A customer calling to report a gas smell or suspected leak needs one thing above all else: fast, clear, calm guidance. This article gives you the exact steps to follow and the words to use. In a gas emergency, there is no time to improvise — know this process before you need it.
Immediate priority
The moment a customer mentions a smell of gas, a hissing sound near a gas appliance or pipe, or any other sign of a potential gas leak — stop the account conversation entirely. Everything else can wait.
Your only goal is to get the customer safe and connected to the National Gas Emergency Service as quickly as possible.
What to say: call script
Use this script as your guide. You don't need to read it word for word, but the key safety instructions must all be covered — in this order.
"I need to stop you there — what you're describing sounds like it could be a gas emergency, so I want to make sure you're safe first. Please do the following right now:"
- "Don't turn any switches on or off — no lights, no appliances, nothing electrical."
- "Don't use your mobile phone inside the property — please go outside to make any calls, including this one if you can."
- "Open windows and doors to ventilate the property if it's safe to do so — but don't stay inside to do it if the smell is strong."
- "Leave the property now and don't go back in."
- "Once you're outside, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 — it's free, it's available 24 hours, and they'll send someone to you. Please call them right now."
If the customer is already outside and safe, you can be slightly less urgent in tone — but the instructions remain the same.
If the customer won't leave
Some customers will push back — they're not sure it's really a leak, they don't want to leave a pet, they're worried about leaving the property unsecured. Stay calm and be gently firm:
"I completely understand, but if there is a gas leak, it can become dangerous very quickly. The safest thing — for you and your pet — is to get outside while the professionals check it out. Please trust me on this one."
Do not get drawn into a long discussion. Keep returning to the same clear message: leave the property and call 0800 111 999.
If the customer reports someone is unwell
If anyone in the property is feeling dizzy, nauseous, has a headache, or has collapsed, this may indicate carbon monoxide poisoning rather than — or in addition to — a gas leak. Direct the customer to call 999 immediately before anything else. See Carbon monoxide concerns for full guidance on this scenario.
What not to say
- Don't say "it's probably nothing" or downplay the situation in any way
- Don't ask the customer to go and check the meter or investigate the source of the smell
- Don't suggest they try turning appliances off at the appliance itself — switches of any kind are a risk
- Don't keep the customer on the phone going through account details — the account can wait
After the call
Once you've given the customer the emergency guidance and confirmed they're going to call 0800 111 999, log the call in Kraken immediately. Your notes should include:
- The time of the call and what the customer reported
- The safety advice you gave
- Confirmation that the customer was directed to the National Gas Emergency Service
- Whether anyone in the property was reported as unwell
- Any follow-up required on the account
Flag the account for a welfare follow-up call once the emergency has been dealt with — especially if the customer is on the PSR or has indicated they live alone.
