If you smell gas or hear it hissing, you can shut off the supply at the meter by finding the shut-off valve on the riser pipe and turning it a quarter turn until the handle sits perpendicular to the pipe, not parallel. Before you touch the valve, turn off every appliance control and pilot light in the house. Once the meter is off, leave it off. Don’t try to turn it back on yourself.
TL;DR:
- The gas shut-off valve on a natural gas meter should be turned perpendicular to the pipe to stop the supply, with a quarter turn from the open position.
- Loud hissing, a gas smell, or physical damage to pipes warrant shutting off the supply at the meter immediately, but a stuck valve requires professional intervention.
- Access to the meter should be clear and safe, with keys or proper tools stored nearby, and only a licensed gas fitter should handle non-responsive or damaged valves.
- Shutting off the gas is only recommended in emergencies, as reactivation involves the utility or a technician, which could cause delays or longer outages.
- Always switch off appliances and pilot lights before turning off the meter, and do not attempt to turn it back on yourself to ensure safety and compliance.
Table of Contents
- Where is the gas shut off on a typical property?
- Natural gas valves vs LPG cylinder valves: what’s different
- How do you shut off a gas meter step by step?
- What should you do right after shutting off the gas?
- Why you shouldn’t shut off the gas unnecessarily
- When does this stop being a DIY job?
- Need a licensed gas fitter right now?
- Where to check your own gas network’s guidance
- Sources
- FAQ
Where is the gas shut off on a typical property?
Most homes have the gas meter near a boundary fence, beside the house, tucked under an external staircase, or fixed to a garage wall. In apartment blocks, meters are usually grouped in a shared meter bank or locked cupboard on the ground floor or in a basement plant room. If you’ve never had to look for yours, take five minutes now, not during an emergency, to find and note the location.
Look for the riser pipe, the vertical pipe running from the ground up into the meter. The shut-off valve sits on this riser, usually a short distance above ground level, with a small lever or “tang” sticking out sideways.
A few practical notes on access:
- If the meter box is locked, check for a council or utility-issued key, often kept with strata or building management.
- Shared meter banks in units are usually clearly labelled by apartment number.
- Clear away pot plants, bins, or overgrown shrubs blocking the box now, so nothing slows you down later.
- If you genuinely can’t locate or reach your meter, that’s a job for a licensed gas fitter, not a guessing game.
Natural gas valves vs LPG cylinder valves: what’s different
Don’t assume every gas valve works the same way, because natural gas meters and LPG cylinders are built differently and get shut off differently too.
On a natural gas meter set, the shut-off valve sits on the riser, and orientation tells you everything: tang parallel to the pipe means gas is flowing, tang perpendicular means it’s off. LPG cylinders work on a different logic entirely. The valve sits on top of the cylinder and you close it by turning the handwheel clockwise until it stops, similar to a garden tap. If you’ve got two cylinders connected (a common setup for barbecues or bottled gas heating), both need closing individually.
There’s one more wrinkle worth knowing about. Some newer installations use smart meters or remote-controlled valves, and these can mean restoration procedures differ from a standard meter once you’ve shut off supply.
- Natural gas: tang parallel = on, perpendicular = off.
- LPG cylinder: turn clockwise to close, check every connected cylinder.
- Smart or remote meters: reconnection may require the utility, not a manual valve turn.
How do you shut off a gas meter step by step?
Before you go anywhere near the valve, switch off every gas appliance and pilot light in the property so nothing reignites unexpectedly once the supply is cut or later restored. Don’t flick electrical switches, don’t light matches, and only open doors or windows if it’s safe to do so without passing near the suspected leak.
- Approach the meter calmly. Avoid running or making sudden movements near a suspected leak.
- Find the shut-off tang on the riser pipe, usually a flat metal lever protruding from the valve body.
- Grab a 12-inch adjustable wrench or larger if the tang won’t turn by hand. Most residential valves need real force.
- Turn the valve a quarter turn, about 90 degrees, until the tang sits perpendicular to the pipe rather than running alongside it.
- Check that appliances won’t ignite and leave the valve exactly where it is. Don’t fiddle with it again.
According to Australia Gas Networks, that quarter turn is all a standard meter set needs, and the handle position is the definitive way to confirm gas is off, not a hissing sound stopping or a smell fading.
If the valve won’t budge, stop. Don’t force it with extra leverage or a longer pipe for grip. A stuck valve that’s forced can crack a fitting or damage the seal, turning a controlled shut-off into a new leak. Step back to a safe distance and call your gas network or a licensed gas fitter instead.
Pro Tip: Keep a 12-inch adjustable wrench stored somewhere you can grab it in the dark, a kitchen drawer near the back door works well, because searching a shed for tools during a gas emergency wastes precious minutes.
What should you do right after shutting off the gas?
Shutting off the meter is the right call when you can smell gas, hear a hiss near a fitting, or you’ve had physical damage to gas pipework, say, after storm damage or an excavation nearby. If there are no signs of a leak, there’s usually no reason to touch the meter at all.
Once it’s off, or if you suspect a leak but haven’t reached the valve yet, safety comes first:
- Ventilate the property by opening windows and doors, but only if you can do so without walking through a gas-affected area.
- Don’t touch electrical switches, don’t use your phone inside the building, and don’t light anything.
- Get everyone outside and call your gas network’s emergency line from a safe distance, away from sparks or naked flame.
- If you’re worried about a leak in your own home right now, our gas leak detection guidance walks through the immediate steps to take.
A technician attending after a shut-off will check pipework for damage, test appliance isolation valves, and inspect pilot assemblies before anything gets relit. Depending on what they find, that might mean a quick relight and pressure test, or a longer outage if a section of the network needs isolating first.
Why you shouldn’t shut off the gas unnecessarily
Turning off the meter feels like the cautious thing to do, but it has a real cost: once it’s off, only the utility or a licensed gas fitter can safely turn it back on, and that inspection queue can leave you without hot water or cooking gas for longer than you’d expect. State safety guidance is consistent on this point: the main shut-off is for emergencies, not routine caution.
If you’ve got a smart meter, restoration can involve a remote reconnection process rather than a technician simply flipping the valve back, which sometimes adds extra steps rather than fewer. For anything short of a genuine leak, isolate the specific appliance at its own local valve instead of cutting gas to the whole property. Installing a new appliance or servicing a heater? Use the appliance’s isolation valve, not the meter.
When does this stop being a DIY job?
Knowing the theory of a quarter turn on a valve tang is one thing. Standing in front of a meter that won’t budge, with a faint smell of gas still lingering, is another entirely. That’s the moment a lot of well-meaning homeowners get it wrong, either forcing a stuck valve or, just as risky, deciding to “keep an eye on it” instead of acting.
My view, after looking at how these incidents typically unfold, is that the biggest danger isn’t ignorance of the steps. It’s hesitation once something doesn’t go to plan. If the tang won’t turn with a proper adjustable wrench, if you can’t find the meter at all, or if the smell of gas persists after you’ve shut off what you believe is the main supply, that’s your signal to stop and call someone qualified rather than keep experimenting.
Priority Plus Plumbing’s licensed gas fitters attend these calls around the clock, and the value isn’t just the licence, it’s knowing what a “normal” meter set up looks like versus one with damage, corrosion, or a fault that a quarter turn won’t fix. Twenty-five years in Sutherland Shire homes teaches you that the properties with the fewest problems are the ones where someone called early, not late.
— Peter Honey
Need a licensed gas fitter right now?
Priority Plus Plumbing runs 24/7 emergency plumbing and gas-fitting across Sutherland Shire and Sydney, and the difference for a gas scare is straightforward: instead of guessing whether your valve is genuinely off or whether it’s safe to relight appliances yourself, a licensed technician checks pipework, tests appliance isolation valves, and liaises directly with the gas network on your behalf.
Every job runs on upfront pricing, so you know the cost before work starts, backed by a workmanship guarantee on the fix. If you’ve just shut off your meter and you’re not confident about what happens next, or the valve won’t move at all, call Priority Plus Plumbing or head to our emergency plumbing page to get a technician attending your property today.
Where to check your own gas network’s guidance
Your gas network or state energy regulator will have specific instructions and an emergency number for your area. Australia Gas Networks and Alinta Energy both publish clear safety pages worth bookmarking, and it’s worth saving your network’s emergency number in your phone now, before you ever need it.
Sources
- Australia Gas Networks – safety
- Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (Tasmania) – emergency guidance
- SA Government – turning gas supply off and on
- Alinta Energy – how to turn on/off your gas
FAQ
Can I turn the gas off myself?
Yes, in a genuine emergency you can turn off the main gas supply at the meter yourself by locating the shut-off valve on the riser and turning it a quarter turn until the handle is perpendicular to the pipe.
How do I turn my gas back on after disconnecting?
You shouldn’t. Once the meter is shut off, only your gas network or a licensed gas fitter, such as the team at Priority Plus Plumbing, should safely restore supply after checking pipework and appliances.
Should I turn my gas meter on or off?
Leave it on unless you can smell gas, hear hissing, or know the pipework has suffered physical damage. Turning it off without a genuine leak risks a longer, unnecessary outage while it’s inspected before reconnection.
How can I tell if a gas meter is turned off?
Check the shut-off valve’s handle position rather than relying on smell alone: if the tang sits perpendicular to the riser pipe, the gas is off, and appliances won’t ignite when tested.