Sunderland tower blocks now gas free, Gentoo confirms

The announcement by Gentoo came at the start of of Gas Safety Week and the housing group’s four city centre tower blocks were the last to have the gas supply removed as part of a wider programme that has seen gas removed from 11 tower blocks in the last year.

The removal of the gas supply from the seven towers in Roker and Monkwearmouth was part of its Core 364 project – which has seen gas boilers removed and replaced with a ground source open loop heating system – which could save more than 377,000 of carbon a year in the seven towers.

The firm say the work has also significantly improved the safety of the towers, which are home to hundreds of tenants, and it is predicted that tenants will also benefit from reduced bills by using an alternative heat source.

Gentoo Group’s associate director property investment, Marc Edwards, said: “Wer are committed to providing safe and affordable housing for tenants and I’m really pleased to be able to say we no longer have domestic gas appliances in any of our tower blocks.

"The removal of gas and gas appliances has significantly improved the building safety and reduces the amount of carbon produced, contributing to Sunderland City Council’s ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030.”

Joe Haustead, head of community safety, development and improvement at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Gas as a daily resource is something that we all take for granted but we also need to respect it for safety reasons.

"If appliances such as boilers, heaters and cookers aren’t cleaned and maintained, this could result in gas leaks, fires and Carbon monoxide poisoning.

“It’s always better to be gas safe than sorry. Gas Safety Week is an ideal opportunity to ensure everyone is thinking about using gas safely.”

Gas Safety Week is co-ordinated by Gas Safe Register and aims to highlight the importance of gas safety by sharing top tips to help keep everyone safe.