Cadent, which describes itself as the UK's largest gas distribution network, has reported that over 67,000 calls to the national gas emergency number reported a smell of gas within the North West in 2025, and over 43,500 in the East Midlands over the same period1. The figures appear in the news section of the company's website, in items dated September 20261.
The two items are presented under the headings "Every 8 minutes, someone in the North West reports a smell of gas" and "Every 12 minutes, someone in the East Midlands reports a smell of gas"1. Cadent states that it brings gas to 11 million homes and businesses and manages a network of more than 82,000 miles of pipes, most of them underground, transporting gas throughout the North West, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England and North London1.
The company directs anyone who smells gas or suspects a leak to call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999, at any time of day or night1. It also states that the Priority Services Register is a free service designed to help those who might need extra support, particularly in a gas emergency, and that households with a power cut should call 1051. For problems with a boiler or gas appliance, it directs customers to a Gas Safe registered engineer1.
"Over 67,000 calls to the national gas emergency number reported of a smell of gas within the North West in 2025"
The same page lists other September 2026 items, including essential gas mains replacement work starting in early October in Hills Road, Cambridge, involving 650 metres of pipe between Cavendish Avenue and Holbrook Road, and emergency works in Gleadless, Sheffield, where a lane of Ridgeway Road was closed following a gas escape on the network1. Cadent and Wigan Council's highways department have also completed their first collaborative streetworks project, which the company says reduced traffic disruption by six weeks1.
| Area | Smell of gas calls to the national gas emergency number, 2025 |
|---|---|
| North West | Over 67,0001 |
| East Midlands | Over 43,5001 |
Why it matters for households
Gas remains the main heating fuel for most homes on Cadent's network, and the call figures give a sense of how often households in two regions act on a suspected leak. A smell of gas is the point at which a householder interacts directly with the national supply system rather than with a supplier or a bill, and the response runs through the distribution network operator rather than the retail market.
The figures also indicate the scale of the emergency service that sits behind domestic gas use. Cadent's network covers five regions, so the North West and East Midlands numbers are a partial picture; no comparable figures for the West Midlands, East of England or North London appear in the items published1. No breakdown by cause, by property type or by outcome of the calls has been reported.
For a household, the practical detail attached to the figures is the emergency number itself and the Priority Services Register, which Cadent describes as free and aimed at those who may need extra support in a gas emergency1. Registration is separate from any energy supply contract and does not depend on which supplier a home buys its gas from.
What happens next
The mains replacement work in Hills Road, Cambridge is scheduled to start in early October 2026, replacing 650 metres of gas pipe between Cavendish Avenue and Holbrook Road1. Emergency works in Gleadless, Sheffield, are under way, with a lane of Ridgeway Road closed following a gas escape on the network1. No further dates for the smell of gas reporting are given.
Sources1 cited
- Home - Cadent Gas Ltd, cadentgas.com