How to Find a Trustworthy Heating Engineer in the UK

Anyone working on a gas boiler must be on the Gas Safe Register. For oil-fired heating, look for OFTEC registration. For a heat pump or air conditioning that involves handling refrigerant, look for F-Gas certification.

A Gas Safe engineer is not automatically qualified to work on an oil boiler or a heat pump. Ask which registration applies to your system before you book.

If you are installing a new heat pump or solar panels, see How to Find a Trustworthy Heat Pump or Solar Panel Installer in the UK. Installers need MCS certification for that, which is a separate check from F-Gas.

Every Gas Safe engineer carries an ID card with a licence number. The back of the card lists the types of gas work they are qualified for, such as boilers or cookers.

Check that the work you need is listed, and confirm the licence number on the Gas Safe Register website.

Many boiler and heat pump manufacturers require proof of annual servicing to keep the warranty valid. Ask the engineer to register a new boiler with the manufacturer.

Keep a record of who carried out each service, and when the next one is due.

• A Building Regulations compliance certificate, issued through Gas Safe after the installer notifies the work.
• A completed Benchmark commissioning checklist, which many manufacturers need for warranty claims.
• The manufacturer's warranty registration and its terms.
• If you are a landlord, a gas safety record for the property every 12 months.

A buyer's solicitor will usually ask for the compliance certificate when you sell, so keep it with your property records.

A heating system is expensive to replace, so past installations and repairs matter. On Propvio, a review only appears once a homeowner has logged the job and the engineer has confirmed it.

Look for confirmed jobs on your system type, such as heat pumps rather than only gas boiler repairs.

Ask for a written quote naming the make and model of any new equipment, the installation time, and the certificate you will receive.

For general questions, see What to Ask a Tradesperson Before Work Starts.