Capped / disconnected gas supply
Sometimes, your energy supplier may turn off your gas supply. This is known as “capping”, “disconnecting” or being “off supply”.
There may be times when your supplier stops your gas supply. This could be because of a safety issue, or it might be because they’ve not received any payments for a while.
Don’t worry if this has happened at your home. Below, we’ll explain how to get your gas supply switched back on.
Off supply, capped, or disconnected?
If your supplier tells you they’ve stopped your gas supply, they might use any or all of these terms. Unfortunately, they don’t always use these terms correctly or consistently.
This is a general term which usually means that there’s no gas coming into your home. This might be due to an issue with the meter, or because you’ve not topped up your prepayment meter. It could also be because your gas supply has been “capped” or “disconnected”.
This usually means that the gas pipes which supply your home are actually sealed off to stop the flow of gas. This is less common than disconnection, and it usually only happens when a property has been empty for a long time.
This usually means that a control valve has been turned off so you can’t use gas within your home.
Usually, the engineer who stops your gas supply will leave a notice on your boiler or near the meter. It should tell you whether your supply has actually been capped, or whether it’s been disconnected. It should also explain the reason, such as a gas safety issue or non-payment. If there isn’t a notice, it’s a good idea to contact your gas supplier to find ask how and why you’re off supply. Finding this out will make it easier to get your supply back on. If you are not sure who your gas supplier is, you can check on check Find My Supplier or call 0870 608 1524.
If you’re off supply because of debt/non-payment
If your gas supplier has stopped supply because of debt or non-payment, there are several things you can do:
- If you have a prepayment meter and can afford to do so, clear the debt by topping up. Check our advice on topping up prepayment meters, or contact your gas supplier. If you don’t know who supplies the gas to your home, you can check Find My Supplier or call 0870 608 1524.
- If you can’t afford to clear the debt, don’t worry. By law, energy suppliers have to work with you to come up with an affordable repayment plan. Our energy debt issues template can take you through the steps to organise paying back the debt.
If you’re off supply because of a safety issue
You might be off supply if your home has missed a scheduled gas safety check.
During a gas safety check, a certified (Gas Safe) engineer checks that each gas appliance in your home is working properly and safely. If you rent your home, your landlord has a legal obligation to arrange a gas safety check every year. Homeowners don’t have the same legal requirement, but an annual gas safety check is still recommended.
If the Gas Safe engineer couldn’t carry out the scheduled gas safety check, then they may cap or disconnect your gas supply. For example, they might not have been able to access your property at the agreed time. Or, if your prepayment meter was out of credit at the time, they wouldn’t have been able to perform the necessary checks.
- If the Gas Safe engineer couldn’t access your home, you can arrange another gas safety check. If you rent your home, you should contact your landlord to organise this. If you own your home, you can contact your gas supplier directly.
- If there was no credit on your prepayment meter, you can follow the steps above. Once you have credit on your meter, you can ask for another gas safety check.
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