Is a Boiler Service the Same as a Gas Safety Certificate?

No, a boiler service and a gas safety certificate are not the same thing, although they are often done on the same visit by the same engineer. A boiler service is maintenance: the engineer opens the boiler, checks and cleans its working parts and sets it up to run safely and efficiently. A gas safety check is an inspection of every gas appliance and flue in the property to confirm they are safe to use on the day, and for landlords it produces the Landlord Gas Safety Record, often called a CP12 or gas safety certificate. One does not replace the other, and which you need depends on whether you own the home you live in or let it to someone else.

What a Boiler Service Covers

A boiler service looks inside the boiler and deals with the wear that builds up over a year. It is about keeping the boiler safe, efficient and within its warranty.

On a typical service, a Gas Safe registered engineer removes the casing and checks the burner, heat exchanger, fan, electrodes, seals and condensate trap, cleaning what the manufacturer says should be cleaned. They run a combustion analysis to confirm the boiler is burning gas correctly, check gas pressure and rate, test the safety devices, and look at the flue and the system pressure. You get a written service record at the end, and that record is what manufacturers ask for when you make a warranty claim. The service covers the boiler. It does not usually include your gas hob, cooker or gas fire unless you ask for them.

What a Gas Safety Check Covers

A gas safety check covers every gas appliance and flue in the property, not just the boiler. Its job is to confirm that each one is safe to use, rather than to clean or tune it.

The engineer carries out a tightness test on the gas pipework, checks that each appliance's flue removes waste gases properly, confirms there is adequate ventilation, checks burner pressure or gas rate, and tests that safety devices work. Anything found unsafe is recorded, and an appliance that is dangerous may be turned off. For a rented property, the result is written up on the Landlord Gas Safety Record. The check does not normally involve stripping down and cleaning the boiler, which is why a boiler can pass a safety check and still be overdue a proper service.

Who Legally Needs Which

Landlords must have an annual gas safety check and keep a current Landlord Gas Safety Record. Homeowners living in their own property are not legally required to have either, though a yearly service is strongly recommended.

• Landlords must have every gas appliance and flue they provide checked every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. A copy of the record goes to existing tenants within 28 days of the check and to new tenants before they move in. A check carried out in the last two months before the deadline keeps the original anniversary date.
• Landlords also have a legal duty to keep gas appliances maintained in a safe condition. HSE guidance is that a safety check on its own is not the same as maintenance, and that appliances should be serviced in line with the manufacturer's instructions, which for most boilers means once a year.
• Homeowners have no legal duty to hold a gas safety certificate. The annual service is what protects the warranty and catches faults early. Our guide on whether homeowners need a gas safety certificate covers the owner-occupier side in more detail.
• Tenants do not arrange either. Your landlord is responsible for the check, and you are entitled to a copy of the record.

Side by Side: Service or Safety Check?

The simplest way to tell them apart is to ask what each one is for. A service keeps the boiler in good working order. A safety check proves the gas installation was safe on the day it was inspected.

• What is looked at: the service covers the boiler in depth; the safety check covers every gas appliance and flue, in less depth.
• What is done: the service includes cleaning and adjustment; the safety check is an inspection with tests.
• What you get: a service record for the boiler; for landlords, a Landlord Gas Safety Record for the property.
• Who needs it: the service is recommended for everyone and usually needed for the warranty; the safety check is a legal requirement for landlords.

Booking Both on One Visit

If you are a landlord, booking the gas safety check and the boiler service together is usually the most sensible way to meet both duties. The engineer is already there, the tenant only has to give access once, and both records carry the same date each year.

A combined visit takes longer than either job alone, because the engineer has to service the boiler and then check every other gas appliance too. Be wary of a combined visit that is over very quickly. When you book, list every gas appliance in the property, including hobs, cookers and fires, so the visit is planned properly. Our Landlord Gas Safety Certificate page explains what the inspection includes, and the annual boiler service page covers the servicing side.

Which One Should You Book?

Book an annual service if you own and live in your home. Book a gas safety check and a service if you let the property. A gas safety check alone is rarely the right answer.

Homeowners sometimes ask for a gas safety certificate when they are selling a house or when a buyer's solicitor asks about the boiler. What is usually wanted then is the service history, so a current service record is more useful than a safety check. If you are not sure what you need, tell us whether the property is let or owner-occupied and what gas appliances it has, and we will say which visit fits.