Help topics
1. What is a Gas Supply Emergency?
A Gas Supply Emergency is when there’s not enough gas available to meet expected demand. Although it’s very unlikely, insufficient gas could cause a loss of pressure in the network, meaning we need to take action quickly to balance the system and keep everyone safe. The Network Emergency Coordinator (NEC) or a gas network can declare a Gas Supply Emergency. The NEC is responsible for coordinating the actions of all gas networks during a Gas Supply Emergency.
2. What you'll have to do if there is a gas supply emergency
If such an emergency is declared, you must stop using gas as soon as you’re told to do so by your gas transporter. It’s the law, and is vital to protect domestic customers and those customers in vulnerable situations and to keep everyone safe.
3. Who will ask me to stop using my gas?
You will be initially contacted by us (your gas network) by telephone if you have to stop using gas. We will subsequently fax, email or deliver the direction by hand. It is a criminal offence for the person receiving the direction to knowingly fail to comply with it.
4. What happens if I don't stop using my gas during an emergency?
If you fail to stop using gas, you’ll be putting domestic customers and those in vulnerable situations at risk.
You will also be breaking the law - which could lead to the isolation of your site and prosecution by the Health & Safety Executive.
Your supplier will also be notified of your failure to cooperate.
5. Do you ever run emergency gas supply exercises?
SGN and other gas networks sometimes perform Gas Supply Emergency test exercises, during which we may test the contact details you’ve provided, and how well your contact arranges to stop using gas. We then report the results to the Health & Safety Executive.
If you’re contacted for an emergency exercise, it will be clearly stated that it’s an exercise and that you’re not actually required to stop using gas.
6. What emergency contact information do you need?
The right contact
Your emergency contact must be able to:
- Accept the direction to stop using gas from the gas network contact.
- Arrange for your site to stop using gas. If they can’t do this, they must be able to reach someone who can.
If you're a business owner
- If you are a 24-hour business you need to provide one emergency contact with a single 24 hour number.
- If you are not a 24-hour business you need to provide three emergency contacts with two numbers for each.
Please have the following details on hand before completing the form.
- Organisation name
- Meter Point Reference Number
- Name
- Job Title
- 24-hour emergency contact number
- Email address