If you smell gas in your home, acting quickly and calmly is essential. Natural gas has a distinctive ‘rotten egg’ smell added to it precisely so leaks are easy to detect. Here’s exactly what to do.
Act immediately
- Open doors and windows to let the gas disperse.
- Turn off the gas supply at the meter if it’s safe to reach.
- Do NOT turn light switches or electrical appliances on or off, a spark can ignite gas.
- Don’t use naked flames, matches, or smoke.
- Don’t use your phone inside the property, step outside first.
- Get everyone out of the building if the smell is strong.
Call the National Gas Emergency line
In the UK, the free National Gas Emergency Service number is 0800 111 999. Call it from outside your home, day or night. They will advise you and send someone to make the supply safe.
Watch for carbon monoxide too
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a separate, invisible, odourless danger produced by faulty gas appliances. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, nausea, and tiredness that improves when you leave the house. A working CO alarm is essential, so fit one near every gas appliance.
After the emergency
Once the supply is made safe, you’ll need a Gas Safe registered engineer to find and repair the fault before your gas can be safely turned back on. We provide emergency gas call-outs across Inverness and the Highlands, so call us on 07463 777020.