New research reveals that 31% of people would fit a gas appliance in the hope of saving as little as £60.
According to the Gas Safety Register, 75% of people admit that they would rather DIY than leave it to a professional but worryingly just 23% said they were any good at it.

Gas Safe Register insists that homeowners always call in a registered gas engineer and should never work on gas themselves - no matter how good they think they are at DIY.

The company also warned of the dangers of other DIY tasks, including wallpapering over air vents, covering up gas pipes or accidentally hammering into one while laying a carpet - things that could result in a build up of carbon monoxide, gas leaks, fires and explosions.

Gas Safe Register's Jamie Cooper, known for his work with BBC's Rogue Traders and Cowboy Trap, commented: "When it comes to gas it's not worth taking the risk. I've seen the aftermath of gas jobs that have gone wrong and it's frightening what can happen. And it's not just DIY gas work that is dangerous. Accidentally covering or blocking up air vents, or drilling into gas pipes by mistake can have serious consequences for you and your family."

"For most gas jobs, the costs to call in a legal gas engineer are very modest. On average Gas Safe registered engineers charge £113 for fitting a new gas fire and £61 for a gas cooker. So why take the risk? It will cost you more money to put a DIY job right. But more frightening is the fact that badly fitted gas appliances can lead to fires, explosions, gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning. These incidents killed 18 people in the UK last year and hospitalised a further 310. I would urge anyone considering gas DIY to leave it to the professionals."

Mr Cooper added: "During these hard economic times money is a big factor in household decisions, but when it comes to the safety of your family and home you can't put a price on that by risking DIY on gas."