Winter Safety Tips

To help keep your home and family safe during winter weather follow these safety tips:

• Never use an oven or a gas stovetop to heat your home.

• Minimize the risk of frozen pipes. Leave faucets running at a trickle, leave cabinet doors open, and close all doors and windows to keep heat inside.

• Make sure smoke detectors and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms are in working condition. Learn more here.

• Snow and ice buildup can damage gas meters and pipes and make them difficult to reach in an emergency.

• Carefully remove snow and ice from meters and pipes by gently using a broom or brush.

• Do not use ice-melting chemicals, salt, shovels, or sharp-edged tools. Never kick or chip snow and ice away with a hard object.

• Make sure that external vents for dryers and other natural gas equipment are clear. Blocked vents for dryers and other gas appliances can lead to a dangerous buildup of carbon monoxide gas. If you have questions about proper venting, contact a licensed plumber or qualified contractor.

• If roofing repairs are needed, have a licensed professional certify all roofing repair work and inspect all natural gas vents and piping for proper ventilation. This is imperative to prevent safety risks and keep your appliances operating as designed.

• Make sure the meter is visible to snowplow drivers if it is near a street or sidewalk.

• Make sure snow and ice from your roof does not land on or bury your gas meter.  

• Repair leaky gutters and make sure water does not drip onto the meter and freeze.

• If you think you smell gas, act fast! Leave the area immediately and from a safe distance call 911 and the Atmos Energy emergency number at 866.322.8667.

• For more home safety information, click here.

Severe Weather Safety Tips

Whether it is a hurricane, flooding, or other severe weather event, please observe these important safety tips.  Always follow the safety instructions of local officials – ignoring evacuation orders can have dire consequences, including risk of injury or death.

Gas Appliances

• Inspect your natural gas piping and appliances.* You are responsible for any natural gas piping on your property from our gas meter to your house or business. As the owner of your home’s gas piping and appliances, it’s your responsibility to schedule regular inspections and maintenance.** 
• To help keep your home safe and to improve energy efficiency, always operate and maintain your natural gas appliances according to the manufacturers’ instructions. 
• If flooding occurs and gas appliances are underwater - including standby generators, do not try to operate the appliances. Instead, contact Atmos Energy or a qualified service professional to conduct a safety inspection.
• Standby generators require available natural gas supply and may be inoperable depending on storm damage in your area.
• Natural gas appliances and generators should be installed and maintained by a qualified professional. For your safety, operate your appliances according to manufacturer instructions.

*If you are purchasing metered gas from Atmos Energy for resale through a gas distribution pipeline system for tenants, you may be a master meter pursuant to the definition in 49 CFR 191.3 or state statute, which would subject your system to additional codes and standards. Contact your state natural gas regulator if you have any questions.  

** Kansas Customers Only:  If your customer-owned piping from the natural gas meter (or the Point of Delivery as defined in the Kansas tariff) to your home or business is bare steel, (under certain conditions outlined in the Kansas tariff) Atmos Energy will replace your bare steel yard line. However, regardless of the pipe type, or that Atmos Energy conducts periodic leak surveys on customer owned yard lines as required by statute, as the owner of your customer-owned piping and appliances, it is your responsibility to schedule regular inspections and maintenance. 

Gas Leak

• If you think you smell gas, immediately leave the affected area, and from a safe distance call 911 or Atmos Energy’s 24-hour emergency response line at 866.322.8667.

• NEVER try to find the source of a gas leak.

• DO NOT use a mobile phone or anything that might cause a spark, such as a generator.

Gas Meter

• If a natural gas meter is damaged or a gas line is exposed, immediately leave the area and call the Atmos Energy 24-hour emergency response line at 866.322.8667.

• During a natural disaster or severe weather event DO NOT turn off natural gas at the meter, even if evacuations are issued.

• Know where your natural gas meter is located. Make sure it’s visible and free of trash and debris. Mechanical equipment used to clean up after a storm may damage the meter if it is hidden.

• Natural gas distribution pipelines are mostly underground but can be damaged by uprooted trees and shifted foundations. After a storm, call 811 to have the location of underground utility lines marked, as gas service lines could become tangled.

Gas Outage

• Atmos Energy customers experiencing a natural gas outage or service interruption should contact the company's customer service number at 888.286.6700. Service will be restored as quickly as possible once the area is deemed safe.

• When natural gas service is ready to be restored, click here to learn what to expect.  

 

Use all of your senses to detect a natural gas leak

• SMELL the distinctive “rotten egg” or skunk-like odor that makes natural gas detectable.   
• LOOK  for blowing dust, bubbling water, or dead vegetation near a gas line.
• LISTEN for a hissing or whistling sound near a gas appliance or a roaring sound near a pipeline.

Smell gas? Act fast! If you suspect a leak, call 911 and Atmos Energy from a safe distance at our toll-free emergency number 866.322.8667. Atmos Energy will send a trained technician immediately to investigate at no cost. Do not assume someone else will report the leak.