Accreditation
Gas Safe Register
The short version
- Issued byGas Safe Register
- Typical cost£310 a year
- RenewalEvery year
- Who needs itGas engineers, heating engineers, plumbers
What you need to get it
6 requirements, and what counts as evidence for each.
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ACS Qualifications.
Hold current ACS (Assessed Competency Scheme) qualifications in your relevant gas disciplines (e.g. CCN1 for domestic natural gas, CENWAT for central heating, CKR1 for domestic cookers, CPA1 for domestic appliances). These must be renewed every 5 years. Evidence: Valid ACS certificates for each gas appliance/system category you intend to work on.
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Public Liability Insurance.
Minimum £2 million public liability insurance. Gas Safe will verify this directly. Cover must specifically include gas work. Evidence: Insurance certificate showing cover type, amount, and policy dates.
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Business Registration.
Registered as a business (sole trader, partnership, or limited company). You cannot register as an individual without a business structure. Evidence: UTR number (sole trader) or Companies House registration number.
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Completed Application.
Complete the Gas Safe Register online application form, listing all gas disciplines and engineers to be covered under the registration. Evidence: Submitted online application with all engineer details and disciplines.
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Identity Verification.
All engineers must be identity-verified. Gas Safe will issue photo ID cards once approved. Evidence: Government-issued photo ID for all engineers to be registered.
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Registration Fee.
Pay the annual registration fee. Cost varies by number of engineers and gas disciplines covered. Typically £255–£500+ per year. Evidence: Payment confirmation.
What you have to keep doing
Getting it is the easy part. Keeping it means:
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Annual Renewal.
Renew registration every 12 months and keep ACS qualifications current (renew every 5 years).
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Issue Gas Safety Records.
Issue a CP12 Gas Safety Certificate to landlords within 28 days of each landlord gas safety check.
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Self-Certify Building Regs.
Notify Gas Safe of Approved Document J/Part P work within 30 days via the Gas Safe online portal.
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Random Inspections.
Comply with random Gas Safe inspector site visits — these are unannounced. Maintain access to job records.
Is it worth it?
At £310, the question isn’t the fee — it’s whether it wins you work. For gas engineers it usually does, because it’s the first thing a cautious customer or a commercial buyer checks. Most trades hold accreditations and then hide the logos in the footer. If you’ve paid for it, it belongs where customers actually look.
Tracking it in Gaffer
Accreditations lapse quietly. The renewal date lands in a busy month, nobody spots it, and you find out when a customer asks for the certificate. Gaffer keeps your accreditations, evidence and renewal dates in one place and reminds you before they expire.