A suspected gas leak is not a job to price. The order is fixed: make the property safe, call the national gas emergency service, and only then think about who repairs what. The emergency engineer makes the situation safe and disconnects if necessary; they do not carry out the repair to your appliance or your internal pipework.
What to do first
Open doors and windows, turn the gas off at the meter if it is safe to reach, do not use switches, doorbells or naked flames, leave the property if the smell is strong, and call the national gas emergency number. This is free and available at any hour.
What the emergency engineer does
Makes the installation safe. That can mean isolating an appliance, capping a pipe or disconnecting the supply, and it will be recorded on a warning notice left with you. It is not a repair and it is not a diagnosis of your appliance.
Who may carry out the repair
A Gas Safe registered engineer holding the right qualification for the appliance or pipework involved. Internal pipework and appliances are the property owner's responsibility; the service pipe up to the meter belongs to the network or the supplier.
What it is likely to involve
A tightness test on the installation, locating the leak, and repair or replacement of the affected pipework, joint or component, followed by a re test. Where an appliance was classed at risk or immediately dangerous, the classification is only lifted once the fault is fixed and re tested.
Questions people ask about gas leak repair
Who pays for a gas leak repair?
Repairs on the customer's side of the meter, meaning internal pipework and appliances, are the property owner's. Faults on the service pipe up to the meter are for the network operator or supplier.
Can I repair gas pipework myself?
No. Work on gas fittings by anyone not on the Gas Safe Register is unlawful, and it is the offence with the most serious consequences in this field.
What is a warning notice?
The document an engineer leaves when an appliance or installation is classed as at risk or immediately dangerous. Keep it; the next engineer will want to see it and a landlord will need it on file.