Better energy

Gas heating safety in your home

Gas

EnergyAustralia Communications Team 

October 2026

When your gas heater is keeping you warm, it’s easy to forget about it and use it year after year without a check. But the condition of your heater matters more than you might think. Here’s a look at a hidden household danger and what you can do to protect your family.

Gas heating is common in Australian homes, and it’s used for heating, cooking and refrigeration. Yet there’s little awareness of the risks. A faulty or unserviced heater can start to produce carbon monoxide (CO). It’s an odourless gas that can be fatal, or cause chronic illness that may go undiagnosed.

A 2012 report by The Allen Consulting Group estimated that gas appliances cause one death and 21.3 injuries from CO poisoning in Australia each year.

Gas leak or carbon monoxide? Know the difference

These are two different risks, and you spot them in different ways.

  • A gas leak can be smelled. Natural gas has an odorant added so you can detect a leak.
  • Carbon monoxide has no smell or colour. It’s produced when a heater, or its flue, isn’t working properly. That’s why regular servicing matters.

What to do if you smell gas

Natural gas is lighter than air, so it disperses more easily than LPG. A leak still needs to be taken seriously. If you smell gas inside or around your home:

  1. Put out all flames and cigarettes.
  2. Don’t operate electrical appliances, as they may create a spark.
  3. Turn off your gas appliances and make sure the pilot lights are out.
  4. If it’s safe, open windows and doors to reduce the chance of gas building up.
  5. Still smell gas, or think it’s still escaping? If it’s safe to do so, leave the building, turn off the main gas tap at the meter and call your gas distributor.

If anyone is in danger, call 000.

Not sure who your distributor is? Use our distributor search tool or check the top right corner of your bill. You can also find the details on our outages, faults and emergencies page. Once the leak is dealt with, have a licensed gasfitter check your installation. Read more on our natural gas safety page.

How carbon monoxide is produced

Burning gas in your heater makes a very small amount of carbon monoxide. If the heater was installed badly, hasn’t been maintained or has a blocked flue, it can produce too much, and it can spill into the room. This is most dangerous in closed-up spaces, or in rooms with an exhaust fan that can pull CO back into the home.

Signs your heater might have a fault

Keep an eye out for:

  • soot, or yellow or brown staining on or around the appliance
  • a pilot light that keeps going out
  • a flame that’s yellow or red instead of blue
  • a visible flame beyond the surface of the tile on a radiant heater
  • damage to the flue pipe
  • an unusual smell when the heater is running

If you notice any of these, turn the heater off and call a licensed gasfitter. These signs are worth watching for, but only a professional with the right equipment can test for CO leakage.

The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning

Symptoms can start straight away, but they’re often vague, which makes them hard to diagnose. They include:

  • tiredness
  • shortness of breath
  • headaches
  • nausea and vomiting
  • weakness and sleepiness

In severe cases, it can lead to confusion, loss of consciousness or death. If you suspect your heater is the cause, turn it off and call a licensed gasfitter. If someone is seriously unwell, call 000.

To help with a diagnosis, tell your doctor if you feel better in fresh air, or if other people or pets in your home have similar symptoms. The elderly, children, unborn babies and people with heart disease or anaemia can be more at risk.

How to prevent CO leaks at home

With symptoms hard to spot and the gas hard to detect, prevention is your best protection:

  • use a licensed gasfitter for all installations and repairs, and ask for a compliance certificate when the job is done
  • don’t use outdoor gas appliances, like barbecues and portable heaters, inside the home
  • install a CO alarm
  • learn how to recognise CO poisoning
  • turn gas heaters off when you leave the house or go to sleep

Get your heater serviced before winter

Spring is a good time to book a service, before you need your heater again. Have all your gas appliances serviced in line with the manufacturer’s guidelines. In Victoria, Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) recommends having your gas heater serviced and tested for CO spillage at least every two years, no matter how new it is. That includes space heaters, gas log fires, central heating units, wall furnaces and water heaters.

If you rent out a property, make sure its gas heating is serviced too. That way you, your household and any tenants can enjoy an efficient way to heat the home, safely.

For more gas-smart tips, see our gas appliances safety page.