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Person with a phone standing at a distance from a building with its door and windows open

I can smell gas

A smell like rotten eggs in the stairwell. Now switch nothing on, switch nothing off – get out and call from outside.

First

  1. No flames, no smoking, do not use light switches, doorbells or electrical devices – not even to switch them off.
  2. Open windows and doors if you can do it quickly on your way out.
  3. Close the main gas valve if it is easy and safe to reach.
  4. Leave the building, warn neighbours by knocking and only phone once outside: 112 or the gas supplier's emergency number.

Call emergency services if

  • Strong smell of gas or hissing
  • Smell of gas in the stairwell or in the street
  • Someone feels unwell or is dazed
  • You do not know where the smell comes from

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What is happening

Natural gas has no smell of its own. So that leaks are noticed, an odorant is added, often described as rotten or sulphurous. Anyone who notices this smell should always take it seriously – even if it is faint.

Escaping gas is dangerous mainly because it can form a flammable mixture with air. A single spark can be enough: a light switch, a doorbell, a plug, a lighter. That is why the rules are: no flames, no switches, no devices – and do not switch anything off either.

Authorities advise opening windows and doors if you can do so quickly, closing the main gas valve if it is safe to reach, leaving the building and only phoning once outside – the emergency number 112 or the gas supplier's emergency line.

This page helps you take the right steps in the right order. Repairs and finding the leak belong in the hands of specialists.

Step by step

I can smell gas – Phase 1 of 4At once: no sparks. No flames, no smoking, no lighter. Do not use light switches, doorbells, plugs or electrical devices – do not switch them off either. Do not make phone calls inside the building. Stay calm and tell the others in the household quietly but clearly.
Phase 1 of 4

Phase 1 of 4

At once: no sparks

No flames, no smoking, no lighter. Do not use light switches, doorbells, plugs or electrical devices – do not switch them off either. Do not make phone calls inside the building. Stay calm and tell the others in the household quietly but clearly.

The animation shows the key actions of each phase schematically; the text below is what counts.

  1. Phase 1

    At once: no sparks

    • No flames, no smoking, no lighter.
    • Do not use light switches, doorbells, plugs or electrical devices – do not switch them off either.
    • Do not make phone calls inside the building.
    • Stay calm and tell the others in the household quietly but clearly.

  2. Phase 2

    Air out and turn off the gas

    • Open windows and doors wide if you can do it quickly on your way out.
    • Close the main gas valve if you know where it is and it is safe to reach.
    • With a strong smell or hissing try none of this – get out at once.
    • Do not waste time looking for the leak.

  3. Phase 3

    Get out and warn neighbours

    • All people and pets leave the building.
    • Warn neighbours by knocking, not by ringing.
    • Do not switch on stairwell lights, do not use the lift.
    • Outside, keep your distance from the building.

  4. Phase 4

    Call from outside and wait

    • Only phone once outside: 112 or the gas supplier's emergency number.
    • Give the address, where it smells, how strongly, whether anyone has symptoms and whether anyone is still inside.
    • Anyone with a headache, dizziness or nausea stays in the fresh air and says so on the emergency call.
    • Only go back in when the fire service or the gas supplier allows it.

★ Pro tips

What experienced people do differently: proven practice from mountain rescue, fire services, lifeguards and civil protection that beginners rarely know.

  1. Lever across the pipe means "closed"

    The main gas shut-off is often a ball valve with a lever. When the lever runs along the pipe the gas is on; when it is across the pipe it is off. Look at it before anything happens so you do not have to think about it in an emergency.

  2. Bottled gas collects low down

    Mains natural gas is lighter than air and rises. Bottled gas such as propane for grills, caravans or camping stoves is heavier and collects in basements, pits and at floor level. It can linger there even when you no longer smell anything higher up.

  3. Don't assume someone else has called

    If you smell gas in the stairwell or the street, report it – even if others must have noticed too. Often everyone thinks someone else has already called. One call too many does not bother the fire service or gas supplier.

  4. The emergency number is often on the meter

    The gas network's emergency number is often on a sticker on the gas meter, on your bill or in the hallway. Save it in your phone now. In an emergency, call it only once outside – or simply call 112.

What to watch out for

  • Switching off is switching too

    A spark can also form when switching a device off or pulling a plug. Leave everything as it is.

  • Doorbells

    Doorbells are electrical switches. Inside the building, knock on doors to warn neighbours.

  • Getting used to the smell

    The nose gets used to smells. A smell that “fades” is no sign that the danger is over.

  • Do not repair it yourself

    Work on gas pipes and gas appliances is reserved for specialists – after the incident too.

Common mistakes

  • Switching on the light to see better.
  • Making phone calls inside the building.
  • Ringing neighbours' doorbells.
  • Looking for the leak yourself.
  • Going back into the flat before it has been cleared.

Prepare in advance

  • Know where the main gas valve is and how to close it.
  • Save the gas supplier's emergency number in your phone.
  • Have gas appliances serviced regularly by specialists.
  • Explain to everyone in the household: smell of gas – no switches, get out, call from outside.
  • A CO alarm adds protection with gas appliances but does not replace your nose for the smell of gas.

Special consideration

Children
Children often do not know the smell. Explain that with a rotten smell they switch nothing on and tell an adult at once.
People with a reduced sense of smell
Anyone with a poor sense of smell can use a gas detector and ask neighbours to watch for unusual smells.

Sources

Your situation

Where does it smell?
How strong?
Is everyone well?

Matching entries

0 rules apply

No AI decides here. Every recommendation is based on a visible rule.

Add details about your situation above to get more specific guidance.

Basics for this situation

Why: Always applies to this situation – regardless of your answers.

All rules of this situation (4)

  1. [not active] If How strong? = Strong, or hissing to be heard

    With a strong smell or hissing do nothing more inside: get out at once, keep your distance and call 112 from outside.

  2. [not active] If Where does it smell? = In the stairwell or basement

    In the stairwell do not ring bells or switch on lights. Knock on flat doors, leave the building and call 112 outside.

  3. [not active] If Where does it smell? = Outside in the street

    Keep your distance, do not smoke, report the place (112 or the gas supplier) and follow the instructions of the emergency services.

  4. [not active] If Is everyone well? = Someone has a headache, dizziness or is dazed

    Anyone feeling unwell must get to fresh air at once. When calling, say how those affected are. Put unconscious people who are breathing normally in the recovery position, as taught in first-aid courses.