Where is my gas shut-off? A guide for houses and apartments
If you ever smell gas, or need to stop the gas to an appliance, you'll want to know exactly where to turn it off. Every home on natural gas has a main valve at the gas meter, and most gas appliances have their own valve too. This guide shows where to find them in a house and in an apartment, and how to turn them off safely. It's written by the licensed gasfitters who work on gas lines and appliances across Matraville, Maroubra, Botany and the southern Eastern Suburbs.
In a house: the valve at the gas meter
The gas meter is usually on an outside wall of the house, often near the front or down the side path, sometimes inside a meter box. The main valve is on the pipe going into the meter.
- The valve usually has a small lever or a flat tab you can turn by hand.
- On: the lever sits in line with the pipe.
- Off: turn it a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe.
- Turning off the meter valve stops gas to every appliance in the house: cooktop, oven, hot water, heaters and any outdoor points.
Some valves are stiff after years without use. Don't hit or force them with tools. If yours won't turn by hand, ask a gasfitter to check it.
In an apartment or unit
In apartment buildings the gas meters are usually grouped together, in a meter room or cupboard on the ground floor, in the car park, or in a cupboard on each floor. Each unit's meter has its own valve, normally labelled with the unit number.
Find your meter
Look for a bank of meters with unit numbers. Make sure you know which one is yours before you need it.
Valve at the appliance
Many apartments also have a valve near the cooktop or the hot water unit, which turns off gas to that appliance only.
Central hot water
Some buildings heat water with a central gas plant, so there may be no gas hot water unit in your apartment at all.
Ask before you need it
If meter rooms are locked, ask the building manager how to get access.
Valves at the appliance
- Cooktop and oven: often a valve in the cupboard next to or under the cooktop, or behind the oven.
- Gas hot water: a valve on the gas pipe at the bottom of the unit, plus the unit's own control knob.
- Space heater: heaters that plug into a wall or floor bayonet are turned off by switching off the heater and unplugging it from the bayonet, which seals itself.
- Barbecue or outdoor heater: a bayonet or valve on the outside wall. If it runs on a bottle, turn the valve on top of the bottle clockwise to close it.
If you smell gas
- Don't switch lights or appliances on or off, and don't light anything.
- Turn off the gas at the meter.
- Open doors and windows, and get everyone outside.
- Call a licensed gasfitter, and don't turn the gas back on until it has been checked.
Our gas safety guide covers warning signs, heaters and carbon monoxide in more detail.
Turning the gas back on
When the gas has been off, pilot lights on hot water systems and heaters go out. If you turned the gas off because you smelled gas, leave it off until a licensed gasfitter has found and fixed the problem. If it was off for another reason, turn the meter valve back on slowly, then relight each appliance following its instructions. If an appliance won't relight or you're not comfortable doing it, we can do it for you and check the system is safe.
Gas in southern Eastern Suburbs homes
Most homes in Matraville, Maroubra, Pagewood and Botany are on natural gas, with the meter on an outside wall. In older houses we often find meter valves that have never been turned and no longer move freely, and appliance valves hidden behind cabinetry. Knowing where yours are, and that they work, is a simple step that makes your home safer.
Why locals call us
- Local to Matraville and the southern Eastern Suburbs
- Free on-site quotes, with a fixed price before any work starts
- Lifetime labour warranty on our workmanship
- 100+ five-star Google reviews
- Licensed plumbers and gasfitters (Lic. 398171C)
Common questions
Where is the gas shut-off valve on a house?
On the pipe at the gas meter, usually on an outside wall near the front of the house or down the side path.
How do I know if the gas valve is on or off?
When the lever is in line with the pipe, the gas is on. When it's across the pipe, the gas is off.
Where is the gas meter in an apartment building?
Usually in a meter room or cupboard on the ground floor, in the car park or on each floor, with each meter labelled by unit number.
Can I turn my gas back on myself?
If you turned it off because you smelled gas, wait until a licensed gasfitter has checked it. Otherwise, turn the meter valve back on slowly and relight each appliance following its instructions.
Related help: gas safety guide, gas fitting, gas heater servicing, gas hot water and our water shut-off guide. Local pages: Matraville, gas fitting in Maroubra, Pagewood and Botany. Browse all our plumbing guides.