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If you smell gas, hear hissing, see a damaged gas line, or otherwise suspect a leak, leave immediately on foot. Do not operate anything that could create a spark in the suspected-gas area. Once you are well away, call 911 and your gas utility or pipeline operator. Only consider closing a meter valve if it is safely reachable without entering or remaining in the gas, and never turn the service back on yourself.
What to do in the first few minutes
A suspected natural-gas leak is an evacuation emergency, not a troubleshooting job. Natural gas can collect and ignite from a tiny electrical arc or flame. OSHA’s emergency-planning guidance calls for immediate evacuation and calls to 911 and the utility from a safe location. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) likewise says to leave by foot, avoid trying to find the leak, and call 911 from safety.
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- Stop what you are doing and leave. Take everyone and pets who are immediately with you. Do not pause to collect belongings or investigate an appliance, meter, basement, crawlspace, or odor source.
- Do not create an ignition source while leaving. Do not turn lights or switches on or off, start a vehicle, use a garage-door opener, plug in or unplug equipment, use a flashlight, light a match or candle, smoke, or use a phone in the suspected-gas area.
- Move away on foot. Go to a location where you cannot smell gas. Move upwind when that is practical, and keep other people from approaching the area. Do not drive through or park in a visible gas cloud.
- Call from safety. Call 911 first. Then call the gas utility or pipeline operator using its emergency number. Tell them the exact address or location, what you smelled or heard, whether you saw a damaged line or meter, and whether anyone may still be inside.
- Wait for instructions. Do not go back inside or return to the meter until emergency responders or the utility explicitly say it is safe.
If the building is on fire, someone is injured, or a line is visibly damaged, tell 911 immediately. Do not attempt to extinguish a natural-gas fire or stop a release yourself.
How to recognize a possible gas leak
Odor is only one warning sign. Utilities add an odorant that is commonly described as sulfur or rotten eggs, but some people cannot smell it, and odor can be masked or fade. Treat any combination of the following as a reason to leave and call:
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- A sulfur, skunk-like, or rotten-egg smell indoors or outdoors.
- Hissing, whistling, roaring, or air escaping near an appliance, pipe, meter, or excavation.
- A disconnected, cracked, crushed, or otherwise damaged appliance connector or gas pipe.
- Dirt or water blowing upward, bubbling in standing water, or an unusual disturbance around a buried line.
- A patch of dead or discolored vegetation, or flies gathering near a meter or pipeline.
- Fire, an explosion, or a strong odor near a pipeline, construction area, or damaged utility equipment.
Do not use a lack of odor to rule out a leak. A handheld natural-gas detector can be useful as preparedness equipment; OSHA identifies handheld detectors as an effective indicator in its workplace bulletin. A consumer detector never makes it safe to remain in a suspected leak, search for its source, or delay evacuation.
Appliance valve or meter valve: choose based on safety, not convenience
There is no universal valve layout. The correct choice depends on where the leak may be, whether the valve can be reached without entering gas, and local utility instructions. Use the comparison below to understand the consequence of each action.
| Situation | Valve that may be relevant | What closing it affects | When not to operate it | Who restores service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leak clearly limited to one appliance and its shutoff is immediately reachable from clean air | The appliance’s local shutoff, if you can identify it confidently | Normally that appliance only | Do not approach the appliance, enter a gas-filled room, or search behind it to find a valve | A qualified professional or the utility after inspection, depending on local rules |
| Suspected leak inside the building, at a service line, or of unknown location; meter is outside and safely reachable | The service valve at the gas meter, following the local utility’s procedure | All gas service supplied through that meter | Do not go toward the meter through a gas cloud, enter a structure, or operate an unfamiliar configuration | The utility or another qualified professional after inspection |
| Leak from an outdoor transmission or distribution pipeline, or a line controlled by the pipeline operator | None for a member of the public | Pipeline valves can affect a large network and may create additional hazards | PHMSA says not to operate pipeline valves or attempt to control the release | The pipeline operator and emergency responders |
Closing a valve does not make a building safe immediately. Gas already released can remain in rooms, voids, drains, or soil, and a separate damaged section may continue to leak. Evacuation and professional clearance still apply.
How to close a gas meter valve when it is safely reachable
The following procedure reflects the service-valve arrangement described by PG&E. Meter installations differ by utility, country, and property, so use it only when the valve and local instructions match. A U.S. government preparedness document advises households to learn the correct procedure from their own gas company and not to practice by actually shutting the gas off.
- Evacuate first and call. Leave the suspected-gas area, call 911 and the utility from safety, and follow any instructions they give. Consider the meter only after people are out and you can reach it without passing through gas.
- Approach from clean air. Stay outside, keep away from visible vapor, hissing, damaged equipment, and ignition sources. If you smell gas at the meter or on the route to it, do not continue.
- Identify the service valve. The main valve is normally near the meter. Do not confuse it with regulator fittings, appliance valves, or pipeline equipment. If you cannot identify the correct valve with certainty, stop and wait for the utility.
- Use the proper tool. PG&E names a 12- to 15-inch adjustable pipe or crescent-type wrench for the described service valve. Keep such a wrench near—not inside—the meter area so it is available without entering a building.
- Make one quarter-turn. On the described valve, turn the valve handle or tang a quarter turn until it lies crosswise (perpendicular) to the pipe. Do not force a seized valve, remove fittings, loosen a cap, or improvise with another mechanism.
- Leave the valve off. Move away again and tell 911 and the utility that the meter valve was closed, including the time if you know it. Do not relight pilots or operate appliances.
The quarter-turn position and wrench size are not universal specifications for every meter. If your utility’s current instructions differ, those instructions control. Never close a valve on an outdoor pipeline or other operator-controlled equipment unless emergency authorities specifically direct trained personnel to do so.
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When an appliance shutoff is appropriate
An appliance valve can stop gas to one furnace, range, water heater, dryer, or other connected appliance. It does not stop gas in the rest of the building. Because approaching the appliance may expose you to the leak, use this option only when all of these conditions are met:
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- You are already in fresh air or at the edge of the suspected area and can reach the clearly identified valve without entering a room or enclosure where gas may have collected.
- The valve is immediately accessible; you do not need to move the appliance, remove a panel, crawl under it, or search for the valve.
- You can operate it without switches, controls, phones, flashlights, vehicles, flames, or other possible ignition sources in the gas area.
- You know the local utility’s instructions for that appliance and valve design.
If any condition is missing, leave and let responders handle it. Do not disconnect a connector, tighten a fitting, repair a pipe, or spray around the appliance to find the leak. Tell the utility which appliance you suspect; its technician can isolate and test the system safely.
Outdoor pipeline leaks are a different emergency
A strong odor, hissing, bubbling soil, dead vegetation, or visible damage near a street, excavation, service line, or pipeline may indicate an outdoor release. Move away on foot, keep people and vehicles clear, and call 911 and the pipeline operator from a safe location. PHMSA specifically warns the public not to locate the source, operate pipeline valves, or try to control a pipeline leak. A valve that appears accessible may be part of a system that requires specialized isolation, communication, and hazard controls.
Do not use a vehicle near a suspected release. Starting an engine, opening a powered gate, or driving over a damaged line can ignite gas or worsen the damage. Leave access routes open for responders and follow their perimeter instructions.
What happens after the gas is shut off
Turning off a meter is not the same as repairing the leak or making the building habitable. Gas can remain in enclosed spaces, and a faulty appliance, connector, or pipe still requires inspection.
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- Do not turn the meter back on. PG&E states that once a customer shuts off gas at the meter, the customer should not restore it. The utility or another qualified professional should inspect the system before service is restored.
- Do not relight pilots or restart appliances. Restoration can require leak testing, purging air from the system, checking appliance shutoffs, and relighting pilots under the utility’s procedure.
- Do not re-enter for belongings. Wait outside until fire officials or the utility give an explicit all-clear. A building can seem odor-free while gas remains in a low or enclosed area.
- Tell responders what changed. Report the original symptoms, where they occurred, whether anyone may be inside, and whether an appliance or meter valve was closed.
Local utilities set the restoration process. Some require an appointment, a pressure or leak test, correction by a licensed contractor, or proof that appliances are safe. Ask the utility what documentation and access it needs before anyone attempts to resume service.
Actions that make a suspected leak worse
These mistakes are common because they feel helpful but can create an ignition source or delay evacuation:
- Calling from inside the building, using a landline, or carrying a phone through the odor area.
- Turning on a light, fan, thermostat, appliance control, breaker, or garage-door opener—or turning one off.
- Using a flashlight, lighter, match, candle, welding equipment, or cigarette.
- Starting, stopping, or moving a vehicle near the release.
- Searching room by room, opening cabinets to find the source, or sniffing around a meter.
- Trying to repair, clamp, cap, bend, or disconnect a gas line or appliance connector.
- Operating a pipeline valve, digging near a suspected line, or spraying water to suppress a release.
- Attempting to extinguish a natural-gas fire. A flame may be preventing an unburned gas cloud from spreading; responders must control the fuel source.
- Re-entering because the odor has weakened, or restoring service after a valve was closed.
Prepare before an incident
Preparation should make evacuation faster, not encourage an amateur repair. Complete these tasks when there is no suspected leak:
- Find the meter and learn which component is the service shutoff. Ask your local utility for its current diagram and emergency number; do not rely on a generic meter layout.
- Keep the utility-recommended wrench in an accessible location outside the likely gas area. PG&E’s described setup uses a 12- to 15-inch adjustable pipe or crescent-type wrench.
- Write the utility’s emergency number and your full service address where household members can find them without entering a hazardous area.
- Teach everyone to leave first, call from safety, and never practice by turning the gas off. Include guests, tenants, and older children in the plan.
- Keep appliance manuals and records available for responders, but do not delay evacuation to retrieve them.
- If you install a handheld detector, treat it as an additional warning tool. Test and maintain it according to its manufacturer’s instructions; never use a negative reading to justify staying in a suspected leak.
Decision guide for common situations
You smell gas inside but cannot identify the source
Leave immediately, avoiding switches and phones. Call 911 and the utility from outside. Do not return to find the meter or appliance valve unless responders or the utility direct you and the route is clearly safe.
You smell gas next to an outdoor meter
Move away upwind if possible and keep others away. Call from a safe location. Only close the service valve if the utility’s instructions match the installation and you can reach it without entering the gas. Otherwise, wait for responders.
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A range or other appliance has a damaged connector
Do not touch or move the appliance. Evacuate and report the damage and appliance location. An appliance valve is relevant only if it is immediately reachable without entering the suspected-gas area; stopping one appliance does not make the rest of the system safe.
You see bubbling water or dead vegetation near a pipeline
Do not investigate, dig, drive over it, or operate a pipeline valve. Leave on foot and call 911 and the pipeline operator from safety.
The utility has shut off service
Keep the valve off and do not relight pilots. Ask the utility what inspection, repair, testing, and appointment steps are required before service can be restored.
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- The exact street address, nearest intersection, or pipeline location.
- Whether the odor is indoors, outdoors, or both, and where it is strongest.
- What you heard or saw: hissing, damaged pipe, bubbles, fire, or an appliance problem.
- Whether the meter valve or an appliance valve was closed, and whether anyone may remain inside.
- Whether there are flames, injuries, mobility limitations, or responders who may need special access.
Stay on the line only as long as the dispatcher or utility representative needs. Give responders room to work, follow evacuation boundaries, and do not assume the emergency is over until they provide clearance.
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