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If an accident or natural disaster occurs and you do not smell or hear escaping gas, you probably do not need to shut off your gas.
Doing so may deprive you of service unnecessarily. However, if you are in doubt or do smell or hear gas, you can shut off your meter by following the instructions below.
How to shut off a gas meter:
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Locate the meter supply valve on the gas supply pipe coming out of the ground. Usually the meter supply valve is the first pipe fitting
after the pipe comes out of the ground.
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Use a long-handled wrench to turn the valve one-quarter turn so that the lever is criss-cross to the pipe. (See diagram)
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Once the gas is off, leave it off until a qualified service technician can check out the system.
When to shut off Your gas meter:
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If you smell a suspected gas odor or hear a leak that you suspect is escaping gas, immediately telephone the Gas Company or the local fire department. This call should be made from an outside location in which you do not smell gas. Your telephone may be the spark that ignites any accumulated gas that may be present.
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Evacuation of people should be immediate.
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Do not search for a wrench to shut off a gas valve in an atmosphere where you suspect gas to be present. Evacuate and wait for the emergency personnel to arrive.
Following is a sample list of times that the gas may be shut off in an emergency. This list may not include every instance but is for example only:
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