Chimney sweeps are essential for the safety, efficiency, and longevity of your fireplaces and chimneys, removing flammable buildup that can cause fires and reduce overall performance. A blocked chimney can lead to the dangerous buildup of carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas, inside your home. Moreover, regular maintenance can extend the lifespan of your chimney and prevent costly repairs.
Our current policy is for occupants to arrange for their chimneys to be swept at least once a year as a bare minimum (HETAS recommend twice yearly when burning wood). This is to be carried out at the occupant’s expense, and a HETAS certificate covering each chimney must be sent to Savills upon completion of each sweep.
Should occupants prefer not to arrange and pay for a chimney to be swept, for example because they never use the fireplace, the new policy is for the Diocese to cover costs for that chimney to be capped. This is to stop nature and wildlife getting in your chimney while still allowing ventilation to prevent damp.
So, to summarise – occupants have two choices:
- Arrange for chimney(s) to be swept annually by a HETAS registered sweep, and send the HETAS certificate to Savills;
- Arrange with Savills to have the chimney(s) capped at the Diocese’s expense, and do not use the fireplace(s), to avoid the need for annual sweeps in the future.
Savills will be in touch with any occupants without an in-date HETAS certificate for their chimney(s), to discuss which option they prefer.