Northern Gas Networks launches carbon monoxide alarm giveaway to keep people safe this Christmas

This Christmas, all Northern Gas Networks wants is to keep its customers safe, which is why it’s giving away 5,000 free audible carbon monoxide alarms to customers who live in the areas where it operates.

The festive giveaway has been launched to help raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, arm people with the knowledge they need to stay safe and provide them with audible carbon monoxide alarms that could save their lives.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous, colourless and odourless gas that is produced when carbon fuels are burnt.

It can leak from incorrectly fitted, badly repaired or poorly maintained gas appliances, as well as flues, chimneys and blocked vents. You can’t see or smell it, so you can’t detect it if it begins to build up in your home, and if you breathe it in, it can make you seriously ill.

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One of the easiest ways to stay CO safe is to get an audible CO alarm. Similar to a smoke alarm, CO alarms are activated when CO is detected in the air and will sound an alarm to alert you of the danger.

They’re small and easy to install, and you should have at least one on each floor. If you have a gas fire, log burner or open fire, it’s a good idea to have one in the room it’s in too.

Speaking about the giveaway, Eileen Brown, Director of Customer Experience at Northern Gas Networks, said: “CO poisoning kills around 60 people and hospitalises 4,000 every year in the UK, so educating people about how to protect themselves from it is a key priority for us.

“Cases of CO poisoning go up in the winter, and over the festive period, when people tend to spend more time indoors using cookers, fires, boilers and wood burners, the risk increases even more.

“That’s why we’re urging our customers to learn more about the dangers of CO and apply for a free CO alarm, either for themselves or a loved one. We want everyone to be CO safe this Christmas.”

To find out more about the dangers of CO and for your chance to get a free audible CO alarm, visit www.northerngasnetworks.co.uk/cohero and follow the instructions.

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The giveaway is open now and will end at midnight on 3 January 2024 (or before if the 5,000 alarms are claimed before that date).

The signs of CO poisoning include headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, collapse or loss of consciousness. If you think you may have carbon monoxide poisoning, immediately turn off the appliance you think may be causing it, open windows and doors, leave the building and seek urgent medical advice. You must also call the National Gas

Emergency Service on 0800 111 999*** and an engineer will come straight out to investigate and make the situation safe. This line is in operation 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

To check if you are in the Northern Gas Networks geographical area visit https://findmygdn.co.uk/