On its own, natural gas is colourless and odorless. For safety reasons, all utilities add Mercaptan to natural gas. This chemical, also known as Odorant, gives natural gas its very distinctive skunky smell. This is an early warning system to alert you to the possibility of a gas leak.
If you smell or hear a gas leak indoors:
If outdoors and you smell or hear a gas leak:
Remember: Utilities do not charge for reporting a leak.