Smell Gas at Home? What to Do in the Raleigh Area

What should you do first?

Do these in order, and do not stop to investigate:

1. Leave the building. Get people and pets out. If you can do it without delay, leave doors open on your way out so gas can disperse. Enbridge's safety guidance says to evacuate immediately and not to stay inside.
2. Do not create a spark. Do not turn lights, appliances or the thermostat on or off. Do not use a phone, light a match, smoke, or open the garage door with the opener.
3. Move away, then call. From a neighbor's house or well down the street, call 911 or the gas utility. Enbridge Gas North Carolina's emergency line is 1-877-776-2427, and its contact page says to call that number or 911 from a safe distance, like a neighbor's home.
4. Do not go back in until the utility or the fire department tells you it is safe.

That is the whole job for a homeowner in the moment. Shutting valves, hunting for the leak, or trying a repair are not on the list. Both Enbridge and California's utility regulator say not to search for or fix a leak yourself.

Who do you call in the Raleigh area?

Natural gas around the Triangle is mostly delivered by Enbridge Gas North Carolina, which was known as PSNC Energy before Dominion Energy sold it to Enbridge in 2024. Some surrounding counties are served by Piedmont Natural Gas. If you are not sure which utility serves your address, look at your gas bill, or simply call 911, which works everywhere.

If you use propane from a tank rather than utility gas, call your propane supplier or 911. The same leave-first rule applies.

How do you know it is a gas leak?

Natural gas has no odor on its own. Utilities add a chemical called mercaptan so leaks can be noticed. Enbridge describes it as smelling like sulfur or rotten eggs. Other signs that utilities and regulators list include:

• A hissing, whistling or roaring sound near the meter, a gas pipe or an appliance
• Bubbles rising in standing water or a wet patch of ground
• Dead or dying grass or plants along a gas line for no obvious reason
• Dirt or dust blowing up from the ground
• A loose or damaged connection behind a range, dryer or water heater

A faint smell near a stove right after a burner was left on for a moment is different from a steady smell in a hallway or basement. If you are unsure, treat it as a leak. Do not worry about bothering anyone: Enbridge describes its emergency response as a free service.

What if the smell is outside?

A gas smell in the yard, near the meter or along the street still needs a call. Move away from the area, upwind if you can, and call the utility or 911. Do not start a mower, car or other engine nearby, since the CPUC lists motorized equipment and vehicles among the ignition sources to avoid. If the smell is strong near a neighbor's house or a business, call anyway. Utilities would rather check a false alarm than miss a leak, and the person living there may not have noticed.

Sometimes the smell turns out to be something else. Sewer gas from a dry floor drain or a failing toilet seal can smell similar. In January 2026, Wake Forest fire officials investigated many reports of a strong odor and said it was not a leak: Enbridge told them its transmission lines were safely releasing pressure built up during frigid weather. That does not change what you should do. Only the utility or the fire department can confirm there is no gas, so let them make that call.

What should you not do?

Most of the "don'ts" are about sparks. A light switch, doorbell, garage door motor, cell phone or car starter can all make a small spark, and that can be enough in a room full of gas. The California Public Utilities Commission's leak guidance also says not to ring doorbells, to knock instead, not to run motorized equipment or vehicles nearby, and never to try to put out a gas fire.

• Do not use phones, switches or electronics inside.
• Do not light anything, including candles or cigarettes.
• Do not start a car parked in an attached garage.
• Do not try to find the leak or turn valves to stop it.
• Do not go back inside for belongings.

What happens after the utility arrives?

The utility technician checks the meter, the service line and the air inside the house. Their job is to make things safe, which may mean shutting off the gas at the meter. Ask the technician where the leak was found and which side of the meter it is on, and get that in writing if you can. The piping beyond the meter runs through the walls, crawl space or attic to the furnace, water heater, range and dryer, and repairs there are typically arranged by the homeowner.

If the leak is on your side of the meter, the utility may leave the gas off until it is repaired. That is when a plumber who does gas line repair in Raleigh comes in. Common fixes include tightening or replacing a flexible appliance connector, replacing a corroded fitting, or repairing a damaged section of pipe. After a repair, the utility usually has to restore service and relight pilots, so expect a second appointment.

If the leak was at a gas water heater, the plumber may also look at the venting and the unit's condition. Whether to fix it or swap it depends on age and the part that failed; the repair or replace guide for water heaters walks through that choice, and you can reach local help for water heater service or a new water heater installed.

Can digging cause a gas leak?

Yes, and it is one of the more common ways service lines get damaged. North Carolina 811 asks that you contact 811 or 1-800-632-4949 at least three working days before you dig, and it marks publicly managed lines at no charge. It also says private lines on private property are not marked. A gas line run from the meter to a pool heater, outdoor grill or detached shop may be yours, and nobody will flag it unless you hire a private locator. That is worth keeping in mind before fence posts, landscaping or sewer work. If a trench uncovers a pipe, stop and call the utility. The guide to no-dig sewer replacement covers digging-related planning for sewer jobs.

How can you lower the odds of a leak?

• Leave enough slack behind the range and dryer so connectors are not kinked when appliances are pushed back.
• Ask for the appliance connector to be checked whenever a range, dryer or water heater is moved or replaced.
• Keep the area around the outdoor meter clear of mulch piles, firewood and vehicles.
• Have a plumber check gas piping during a home plumbing inspection, especially in older homes or after a renovation.
• Install carbon monoxide alarms near sleeping areas if you have gas appliances. A CO alarm does not detect a gas leak, but it does warn of a separate hazard from appliances that are not venting properly.

Plumbing help outside Raleigh

For homes in surrounding towns, you can find gas line help by area, such as gas piping repair in Cary, plumbers near Smithfield or Clayton gas line work. If you have another urgent problem once the gas is safe, the emergency plumbing page lists how to reach someone quickly. Remember the order: get out, call the utility or 911 from outside, and only then think about repairs.