New research from Gas Safe Register (GSR) reports that over half of people (59%) check qualifications and ID for tradespeople but, for those who don’t, gas engineers are the most trusted tradespeople (18%), ahead of electricians (16%) and plumbers (16%).

Additionally, more than half (52%) of the 2,004 people surveyed by GSR admit that they have let a tradesperson into their home without checking if they are qualified.

Jonathan Samuel, Chief Executive of Gas Safe Register, said: “Recent statistics reveal that people are letting tradespeople into their homes without checking their ID. When it comes to hiring gas engineers, our message is clear, don’t cut corners and always use a Gas Safe-registered engineer to know that they are working legally with the correct qualifications in place.

“We are calling on engineers to remind families of how to spot the signs of unsafe gas appliances, the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, and to always check that their gas engineer is on the Gas Safe Register by checking their Gas Safe ID card.”

The research also highlighted the factors that make people trust a tradesperson:

• Personal presentation (44%)
• How official they look (43%)
• Body language (25%)
• Personality (22%)
• A friendly face (18%).

Consumer psychologist Dr Simon Moore said: “Our propensity to trust tradespeople is based on a variety of factors such as personal presentation, their body language and how official they look, and not always on their qualifications or credentials. This is a natural thing and is often how we cut corners to speed up our decision making.

“Cutting corners on gas safety, however, can result in a much more dangerous situation than most other decisions we make. I have partnered with Gas Safe Register to remind families to not rely on their trust instincts and always check their gas engineer is on the Register and check their Gas Safe ID card before letting them carry out work.”