The short answer
If you smell natural gas inside or outside, leave the area, don’t operate switches or phones near the smell, don’t light anything, and call ATCO’s gas faults and emergencies line on 13 13 52 from a safe place. That comes before calling a plumber. Once the immediate danger is handled, McDermott Plumbing can attend as a licensed gas fitter for appliance and consumer pipework checks and repairs — call (08) 6187 3999 or text 0406 882 648. For LPG bottle setups away from the natural gas network, isolate the bottle if it’s safe to do so and call us or the emergency number on the cylinder.
The first minutes (natural gas)
- Leave the building or move well away from the smell. Get everyone out, including pets if you can do it quickly.
- Don’t turn lights or appliances on or off, don’t use a landline or mobile phone in the smelly area, and don’t start a car in a garage full of gas. Any spark can ignite it.
- Don’t try to find the leak with a flame or by “testing” appliances.
- From a safe place outside, call ATCO on 13 13 52. Their gas faults and emergencies line is the right first call for natural gas network and meter issues across the Perth network they operate.
- Once you’re clear and ATCO (or their advice) has made the situation safe to proceed, call McDermott Plumbing on (08) 6187 3999 for licensed gas fitting on the house side — cooktops, hot water, heaters and consumer piping.
ATCO first, then a licensed gas fitter
ATCO operates the natural gas distribution network in much of Western Australia. Their emergency contacts page is where the 13 13 52 faults and emergencies number sits. Network leaks, meter issues and smells that may be coming from the street or meter are their territory.
Licensed gas fitting on the consumer side — the pipework and appliances after the meter, plus LPG installations — is a plumber/gas fitter’s job. We don’t replace ATCO’s emergency response. We come in for diagnosis, isolation, repair and testing once it’s safe to work on the installation.
In WA, gasfitting work must be done by someone licensed for that work. Don’t tighten unions, replace hoses or “temporarily” bypass a regulator yourself.
LPG bottles and rural or hills properties
Many northern hills and rural lots use bottled LPG rather than (or as well as) natural gas. If a bottle, changeover or regulator is hissing, and it’s safe to reach, shut the cylinder valve and move people away. Call us for licensed LPG work, or use the emergency contact on the bottle supplier’s label for a major cylinder incident.
Don’t confuse a faint smell near a barbecue that’s just been connected with a house full of gas — but if you’re unsure, treat it as an emergency and get outside.
Common non-emergency gas jobs we handle
- Cooktop or hotplate that won’t hold a flame or smells when off
- Gas hot water that won’t stay lit or needs isolation and repair
- Flexible gas hose replacement on cooktops and heaters (licensed work)
- New appliance connection and leak testing after installation
- Suspected slow leak checks with proper detection gear once the site is safe
What to tell us when you call
- Natural gas or LPG bottles.
- Whether you’ve already called ATCO 13 13 52.
- Whether the smell is inside, at the meter, or only near one appliance.
- Your suburb and whether anyone is still inside the property.
Common questions
- Who do I call if I smell gas in my house in Perth?
- Get out and call ATCO on 13 13 52 for natural gas emergencies first. From a safe place, then call a licensed gas fitter. McDermott Plumbing: (08) 6187 3999 or text 0406 882 648.
- Is 13 13 52 the gas emergency number in WA?
- Yes. ATCO publishes 13 13 52 as their gas faults and emergencies contact for the natural gas network they operate. Use it for suspected network or meter emergencies before calling a plumber.
- Can a plumber fix a gas leak?
- A licensed gas fitter can find and repair leaks on consumer pipework and appliances once the site is safe. Network and meter emergencies stay with ATCO. Unlicensed DIY on gas is not legal in WA.
- What if I have LPG bottles, not natural gas?
- Isolate the cylinder valve if you can do it safely, ventilate, and keep ignition sources away. Call McDermott Plumbing for licensed LPG appliance and pipework jobs, or the emergency number on your bottle supplier’s label for a major cylinder incident.
- Do you do gas leak checks after hours?
- Emergency calls are taken 24/7. If it’s an active natural gas emergency, ATCO 13 13 52 still comes first. Call (08) 6187 3999 once you need a licensed gas fitter on site.
Related pages
Official sources
Last updated 30 September 2026. General information only. Every property is different, so call us to talk about yours.