Gas boiler emergencies

What to do in a gas emergency

If you think you can smell gas or you believe you may have a gas leak or a faulty gas appliance then it's important to act really fast.

Carbon monoxide can be a killer gas, potentially rendering you unconscious before you know it has reached dangerous levels.

Here's what to do:

• Open as many doors and windows as you can.
• Make sure all the people in the house get into the fresh air as soon as possible.
• Turn off the gas appliance that you are worried about.
• And turn off the gas supply at the mains.
• Phone up the National Gas Safety people - the number for England, Wales and Scotland is 0800 111 999.

The National Gas Safety team are impressively efficient.

They will use a variety of sensitive gas monitoring equipment to ascertain whether there really is a gas leak in your house.

It's not unlike a visit from Ghostbusters - only they're Gasbusters.

If you believe that you have experienced exposure to carbon monoxide and may have been poisoned by the gas, then obviously you should book an appointment with your doctor straight away, even though you might believe you are feeling better.