If you smell gas right now
Call 0800 111 999
Free, 24/7. The National Gas Emergency Service routes you to SGN if you are on its network. Open windows, do not switch electrical appliances on or off, and leave the property until help arrives.
Where SGN delivers your gas
SGN holds two of Great Britain's eight gas distribution licences: one covering the whole of Scotland, one covering the south of England. If you live in one of the regions below, the pipes under your street belong to SGN.
Scotland (north)
Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Highlands
Scotland (central)
Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Fife
South East England
Brighton, Portsmouth, Southampton, Oxford
South coast
Bournemouth, Isle of Wight, parts of Kent
Not sure if you are on SGN's network? Use the quick check below, or check live outage maps by area.
How gas actually reaches your meter
UK gas moves in three stages, owned by three different kinds of company. SGN owns one specific link in that chain, and it is not the one you pay your bill to.
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1
Transmission: high pressure, long distance
Gas travels through the National Transmission System, the cross-country backbone, at very high pressure. National Gas Transmission runs that system. Think of it as the motorway.
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2
Distribution: SGN's job
SGN takes the gas off the motorway at a pressure-reduction station and steps it down. From there, around 75,000 km of SGN pipe carries it under your road and into your home. SGN owns and maintains the pipes; it does not own the gas inside them.
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3
Supply: your energy bill
A licensed supplier (British Gas, Octopus, EDF, ScottishPower, and so on) buys the gas wholesale, pays SGN a transportation charge, then resells the gas to you. The supplier is the only part of the chain you can switch.
Is SGN my gas network? Quick check
Pick the region nearest to where you live. The check below tells you instantly whether SGN is your gas distributor, and who to read about if it is not.
Pick the region closest to your home address.
Yes, SGN is your gas network.
If you smell gas or suspect a leak, call 0800 111 999 free, 24/7. For new connections, contact SGN directly.
No, your network is .
For gas emergencies the number is the same across Great Britain: 0800 111 999. Read more about your operator.
SGN or your energy supplier: who handles what
Confusing your network with your supplier is the single most common reason households wait too long for help. This split is fixed across Great Britain.
| If your issue is. | Call SGN | Call your supplier |
|---|---|---|
| Smell of gas in the house | Yes, on 0800 111 999 | No |
| Carbon monoxide alarm sounding | Yes, on 0800 111 999 | No |
| New gas connection for a build | Yes | No |
| Move or upgrade the gas meter | No | Yes |
| Switch tariff or compare prices | No | Yes |
| Bill, payment, direct debit | No | Yes |
| Damaged pipe in the street | Yes | No |
How SGN is paid, and why that matters to your bill
SGN is a regional monopoly: you cannot choose a different gas network. To stop monopolies from over-charging, the regulator Ofgem caps SGN's revenue under a multi-year framework called RIIO (Revenue = Incentives + Innovation + Outputs).
Capped revenue
Ofgem caps how much SGN can collect each year. If SGN invests more efficiently, it keeps part of the savings; if it overspends, its shareholders absorb the loss.
Hydrogen trials
SGN runs hydrogen blending and pure-hydrogen pilots, including the H100 Fife project. The future of the gas grid is being designed inside SGN as much as in Whitehall.
In your bill
The portion of your gas bill that funds SGN is typically between a fifth and a quarter of the total. Switching supplier only changes the supplier's margin and wholesale cost, not the SGN network charge.
SGN: frequently asked questions
Call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. It is the same single number for every gas network in Great Britain, and it routes your call to SGN if you are on its network. Open windows, do not switch electrical appliances on or off, and leave the property until help arrives. Do not call your energy supplier first: they sell you gas, but SGN owns the pipes.
UK gas networks were carved up at privatisation into eight licensed areas, allocated to four operators. SGN ended up with two non-contiguous regions, while Cadent covers most of the middle of England. The split looks odd on a map but reflects the original British Gas regional divisions from the 1980s.
No. Meter installation, replacement and reading is your gas supplier's responsibility, not SGN's. SGN owns the pipework up to the meter and the emergency control valve. If your meter is faulty, contact your supplier. If you smell gas at the meter, call 0800 111 999.
SGN runs a connections service for new builds, extensions and conversions. You apply through the SGN website with the property address and a rough timeline. SGN will tell you whether your street has a usable gas main, the route required for a new lateral, and a quote covering excavation and pipe-laying.
Yes. The Priority Services Register is a free Ofgem-mandated list of customers who need extra help in an outage, for example older people, those with young children or anyone reliant on medical equipment. SGN uses the register to prioritise its response and to deliver alternative heating during long unplanned outages. Sign up through your energy supplier or directly with SGN.