Smell Gas? What to Do Right Now

Mains gas has a smell added to it — often described as rotten eggs or sulphur — so you can tell when it’s leaking. Don’t wait to see if it goes away, and don’t try to find the leak yourself.

• Smell gas in the street or a shared hallway? Move away and call 0800 111 999.
• LPG or bottled gas? 0800 111 999 is for mains gas. For LPG, turn off the supply at the tank or bottle if it’s safe, and call your LPG supplier’s emergency number (on the tank or your bill).

🔧 How to Turn Off the Gas

The emergency control valve is on the pipe next to your gas meter — usually under the stairs, in a cupboard or in a box outside. It has a lever handle:

• On: the lever is in line with the pipe.
• Off: turn the lever a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe.

If it’s stiff, out of reach, or the meter is in a cellar or basement, leave it and get outside. Never turn the gas back on yourself after the emergency service has turned it off.

🚒 What Happens When You Call 0800 111 999

• The call is free and the line is open 24 hours a day.
• An engineer from your local gas network comes to make the property safe. That usually means turning off and capping the supply, or isolating the faulty appliance.
• The gas network is responsible for the pipes up to your meter. If the leak is there, they fix it. If the problem is the meter itself, your energy supplier deals with it (their number is on your bill).
• If the leak is in your pipework or an appliance after the meter, they make it safe but don’t repair it. You’ll be left with a warning notice and the gas or appliance off until a Gas Safe registered engineer fixes it.

The same number deals with carbon monoxide: if your CO alarm goes off, open doors and windows, get everyone outside and call 0800 111 999.

✅ After It’s Made Safe: Getting Your Gas Back On

This is where a Gas Safe registered engineer comes in. Only a registered engineer is allowed to work on gas pipes and appliances. They will:

1. Find where the gas was escaping — often a loose joint, a worn cooker hose, a faulty appliance or damaged pipework.
2. Repair or replace the faulty part.
3. Carry out a tightness test on the whole installation to prove there are no more leaks.
4. Check the appliances are burning safely, then turn the gas back on.

With FE Maintenance, an emergency call-out is from £99, and you get a fixed price for the repair before any work starts — no VAT added. We take emergency gas call-outs Monday to Friday, 8am–8pm, aiming to be with you within 2–4 hours. At other times, call 020 8445 1303 and we’ll tell you if we can come. See our emergency gas engineer page.

🩺 Feeling Unwell? It Could Be Carbon Monoxide

A gas leak and carbon monoxide are different things. You can smell a gas leak; you can’t smell carbon monoxide. CO comes from appliances that aren’t burning gas properly, and the signs of poisoning are easy to mistake for flu:

• Headache, dizziness, feeling weak, tiredness or confusion
• Feeling or being sick
• Chest and muscle pain, shortness of breath
• Face turning hot and red, or loss of vision

Symptoms often ease when you’re away from home and come back when you return. If you suspect carbon monoxide: stop using the appliance if you can, get outside into fresh air, call 0800 111 999, and get medical advice before going back in — call NHS 111, or 999 if anyone has trouble breathing, sudden confusion, chest pain or has lost consciousness. A working CO alarm is the only way to detect it — see smoke and CO alarm rules.

🏠 Renting? Tenants and Landlords

• Tenants: follow the same steps and call 0800 111 999 first. Then tell your landlord or letting agent straight away — repairing the gas pipework and appliances they provide is their job.
• Landlords: arrange a Gas Safe engineer quickly, and make sure the appliance is re-checked before it’s used again. A yearly gas safety check catches many faults before they become leaks.

🛡️ Preventing Gas Leaks

• Have your boiler and gas appliances checked every year by a Gas Safe registered engineer — landlords must by law.
• Fit a CO alarm in every room with a gas boiler, gas fire or other fuel-burning appliance.
• Never let anyone who isn’t Gas Safe registered fit, move or repair a gas appliance — ask to see their Gas Safe ID card.
• Don’t block air vents or flues.