Natural Gas Safety
Natural gas is colourless, odourless, and non-poisonous. To keep you and your family safe, a rotten egg smell is added to natural gas so any leaks can be easily identified. Heritage Gas provides a toll-free, 24/7 emergency telephone service for customers and the public. The number is 1-866-313-3030.
Call Heritage Gas immediately if you:
- Smell gas (inside or outside).
- Hear blowing gas.
- Have a broken gas pipe or meter.
- Suspect carbon monoxide in your home or business.
- Have a loss of gas supply.
What to do if you smell natural gas?
If you smell natural gas inside your home or business:
- Call Heritage Gas immediately at 1-866-313-3030.
- Open doors and windows for ventilation.
If the smell of natural gas gets stronger or is accompanied by a hissing sound:
- Leave the building immediately, leave doors and windows open.
- Once you are a safe distance away from your property, call Heritage Gas at 1-866-313-3030.
If you smell natural gas outside your home or business:
- Call Heritage Gas immediately at 1-866-313-3030.
- Stay clear of the area. If inside, keep your doors and windows closed.
- Do not use open flames.
If you suspect you are near a gas leak:
- Do not use a landline telephone – leave the area before calling Heritage Gas at 1-866-313-3030.
- Do not turn on any electrical or appliance switches (i.e. light switches).
- Do not start any vehicles.
- Do not smoke or use lighters.
Click here for more information on what to do if you smell gas.
Digging Around Natural Gas Lines
Natural gas pipelines are buried underground, so it’s easy to forget that gas is flowing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Each year, underground infrastructure such as natural gas lines, are jeopardized or damaged because of the failure to take a simple but important safety step before starting an excavation project.
‘Call Before You Dig’ is Improving!
Starting May 8th 2017 Heritage Gas Locate requests will be processed by Info-Excavation
Locate requests can be made through the following methods:
Online through: http://www.clickbeforeyoudig.com
Heritage Gas and other underground utilities are encouraging homeowners and contractors to ‘Click Before You Dig’ for locates to identify physical assets underground. Doing so can prevent injuries, avoid property damage and reduce the inconvenience of outages.
Heritage Gas would like to remind everyone to use safe digging practices and to always Click Before You Dig prior to starting any outdoor excavation.
One free, easy request gets natural gas lines marked out in your work area and helps you:
- Protect your employees.
- Protect the public.
- Avoid the cost of repairing underground lines.
Are you:
- Planning landscaping or construction?
- Installing a new fence, porch, or any temporary structure?
- Building an addition to your home?
If you are, then visit www.clickbeforeyoudig.com or call 1-866-344-5463 (DIG-LINE) and within 48 hours, we will locate any natural gas lines on or around your property. This is a free service provided by Heritage Gas to ensure your safety at all times.
Heritage Gas’ Natural Gas Line Locates:
- Expires after 30 days
- During construction season, we are continually installing new mains and services.
- Please visit www.clickbeforeyoudig.com or call 1-866-344-5463 (DIG-LINE) to have your locate request renewed.
- Good ONLY for the work area indicated on the locate.
- The work area you have indicated will be clearly marked.
- If your work area changes, please phone 1-866-313-3030 for a new locate.
- Good ONLY for the type of work indicated on the locate form.
- Nova Scotia Occupational Health & Safety Regulations.
- Nova Scotia Pipeline Regulations.
- Personal injury.
- Potential legal action.
- Expensive repair costs.
- Interruption of gas service to you and others.
Call Before You Dig Videos
Click here for tips on how to dig safely around our natural gas lines.
Natural Gas 101
Properties of Natural Gas
- Colourless – you cannot see natural gas.
- Odourless – you cannot smell natural gas. A rotten egg smell (Mercaptan) is added so it can easily be detected.
- Non-toxic & non-corrosive – natural gas is not poisonous.
- Natural gas is lighter than air – it will rise and dissipate in the event of a leak. On the other hand, propane is heavier than air – it will settle and pool near the ground in the event of a leak.
- The main component of natural gas is methane (CH4).
- The Natural Gas Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) can be found here.
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide (CO) is also a colourless, odourless gas. However, CO can be extremely poisonous. CO is produced by the improper combustion of burning fuels – including wood, heating oil, propane, natural gas, and many others.
To limit the risk of CO exposure:
- Install CO alarms on every floor of your home or business.
- Have your heating system, appliances, chimneys and vents inspected and serviced annually by a qualified technician, such as one of our Authorized Dealers.
- Maintain good air supply and ventilation to all fuel-burning equipment.
- Don’t run your vehicle inside an enclosed space (i.e. attached garage).
- Seek immediate medical attention if you suspect CO poisoning in yourself or others.
Symptoms of CO exposure:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Drowsiness or fatigue
- Burning eyes
- Unconsciousness
- Confusion
If you or someone else is experiencing any of these symptoms, remove individuals from the affected area and call 911.
If your CO alarm sounds:
- Open windows and doors to ventilate your home or business.
- Verify if anyone has symptoms of CO exposure. If they do, leave the area immediately, call 911, and call Heritage Gas at 1-866-313-3030.
- If you cannot determine the cause of the alarm, check the batteries in the detector, and check for fumes coming from a fuel-burning source (i.e. fireplace, wood stove, etc.).
- If the alarm continues to sound but no one is experiencing any symptoms of CO exposure, open windows and doors, leave the area, and call Heritage Gas at 1-866-313-3030.
What to do to prevent CO buildup in your home:
- Install CO alarms on every floor of your home or business.
- Have your heating system, appliances, chimneys and vents inspected and serviced annually by a qualified technician, such as one of our Authorized Dealers.
- Make sure appliances are installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions and local Fuels Safety regulations.
- Never use portable, fuel-burning camping equipment such as a propane or butane stove inside an enclosed space.
- Never use gas appliances to primarily heat your home, such as ranges, ovens, or clothes dryers.
- Do not use gasoline-powered tools or engines indoors.
- Never store anything near a gas appliance which may interfere with the appliance’s normal airflow.
Customer Responsibilities
Click Before You Dig
Are you planning landscaping or construction? Installing a new fence, porch, or any temporary structure? Building an addition to your home? If you are, then visit www.clickbeforeyoudig.com or call 1-866-344-5463 (DIG-LINE) and within 48 hours, we will locate any natural gas lines on or around your property. This is a free service provided by Heritage Gas to ensure your safety at all times.
Taking Care of your Natural Gas Meter
Meter access
Meter protection
If your property conditions have changed since our natural gas meter was installed and you think you require bollard protection placement or design, please contact us at 1-866-313-3030.
During the winter
- Interruption of your natural gas supply.
- Substandard appliance performance.
- The development of a hazardous situation.
Important Guidelines:
- Maintain a clear path to your gas meter and ensure your pressure regulator, gas piping, and appliance vents are free of snow/ice.
- Do not use sharp objects, heavy force, or hot water to remove snow/ice buildup from your gas meter, piping, or vents.
- Gently clear snow/ice from your meter using a broom or soft brush.
- Ensure snow removal contractors know the location of your gas meter, piping, and appliance vents.
- Prevent water from dripping on your gas meter and appliance vents by repairing leaky seams in eaves, troughs, or downspouts.
If you suspect a problem or need assistance removing snow/ice buildup, please call us at 1-866-313-3030.
Click here for winter safety tips.
Appliance safety
Operation of appliances
All natural gas-fired equipment must:
- Be installed by a technician that is licensed and certified through the Nova Scotia Department of Labour & Workforce Development – Fuels Safety Division, such as one of our Authorized Dealers.
- Have an installation permit.
- Have a visible, green tag – signed by the licensed installation technician.
- All natural gas appliances must be certified for use with gas and should carry the logo of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or another Canadian certification. These logos can be found on the rating plate of your natural gas appliance.
- Regular inspection of your appliances by a licensed heating contractor helps detect any deterioration of your equipment. Contact your heating contractor to arrange for regular inspections and maintenance of your natural gas appliance(s).
![]() |
![]() |
Emergency shut off
![]() |
Natural gas-fired equipment in the kitchen
- Flammable items such as paper towels, clothing, electrical cords, and curtains should be kept away from gas range burners.
- Make a point to teach children not to turn on gas range knobs.
- Clean your stove top regularly to keep grease from building up and creating a fire hazard.
- Store an all-purpose (ABC) fire extinguisher in a handy location. If you do need to use it, aim for the base of the fire.
- If the gas flame goes out on your range, turn the burner off, wait a few minutes for gas to dissipate, and then re-light the burner.
Furnaces, boilers, and water heaters
- Taking care of your natural gas-fired equipment is important.
- Have a licensed professional inspect your heating equipment annually to help maximize its life and performance.
- Clean or replace your filter regularly, or after periods of heavy usage (i.e. after the winter heating season).
- Do not store combustible materials – such as paints, solvents, or gasoline – in the same room or near your heating equipment.
- Do not store flammable materials – such as mops, brooms, laundry, or newspapers – near your heating equipment.
Venting gas appliances
- For your safety, operate appliances in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
- By law, gas and electric clothes dryers must be vented to the outside. This prevents moisture and lint accumulation which may cause a fire hazard.
- Check your vent or chimney to ensure they are clear of debris, tight, and not blocked.
- If you smell any natural gas odour (rotten egg smell), contact us immediately at 1-866-313-3030.
Distribution Safety and Reliability
Emergency Response
Heritage Gas has trained technicians on-call, 24/7 to respond to emergencies. Please call 1-866-313-3030 to report an emergency.
Damage Prevention
Locate requests
Public awareness
We are committed to communicating and educating homeowners, customers and stakeholders to continually promote safe digging practices. Some of these initiatives include Natural Gas Awareness Bulletins, natural gas training, radio/print advertising, and sponsorship of trade shows & local events.
The Latest Natural Gas Awareness Bulletin can be found here.
Contractor training
- Introduction to natural gas.
- Natural gas pipelines and facilities.
- Call Before You Dig process.
- Emergency situations.
If you would like more information on any of the items above, or would like to request a training session for your employees, please contact Chris MacAulay at (902) 466-1678.
Safe and Reliable Distribution System Initiatives
We are committed to the safety of the communities in which we serve and are working everyday to maintain a safe & reliable distribution system throughout Nova Scotia.
By regularly monitoring and inspecting our networks of gas pipelines, we are able to identify and address concerns before they become a problem.
Leak surveys
Cathodic protection
We complete regular cathodic protection tests throughout our system to ensure there is sufficient protection at all times on our entire system.
Meter sampling program
Each of our meters must be verified and sealed before they can be installed. In-service meters are periodically checked by Measurement Canada or by an accredited organization to ensure their accuracy is maintained. Gas meters are subject to mandatory inspection frequencies through a sampling program.
If you suspect there may be an issue with the accuracy of your natural gas meter, please contact us at 1-866-313-3030.
Odourization