When natural gas supply is restored after a planned or emergency outage, you cannot simply turn the supply back on and resume normal use. Gas appliances must be checked, pilot lights relit, and the supply tested before normal operation resumes. Failing to follow a systematic restoration procedure can result in gas build-up, appliance damage, or explosion.
Who Should Restore Gas Supply
After a Suspected Leak or Emergency Shutoff
If you shut off or had the gas shut off due to a suspected leak, structural damage, or a gas emergency:
- A qualified gas engineer or the utility company must restore supply and inspect the system. You should not turn the meter valve back on yourself.
- The utility company will also want to restore supply themselves in many cases — they need to know the supply is restored so they can note it in their records.
After a Planned Utility Outage
If the gas was shut off by the utility for planned maintenance or a supply disruption that has now been resolved:
- The utility will restore supply to the distribution network.
- You may need to relight pilot lights and check your appliances, but the supply itself comes back on at the network level.
Step 1: Before Turning On
- Ventilate the building — open windows and doors before restoring supply. Any accumulated gas in the system will be minimal from a short outage, but ventilation removes any residual.
- Check that all appliances are turned OFF — all gas hobs, ovens, heaters, boilers, and fireplaces should have their controls in the off position before supply resumes.
- Check for the smell of gas — if you smell gas before turning supply back on, do not proceed. Call the gas emergency number.
Step 2: Turn On the Meter Valve
If you are authorised to turn the meter on:
- Turn the lever handle parallel to the pipe (gas ON position), or use a gas key to turn the square spindle back 90 degrees.
- Do not fully operate any appliances yet — allow approximately 1–2 minutes for supply pressure to stabilise.
Step 3: Check Each Appliance Before Use
Gas Hob / Cooker
- Turn on each burner briefly to confirm gas is flowing.
- Ignite immediately — do not allow gas to accumulate before igniting.
- Adjust to low flame; confirm the burner is stable.
- Turn off each burner after testing.
Gas Boiler / Central Heating
Most modern boilers relight automatically when supply resumes:
- Ensure the boiler controls are set to standby or off before supply restoration.
- After supply is on, set the boiler to heat mode — it should attempt to light automatically.
- If the boiler does not fire within 2–3 start attempts, follow the manufacturer's reset procedure.
- If the boiler repeatedly fails to light, call a heating engineer — do not force repeated attempts.
Gas Fire / Fireplace
- Ensure the control is off before supply is restored.
- Follow the manufacturer's lighting procedure — typically a button igniter or match ignition.
- For older appliances with pilot lights: see pilot light relighting below.
Gas Water Heater
- Ensure the control is set to off or pilot before supply restoration.
- Follow the manufacturer's procedure for relighting (see below).
Relighting Pilot Lights
Many older appliances use a standing pilot light that goes out during a supply interruption:
General Procedure
- Locate the pilot control knob — typically has positions: Off, Pilot, On.
- Set to Off and wait 5 minutes to allow any gas to clear.
- Set to Pilot — this allows gas to flow to the pilot tube only.
- Press and hold the reset button (often a separate red or black button, or the knob itself when turned to Pilot position).
- While holding the reset button, bring a lit match or long igniter to the pilot opening.
- Hold the reset button for 30–60 seconds after the pilot lights — this heats the thermocouple, which then holds the safety valve open.
- Release the button — if the pilot stays lit, proceed to turn the knob to On.
- If the pilot goes out when you release the button, wait 5 minutes and try again. If it fails after three attempts, do not continue — call a gas engineer.
⚠️ Never attempt to relight a pilot if you smell gas strongly. Ventilate thoroughly and wait before trying again. If the smell persists, call the gas emergency line.
Post-Restoration Check
After all appliances are confirmed working:
- Walk through each room and confirm all gas appliances are either in use or fully off — no half-open burner positions.
- Confirm the smell test — no residual gas smell anywhere in the building.
- If using a gas detector (recommended), confirm no CO or gas alarm is triggered.
Quick Reference
| Appliance | After Supply Restored |
|---|
| Before anything | Ventilate; check all controls are off; no gas smell |
| Hob/oven | Turn on briefly; ignite immediately; test each burner |
| Boiler | Set to heat; auto-relight; if fails — manufacturer reset then engineer |
| Pilot light | Off → 5 min wait → Pilot → hold button → ignite → hold 30–60 sec |
| After leak shutoff | Utility or gas engineer must restore — not DIY |
| Persistent issues | Do not force — call a registered gas engineer |