Gas fitters, electricians and plumbers working in domestic premises will be interested to learn of a new Gas Safe Register study which found that the majority of UK gas consumers are unable to identify deadly appliances.

The study showed that more than nine in 10 UK gas consumers were not able to tell a threatening appliance from a completely safe one. Gas Safe Register showed 1,200 gas consumers a total of 10 photographs of gas appliances. Eight were extremely dangerous and two were safe.

Almost all of the respondents - 95 per cent - thought at least one of the dangerous appliances was safe to use, while six per cent believed that all eight dangerous appliances were safe. Just one person was able to identify all 10 gas appliances as being either dangerous or safe. Almost half - 48 per cent - of consumers questioned said that they thought a gas fire shown to them looked safe to use, while in reality the fire had been the cause of a person's death.

The majority of the dangerous appliances shown could have led to a gas leak, a serious fire, explosion or carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, highlighting a potential uptick in job opportunities for gas fitters across the UK as homeowners look to get their gas appliances checked.

Gas Safe Register urged all homeowners to get a qualified gas fitter out regularly to check all gas appliances in the home to ensure that they are safe to use.