Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Changes to Scotland Fire Safety Laws

From February 2022 all homeowners in Scotland are required to install interlinked fire and smoke alarms in every home. This will effect all home owners as well as private rented and new-build homes where this legislation is already mandatory. Scotland will be the first UK nation to require all residential properties to have interlinked fire alarms, which aims to significantly reduce the risk of injury or death. The core principle in which this legislation aims to improve is when there is a fire in one room, it will set off all the alarms throughout the property, giving residents more time to escape.

The legislation requires all properties to have one smoke alarm in the most frequently used rooms, one in every circulation space on each storey, such as hallways, communal areas, and also a heat alarm in every kitchen. Where these is a carbon-fuelled appliance, such as boilers, open fires or flue, a carbon monoxide detector will also be required, although these do not have to be linked. All alarms can either be hard wired (by a qualified electrician) or tamper proof long-life lithium battery alarms. It is thought the average price for a home upgrade to linked alarms will be around £220, with the Scottish Government providing funding of £500,000 to help eligible older and disabled homeowners with installation, in partnership with Care and Repair Scotland. For more information on the Scottish Legislation, please see here.