Tightening of Gas Safe requirements?

Hello, The engineer carrying out my Gas Safe checks last week was gloomy. He said he had just received notification that the previous tolerance allowed on gas pressure had been reduced.

He feared that this would mean him having to fail systems that had previously passed.

If a property failed he would be obliged to cut gas off immediately, and foresaw angry landlords and tenants.

Finding a minute leak, especially in a high-rise building would be well-nigh impossible, and would probably mean switching to electric heating and cooking.

Luckily mine passed.

Are other landlords experiencing problems?

Thank you,

Sarah

Editor’s note: Gas tightness testing standards changed on 1 October 2026 with the introduction of IGEM/UP/1B Edition 4. However, the engineer’s description of this as a blanket reduction in gas pressure tolerance is misleading. Permissible pressure loss during testing now depends on the installation’s volume and gas type, rather than meter size alone. Pipework must be proved gas tight before any allowance for existing appliances can apply. An unsafe installation must be made safe, which may involve disconnecting the affected appliance or gas supply. However, a failed check does not automatically mean the whole property must be disconnected.