Overview
- Natural gas becomes explosive at about 4.5% of room air by volume, and poor winter ventilation can let a small leak reach that level fast.
- When you smell gas, open windows and doors, put out flames, avoid switches, doorbells and phones, warn neighbors by knocking, leave, and call 112 from a safe distance.
- If the main shutoff is reachable, close it only if you can do so safely, and never reopen it yourself since only supplier technicians may do that.
- Firefighters measure indoor levels and give the all clear, then alert the gas supplier, whose crews find the leak and carry out the repair.
- Insurers often cover blast damage, but skipped or undocumented professional maintenance can count as gross negligence and leave owners paying, a concern in a country with about 15 million gas appliances and many over 20 years old.