Millions risk carbon monoxide poisoning

MILLIONS of pensioners were urged to install carbon monoxide detectors yesterday because symptoms of poisoning by the gas are dangerously similar to colds or flu.

More than a third of the four million elderly householders in Britain have yet to install an alarm to detect the gas which can be produced by appliances.

If properly installed, regularly serviced equipment is perfectly safe. But a blocked flue on a boiler, for example, could result in a backwash of the deadly exhaust gas.

A person dies every other week from carbon monoxide poisoning in the UK, a new campaign by Energy UK has reported. However, with common initial symptoms including nausea and headaches, many elderly people say they do not want to waste their GP’s time and so their symptoms could be missed.

And while 92 per cent of elderly people have a smoke alarm, only 62 per cent have a carbon monoxide alarm that could save their lives.

Abbie Sampson, director of external affairs at Energy UK, said: “You cannot see, smell or taste carbon monoxide and the symptoms can often be missed or confused with a cold or flu. That’s why having an audible carbon monoxide alarm fitted is so important.

“Buying an alarm can be as cheap as a couple of Easter eggs, but could be the difference between life and death.”