Action urged to cut gas cooker health risks

The government is being urged to protect people from gas cookers as they pose health and environmental risks.

Gas cookers produce emissions which contribute to global warming and have been linked to respiratory problems and cardiovascular disease.

The charity Global Action Plan is calling on the government to help the UK transition to cleaner alternatives.

The government offers grants to low income households to improve insulation and upgrade gas or electric boilers.

But it does not cover the cost of switching from gas to electric cookers.

The government has been contacted for a comment.

More than 36 million people in the UK cook with gas appliances and may be exposed to levels of indoor air pollution that would violate UK outdoor air pollution regulations, according to the Collaborative Labelling and Appliance Standards Program (CLASP).

CLASP estimates that indoor air pollution from gas cooking costs the UK around £1.4bn annually in healthcare costs, including lower life expectancy, illnesses, greater healthcare expenditure, and lower productivity.

Cooking with gas stoves produces nitrogen oxides which have been linked to respiratory problems and cardiovascular disease.

Evidence suggests that even when gas stoves are off they leak methane, and when on, produce carbon dioxide gas and nitrogen oxides.

A study found that children in homes with gas stoves, rather than electric, were 42% more likely to have asthma.

Gas hobs also use fossil fuels which produce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to global warming.

This is a problem because the UK is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050.

Ben Hudson, head of insight and engagement at Global Action Plan, said: "The onus is on the government to act, as it is unrealistic to expect individuals to foot the bill of swapping to electric cookers, especially in a cost-of-living crisis.

"Gas cookers are a triple threat: bad for our health, the environment and the economy."

Global Action Plan, are calling for the UK government to help households switch to cleaner alternatives and protect public health.

They want to see laws that set limits on pollution from gas cooking appliances and a new energy label that allows people to compare the efficiency and emissions of gas and electric cooking appliances.

They also want an acceleration of the transition to cleaner electric cooking by coupling incentives for heating and home upgrades with electric cooking appliances.

Harvard Medical School recommends ways you can protect your health if you have a gas stove.

These include ventilating your kitchen when cooking by opening you windows, using air purifiers and using exhaust fans that move the air to the outdoors.