Gas leaks and outages
Natural gas as is a very safe and efficient energy source for heating and cooking in your home, however, gas leaks and outages can happen when:
- Pipes are accidentally damaged by excavation or other construction work
- Technical problems occur, equipment fails or is damaged
- Natural events occur, such as earthquakes and land-subsidence
Gas is lighter than air and odourless in its natural state so a distinctive odour has been added to help people detect gas leaks. It can be dangerous in two ways:
- In high concentrations, there may not be enough air to breathe
- It is highly flammable and can ignite if there is between 5-15% concentration in the air. It can be ignited by a wide range of things, such as a flame, car engine, or mobile phone.
Responsibilities
What you do if you smell gas
Indoors
- Evacuate the building
- Do not smoke, use your phone, operate any electrical switches or anything which could cause ignition
- If you know how to turn off your gas meter safely, do so
- Move to a safe area at least 20m away
- Call the fire service on 111 and then Vector on 0800 764 764
Outdoors
- Evacuate the area you can smell gas by at least 20m
- Call the fire service on 111 and then Vector on 0800 764 764
What you do if you hit a gas pipe
- Switch off any machinery and remove any ignition sources
- Evacuate the area and move at least 20m away or until you can no longer smell gas
- Call the fire service on 111 and then Vector on 0800 764 764
- Leave any damaged pipes venting to atmosphere and do not re-enter the area for any reason
- In the unlikely situation a fire has ignited, leave it to burn and do not attempt to extinguish the fire. Emergency services are on their way
Contact your gas retailer if you have a problem with:
- Noisy meter
- Meter not recording
- Rusty meter or meter cover
- Missing or damaged meter cover
- Obscured meter index
- High consumption
The process
Gas leak or can smell gas | ||
|---|---|---|
Detection | Find a gas suspected gas leak or smell gas? | |
Notify | Phone 111 and then Vector on 0800 764 764 | |
Investigate | Vector's crew should be onsite within the hour | |
Poor gas pressure | ||
|---|---|---|
Detection | Find a gas suspected gas leak or smell gas? | |
Notify | Call your gasfitter if only some of your appliances are no working. If no appliances are working or your gasfitter advises it's not an internal issue, call us on 0800 764764 | |
Investigate | Vector's crew should be onsite within the hour | |
Safe digging matters
Have you checked the underground plans? Find our where the gas pipes and electricity cable are located.
Learn more
FAQs
Some appliances need to be manually turned back on which you can now do. If this does not resolve the issue, please contact your gasfitter to assess the affected appliance. Our technicians are not gasfitters, so they are unable to fix any faults with your appliances or pipework.