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How Do I Check If an Engineer Is Gas Safe Registered?

Date 03/09/26 Author Enid McKenzie Category Heating and Plumbing

Table of contents

Anyone can turn up in a van with a toolbox and say they’re qualified. Most people are telling the truth.

Gas work isn’t like a leaky tap, though. Get it wrong and you’re looking at a carbon monoxide risk, not just a bad repair, so it’s worth the two minutes it takes to check someone is actually Gas Safe registered before they start. The same goes for electrical, oil and insulation work.

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Why it’s worth the two minutes

In Great Britain, it’s against the law for anyone to work on gas appliances (boilers, cookers, fires) unless they’re on the Gas Safe Register. It replaced the old CORGI scheme in 2009, and it’s overseen by the Health and Safety Executive.

If someone isn’t registered, they’re not legally allowed to touch your gas appliances, however confident they sound on the doorstep.

Step 1: Ask to see their ID card

Every registered engineer carries one. It should show:

  • Their photo, so you can check it’s actually them
  • A seven-digit licence number
  • An expiry date (cards renew every year, so an old or expired one is a red flag)
  • On the back, exactly what type of gas work they’re qualified to do

That last point catches people out. Being Gas Safe registered doesn’t automatically mean someone’s signed off for every job: an engineer might be qualified for boilers but not cookers. Always check the card covers the actual job in front of you.

Step 2: Check the licence number online

Once you’ve got the number off the card, go to the Gas Safe Register’s own website and use the “Check an Engineer” tool. Enter it and it’ll confirm whether they’re currently registered, and for what.

Checking a business rather than an individual? Search by their registration number or trading name instead.

Step 3: No internet handy? Text or call

Text “Gas” followed by the licence or registration number to 85080, and you’ll get a reply confirming whether it’s valid. Or call the free helpline on 0800 408 5500 if you’d rather speak to someone directly.

What if they can’t show a card?

Don’t let the work go ahead. A genuinely registered engineer carries their card and won’t mind you checking it: it’s routine for them.

“Just started, card’s on order” isn’t an answer. Wait until you’ve confirmed registration, or find someone else.

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Beyond Gas Safe: other credentials worth checking

Gas Safe only covers gas work. If the job touches electrics, oil, renewables or insulation, that’s a different register entirely, and it’s worth knowing what to ask for.

Electrical work. Look for NICEIC registration. It covers rewiring, consumer unit changes and the electrical side of any heating install.

Oil boilers and tanks. OFTEC is the equivalent for oil systems: installation, servicing and tank work.

Heat pumps and renewables. MCS certification (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) is what lets an installer sign off air source heat pump work for government-backed funding. No MCS, no funding eligibility, in most cases.

Insulation and retrofit work. Look for TrustMark and PAS2030, especially on anything grant-funded. These sit alongside MCS as the standard trio for retrofit and renewables work.

Insurance. A tradesperson should hold public liability insurance as standard, and employers’ liability if they have staff. Don’t be shy about asking to see proof: a legitimate business will have it ready.

If you’re a landlord

There’s an extra layer here. Landlords must have a Gas Safe registered engineer carry out an annual gas safety check on every appliance, and give tenants a copy of the certificate (often called a CP12) within 28 days.

The same checking process above applies: confirm registration before the check, not after. If your rental also needs electrical work, an EICR runs on its own certification and renewal cycle, separate from the gas side.

Quick checklist: red flags

  • No ID card, or reluctant to show one
  • Licence number that won’t verify online, by text or by phone
  • Card that’s expired, or doesn’t cover the job you need
  • No proof of insurance when asked
  • Pressure to start before you’ve checked anything

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Where NK Heating Solutions comes in

NK Heating Solutions is Gas Safe registered, and we’re glad you’re checking: that’s exactly what the register is there for.

It’s one of a run of accreditations we’ve held for years rather than picked up recently: GasSafe, NICEIC, MCS, TrustMark, PAS2030, Qualitymark, BPEC and HIES between them. We also carry public liability, employers’ liability and professional indemnity insurance.

See our full accreditations for the detail on each one.

FAQs

What's the difference between Gas Safe and NICEIC?

Gas Safe covers gas appliances only: boilers, cookers, fires. NICEIC covers electrical work. A heating install often needs both if it touches wiring as well as gas, so check the credential that matches the actual job.

Is it illegal for someone to do gas work without being registered?

Yes. In Great Britain, working on gas appliances without being on the Gas Safe Register is against the law, whatever the person’s actual skill level. The Health and Safety Executive oversees the register.

Do I need to check credentials for a bathroom fitter?

If the job stays within tiling, fitting and general bathroom work, there’s no single register to check the way there is for gas or electrics. If it involves rewiring or moving gas pipework, though, that part of the job still needs a NICEIC or Gas Safe registered person, even inside a bathroom refit.

How do I check a company, not just one engineer?

The Gas Safe “Check an Engineer” tool and the text/call checks all accept a business registration number or trading name, not just an individual’s licence number. Ask for the company’s registration details if you’re not dealing with a single named engineer.

How Do I Check If an Engineer Is Gas Safe Registered?

How Do I Check If an Engineer Is Gas Safe Registered?

Date 03/09/26 Author Enid McKenzie Category Heating and Plumbing

Anyone can claim to be qualified. Here’s exactly how to check an engineer’s Gas Safe registration, plus other credentials worth checking before work starts.

Read More