The Gas Safety Trust has awarded a grant to the Institution of Gas Engineers & Managers to investigate the effects improved energy efficiency measures have on levels of carbon monoxide in the home.

The nine-month research project will be carried out to determine the levels of CO that occur in rooms where ventilation is reduced as a result of improved insulation and/or improved draught proofing. A range of appliances – including gas cookers, flue-less gas heaters and LPG portable heaters – will potentially be tested against differing levels of insulation, so that any build-up of CO can be determined.

Chris Bielby, chairman of the GSTT, said: “I am delighted that the Gas Safety Trust is funding this important project, which will help us understand how we can better record incidence of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home.

“Thanks to the actions of the gas industry, who have been proactive in their response to carbon monoxide prevention, fatalities in the UK have significantly declined over the last 40 years. While we cannot be complacent about this, we should be pleased that this is the case and it is right that we look at carbon monoxide from all sources – especially poisoning that occurs at lower levels and over a sustained period of time".

Keith Needham, IGEM technical services manager, said: “We know that acute CO exposure can have serious and life-threatening effects. However, to date there has been little research into long-term, low-level exposure. This piece of research will look in particular at properties that have had improvements to the insulation value and the impact these may have.

“IGEM is very grateful for the Gas Safety Trust’s major contribution to this research. It’s great to see two such organisations working together to continually reduce unnecessary deaths and injuries due to exposure to carbon monoxide.”