Smelling gas, when left unresolved, can quickly escalate into a disastrous situation which is why it is important to know what to do.
Turn off the gas using the emergency control valve (EVC)
Unsure where your valve is? It’s probably best to search for it now as you don’t want to be hunting around for it in an emergency. If you aren’t sure where your EVC is, your best bet would be to look near to your gas meter. Usually meters are located under the stairs or outside. If yours happens to be outside you will more than likely need a triangle key to open it, for this reason the key should be clearly marked and stored somewhere with easy access for emergencies. Your EVC will be found within arm’s length of the meter. The on/off position for the EVC will be signalled to avoid any confusion.
Open windows and doors to ventilate the area and remove yourself from the area
It is important to ventilate the area so that the gas can dissipate.
Extinguish any ignition sources which could cause a fire, including cigarettes
Contact the emergency service provider
Once you have found the EVC, you will also find a label indicating the procedure to follow in an emergency. The sticker should also state who should be contacted during a gas leak. The emergency service number is 0800 111 999.
Make sure that the emergency services can gain access to the grounds
Once the emergency services have been called they will issue instructions for you to follow. They usually get an operative to you within an hour however the legal obligation is to have someone with you within twelve hours. An operative will usually cap the gas meter until the homeowner calls a gas safe engineer to fix any leak.
No not use and electrical switches or mobile phones
Electronic devices such as electric doorbells and light switches can cause small sparks which when present in a gas leak can cause an explosion.