Natural Gas Safety

In its natural state, natural gas is odorless. However, as a safety precaution, MGED adds a chemical to the gas, giving it a distinctive odor that is similar to rotten eggs.

What to Do / Not Do if You Smell Gas

If you smell a strong odor of natural gas in your home:

DO:

  • Notify everyone in the building to leave immediately
  • Call 911 or call MGED at 508-947-1535 from another location - do not use your telephone in an area where you smell gas

DO NOT:

  • Do not light matches
  • Do not turn lights or electrical appliances on or off
  • Do not return to your home until an MGED representative tells you it is safe

Keep Your Gas Equipment Safe

  • Never hang anything on gas piping in your home, such as clothes - the weight could crack a fitting
  • Never hang or tie anything to a gas meter such as garden hoses, dogs, etc.
  • Do not bury the gas meter with landscaping mulch, loam, etc. - this will cause the meter to corrode
  • Do not bury the shut-off valve in the yard - this is usually a round yellow cover located near the street
  • Do not put a dumpster or other obstruction in front of the meter
  • Never enclose the meter with partitions, especially if indoors - the gas meter must be changed every seven years

Gas Smell Guidance

Read more about what you need to do to recognize potential safety concerns with natural gas below; we provide this information in several languages.

  1. Gas Smell (Arabic) (PDF)
  2. Gas Smell (Chinese) (PDF)
  3. Gas Smell (English) (PDF)
  4. Gas Smell (French) (PDF)
  5. Gas Smell (Italian) (PDF)
  6. Gas Smell (Portuguese) (PDF)
  7. Gas Smell (Russian) (PDF)
  8. Gas Smell (Spanish) (PDF)
  9. Gas Smell (Thai) (PDF)
  10. Gas Smell (Vietnamese) (PDF)

  1. Carbon Monoxide

    Learn how to protect your home from carbon monoxide.

  2. Excess Flow Valve Notification

    A Federal regulation (49 CFR Section 192.383(d)) concerning gas pipeline safety requires Middleborough Gas and Electric Department (MGED) to notify its gas customers of their right to request the installation of an Excess Flow Valve (EFV) on their existing gas service line.

  3. Gas Pipeline Safety Awareness

    We are committed to operating our natural gas delivery systems safely. To do this, we need to make everyone in our community - residents, business owners, fire and police departments, and community leaders - aware of the pipelines running underground, whether they use natural gas or not.

  4. New Natural Gas Customers

    If you are new to natural gas, please review this webpage.

  5. Protect Your Meter in Winter! (PDF)

    Find out more about protecting your meter in winter with an important reminder about the No-Snow Zone.