When dealing with such a volatile yet everyday substance as natural gas, it’s important for customers to know that engineers who work in this field can be trusted. Inefficiency with gas systems can have tremendously dangerous results, which could not only be a waste of money, and environmentally perilous, but also result in fatal consequences if there is a serious leakage within a household.

There is fortunately, however, a standardised method for consumers to be able to tell if their gas engineer is trustworthy and competent, which takes the form of a certificate and badge. CORGI, or Council for Registered Gas Installers, and the Gas Safety Register, are the two main bodies which issue such displays of a gas engineer’s credibility. Major providers such as British Gas conform to these standards and ensure that their employees wear a badge on their uniform. More information on CORGI can be found on the British Gas site.

Natural gas is seen as perhaps the least harmful fossil fuel, which is fortunate considering the extent to which it’s used in most households. Sulphur dioxide, a major cause of acid rain, is produced in far smaller quantities by natural gas than by any of the other non-renewable energy resources. That said, gas is still damaging, and just because it is cleaner than other fossil fuels, it is far from harmless: it is said that its contribution to the rise of global greenhouse gases increases visibly every year.

For this reason, it is essential to make sure that your gas setup is as efficient as possible. Cleaning out the pipes of your central heating system will mean that you’d need to consume less gas in order to achieve good results, and switching to dual fuel for your household energy supply also saves on burning non-renewable energy. Dual fuel, comprised of a combination of electricity and gas, is by no means the most financially efficient way of powering your house, but it is almost certainly the most energy efficient at the same time as being clean.

While natural gas plays an essential role in our lives, it is important to be aware of its dangers. It is perhaps not easy to get by without using gas, but there are ways of maintaining a level of energy efficiency which reduces the damage we do to our atmosphere while cleaner and greener energy resources are being researched. Switching to dual fuel, signing up to carbon offset schemes, and ensuring your appliances are performing to the highest standards of efficiency are all ways by which you can make a difference.