How to turn off your gas in an emergency

From hot water, cooking and heating to barbecues and outdoor entertaining, natural gas provides power to a range of appliances in your home.

If you ever smell gas inside your home or around your property you may have a leak that requires fixing fast.

The first, and most important, step is to turn the gas off at the meter before calling a qualified plumber to identify and repair it.

Never attempt to fix a gas leak yourself.

Be aware that you should never use ignition sources, which includes mobile phones, power points and light switches, or naked flames to locate a suspected gas leak.

How to turn off your gas meter

1. Turn off all the gas appliances in your home.

This includes gas cooking appliances, heaters and your hot water unit (including the pilot).

2. Locate your gas meter.

This is usually found at the front or side of your house, at ground level and maybe blue or beige in colour.

3. Turn the gas meter off.

You will find a valve on the left hand side that is in a vertical position. To turn the gas supply off, you will need to rotate the valve 90 degrees so that it reaches a horizontal position.

Successfully turning off your gas supply in an emergency is critical to ensuring the safety of yourself and those around you.

It is also important that all installation and repair work is done by a licensed gasfitter.

If you find yourself in an emergency situation with your gas supply, don’t wait -  call a plumber immediately to repair it.

For fast gas repairs contact Pro-Action Plumbing, available 24/7 for emergencies.