Smell gas? Call 1-866-763-5427

Important Safety Information on Gas Service Outages

What we do during a gas outage

Your safety is our top priority. In the event of a natural gas leak, we work closely with local emergency responders to secure the area. This may involve temporary evacuations or street closures to keep you and your family safe until we can stop the leak.

Here are the typical steps that occur in a natural gas outage:

Number one

Restoring your service

In order to safely restore gas service we must:

  1. Shut off the gas to every customer in the area served by the damaged pipeline. We do not need to enter homes or businesses to do this.
  2. Make any needed repairs that may involve excavating.
  3. Visit each customer (inside the home/business) to relight gas appliances. By law, we are required to inspect all natural gas appliances (see appliance safety infractions). This can take some time, and we take steps to restore service as quickly as possible, such as enlisting additional help from surrounding areas and working extended hours.
  4. If you are not home, please leave your contact information with a neighbour. We will stop by several times, and if we miss you, we will leave behind instructions about how to contact us to restore your natural gas service when you return.
Number two

To help us, you can...

In order for us to quickly and safely complete restoration of natural gas service, please take note of these steps:

  • We need interior access to every affected home or business.
  • Our utility service representatives and contractors carry photo ID and will be happy to show it on request.
  • An adult must be present to allow our utility service representative to enter the home to restore service.
  • If you leave your home, please leave your contact information with a neighbour. We will stop by several times and if we miss you, we will leave behind instructions about how to contact us to restore your natural gas service when you return.
  • Keep your porch light on.
  • If pipes are in danger of freezing, leave cold water dripping from faucets. Even a trickle helps prevent freezing.
Number three

Keeping you in the loop

For smaller outages, every effort is made to contact affected customers directly by phone or in person. For outages affecting a larger number of customers, such as a neighbourhood, information will be provided in several ways:

  • An automated voicemail message to directly affected customers.
  • Notifications and updates on Twitter.
  • A message on our emergency line (1-866-763-5427).
  • If your town or municipality has activated its emergency response plan, information might also be posted on their website.

Why do gas outages occur?

Most gas outages happen when our pipelines are hit by contractors, homeowners or others who dig without first locating all underground utilities, or they do not follow the locate instructions.

Frequently asked questions

In order to restore service, our utility service representatives must go door-to-door to enter each home and business to relight appliances. This can take some time, and it is not possible for us to provide exact timing for individual customers. We take steps to restore service as quickly as possible including bringing in additional help from surrounding areas, and working extended hours. For larger gas outages, updates on the restoration status are provided on Twitter (@enbridgegas).
If possible, please leave your contact information with a neighbour. We will stop by several times and if we miss you, we will leave behind instructions about how to contact us to restore your natural gas service when you return.
To ensure your family's safety, our trained utility service representative will relight your appliances. Please do not attempt to do so on your own.