating charge if a separate boiler in your flat uses gas from Camden’s own gas network.
If your gas is not supplied by Camden and you need a gas supply
If you're moving into an empty property, the Lettings Officer will let you know which company supplies the gas. You should contact them to set up the account in your name. You can change the supplier at any time.
We recommend that you take meter readings at your new home as soon as you move in and give them to your supplier. Once you've set up your account with a supplier, you'll need to contact Camden Repairs to uncap the gas.
Gas safety
Installing gas appliances
By law, gas appliances must be fitted by a qualified person who is a member of the Gas Safe register and has the qualifications that allow them to carry out that specific type of gas work. You can find a registered gas engineer on the Gas Safe Register website.
Gas servicing
By law, we must carry out a gas safety inspection in your home every 12 months. At the same time, our gas contractor will service any gas appliances we have provided.
You must let us in to do this as part of your tenancy conditions. A Gas Safe registered engineer will carry out the safety check and give you a copy of the gas safety certificate within 28 days. If you do not allow access for the gas safety check, we may take legal action. You may be charged for legal costs, locksmith services, materials, and staff time required to gain access.
If the engineer finds any problems with gas appliances provided by us, they will carry out all necessary repairs to make the appliance safe. We will also visually check any tenant-owned appliances to ensure they have been installed correctly. Any issues will be recorded on the Landlords Gas Safety Records (LGSR).
Gas servicing your own appliances
We are not responsible for servicing appliances which belong to you, such as your own gas cookers. This includes items gifted to you by the Council.
We recommend that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions, including ventilation requirements. You should also have your appliances serviced regularly by a Gas Safe registered engineer who is qualified to carry out that specific type of work.
You must:
- never attempt to repair gas appliances yourself
- not alter or disconnect the heating system without our approval
- not block any air bricks, louvred vents, or appliance terminals