Smell Gas? Gas Leak? Gas Emergency?

Smell Gas?

If you smell gas, think your smelling gas but are not sure, or are just worried or concerned about gas safety, you can call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 at any time, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Your call is FREE from a landline. Just pick up the phone and dial the number, even if you're not certain you smell gas. You will be put through to a trained operator who will take all the details and handle the situation. All calls to the National Gas Emergency Service are recorded, and may be monitored.

What happens when I call the National Gas Emergency Service?

When you dial 0800 111 999, your call will be answered by the call centre.

This is a 24 hours a day, 365 days a year service – there are fully trained operators always waiting to take your call.

The call centre operator will log all the details onto a computer. The kind of information you'll be asked for includes:

  • The address of the suspected gas leak or gas emergency - with a postcode if possible
  • How many people are at the property
  • Where the gas smell is most noticeable
  • How long the gas smell has been noticeable
  • Are any neighbours affected
  • Your name and phone number
  • Any special circumstances or access information

You will be asked some questions to help the National Gas Emergency Service build a picture of the reported gas leak or gas emergency. From these details, they can identify the right gas safety advice for you, such as:

  • Opening doors and windows
  • Turning the gas off at the meter
  • Avoiding the use of any naked flames or electrical switches

Send for a gas engineer

Once all the information has been collected, it will be sent immediately to an engineer for action. The National Grid will endeavour to attend all uncontrolled gas escapes within one hour, and all controlled gas escapes within two hours (a 'controlled' gas escape is one where the person reporting it has confirmed that the gas emergency control valve serving the premises has been turned off and the smell of gas has gone. An 'uncontrolled' gas escape covers all others). Sometimes, engineers will be sent to a leak that has been reported outdoors. Around a quarter of these turn out not be gas leaks at all. Around 80% of gas escapes attended are inside buildings. That means the escape is related to internal pipework, a boiler, gas fire or other gas appliance.

What if the gas leak is indoors?

National Grid engineers will always "make safe" when called to a suspected gas escape. However, the emergency service provided by National Grid under the terms of it's License doesn't cover repairs to gas appliances or installation of gas pipework which can't be completed within 30 minutes.

So what do I do next?

Once National Grid have made the property safe, their engineer will explain that any work on appliances will have to be carried out by a Gas Safe engineer.

LF Heating & Plumbing is a GAS Safe Registered business, and can re-establish your gas appliances and get your cooker, heating and hot water back on again.