Safety
Smell gas? What to do, in order, and who to call
Get everyone out, turning the gas off at the meter on the way if you can. Open doors and windows, touch no switches or flames, and call the free gas emergency line from outside. The numbers are the first thing below.
Do this now
- Get people out. Leave the building, taking others with you.
- Turn off the gas at the meter on the way out, if it is safe to reach. The lever on the pipe into the meter is off when it sits across the pipe.
- Open doors and windows to let the gas disperse.
- Do not operate anything electrical. No light switches, doorbells or plugs, on or off. A switch can spark.
- No naked flames. Do not smoke, strike a match or light a cooker.
- Call from outside. Ring 0800 111 999 in England, Scotland and Wales, or 0800 002 001 in Northern Ireland. Both are free and answered at any hour.
Do not assume a neighbour has already reported a smell in the street or a shared building. Report it yourself.
Signs of a gas leak
Natural gas has no smell of its own. Suppliers add an odorant so that a leak smells of rotten eggs or sulphur, and that smell is the main warning. Other signs are a hissing near a gas pipe or appliance, a hob ring that has been left on without lighting, and a smell that grows stronger near the meter or a particular appliance.
If you smell gas outside, in the street or near a neighbouring building, the same number applies.
Carbon monoxide is a different danger
Carbon monoxide comes from a fuel burning appliance that is faulty, short of ventilation or not properly maintained, and it has no colour, taste or smell. The NHS lists headaches, dizziness, feeling or being sick, weakness, tiredness and confusion, chest and muscle pain, and shortness of breath as symptoms. They tend to ease when you leave the house and come back when you return, which is a pattern worth noticing.
On the appliance itself, a flame burning yellow or orange instead of crisp blue, sooty marks on or around it, and a pilot light that keeps going out are warnings. If you suspect it, stop using the appliance, get outside, call 0800 111 999 and get medical advice; call 999 if someone is struggling to breathe or has collapsed.
A carbon monoxide alarm is the only reliable warning. In England, landlords have had to fit one since 1 October 2022 in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, such as a boiler or gas fire, other than a gas cooker.
What the emergency engineer does
The emergency service attends free of charge. The engineer finds the source, makes the installation safe, and if an appliance or a section of pipework is dangerous, isolates it and labels it not to be used. They do not repair your boiler, cooker or fire, and they will not reconnect an appliance that is unsafe. A leak on the supply pipe up to the meter is the gas network's to repair. The pipework and appliances after the meter belong to the property, and their repair is yours to arrange.
Getting it repaired
Any work on gas pipework or appliances has to be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and the categories on the back of their card show which appliances they are qualified for. A tightness test and leak investigation typically costs £90 to £180, with the repair priced once the fault is found. Do not use an appliance that has been isolated until a registered engineer has repaired it and confirmed it is safe. If the emergency engineer left a warning notice, keep it and show it to the engineer who carries out the repair, because it records what was found and what was isolated.
Keeping it from happening again
Have gas appliances serviced every year, and the flue checked at the same time. Keep air vents and the space around appliances clear, and do not block a vent to stop a draught, because the appliance may depend on it for air. Fit a carbon monoxide alarm in each room with a fuel burning appliance, placed as the alarm maker's instructions say, and test it monthly. And know where your gas meter and its lever are before you need them.
Tenants and landlords
A tenant who smells gas calls the emergency number first and the landlord second. Landlords must have every gas appliance and flue checked each year by a Gas Safe registered engineer and give tenants a copy of the record. A tenant with an appliance that has been isolated by the emergency service should send the landlord the details on the warning label, because the repair is the landlord's responsibility.
Common questions
Is the gas emergency call-out free?
Yes. The National Gas Emergency Service and the Northern Ireland service attend and make safe without charge. Repairs to your own pipework or appliances afterwards are paid for.
Can I use my mobile phone if I smell gas?
Make the call once you are outside and away from the smell. Inside, avoid anything that could make a spark, which includes switching devices on or off.
What should I do if my carbon monoxide alarm goes off?
Turn off fuel burning appliances if you can, open windows, get everyone outside, and call 0800 111 999. Get medical advice if anyone has symptoms.
Who pays to fix a gas leak?
A leak on the supply pipe up to the meter is dealt with by the gas network. A leak on the pipework or appliances after the meter is the owner's to repair, or the landlord's in a rented home.