What's different about gas in Wellington
Powerco's pipes, your appliances
Powerco owns the underground gas network across Wellington, Porirua and the Hutt Valley. To connect, it says you pick a licensed gasfitter to install and certify your appliances, plus a retailer to bill you.
Nearly twice the national rate
At the 2023 Census, 17.5% of Wellington City homes had a fixed gas heater as a main heating type, against 9.5% across New Zealand. Portable gas heaters were less common here, at 1.9%.
Quakes can crack gas pipes
WREMO warns that shaking can crack gas pipes and damage wiring and appliances, which can start fires. Everyone in the house should know how to turn the gas off. Powerco says the valve sits beside the meter outside, and some valves need a spanner.
Digging near gas mains
Before digging for a fence, garden or drain, Powerco wants you to get plans through beforeUdig, giving it 48 hours, and to hand dig to expose pipes. It also says plans alone aren't enough, because services can shift underground.
If you smell gas
Move away from it
Leave the area. Indoors, turn off gas appliances only if that's safe, and leave doors and windows open behind you.
No sparks
Don't touch electrical switches, equipment or your phone near the smell, and don't try to find or stop the leak yourself.
Ring from a safe place
Powerco's gas emergency number is 0800 111 848, and its crews look into suspected leaks at any hour. If anyone is hurt or in danger, ring 111.
Leave it off until it's fixed
A fault in your pipes or appliances is for an authorised gasfitter, not the network company. Our gas leaks page covers what happens next.
Risk classes decide the paperwork
WorkSafe gives every gas job one of three risk labels. A like-for-like appliance swap, with no change to pipes, flue, ventilation or anything else, is low-risk. Putting in a new installation counts as general. Extending or changing what's already there is high-risk.
Whatever the label, once the work is connected you should get a Gas Safety Certificate within 20 working days, from the person who connected it or their supervisor. General and high-risk jobs also need a Certificate of Compliance; on a low-risk swap it's optional. High-risk work is recorded on a national database as well.
Keep both certificates with the house papers: PGDB says you may need them when you sell, for insurance, or before a supplier will connect gas. Lost one? Another certifying gasfitter can inspect the installation and write a certificate of verification.
Who's allowed to do it
Gasfitting is licensed separately from plumbing. A certifying gasfitter can do and certify all of it; the Gasfitter class works under a certifying supervisor, and a restricted gasfitter cannot connect an appliance to the supply. Check the person, and their supervisor, by name on the PGDB register. Our national gasfitting page goes deeper.
Questions for a Wellington gasfitter
- Is this low-risk, general or high-risk work?
- Which certificates will we get, and when?
- Can you show us where our gas valve is, and whether it needs a tool?
- Will the existing pipe from the meter carry the new appliance?
What we would do
Before the next big shake, find your gas valve beside the meter and check whether it needs a spanner; keep one nearby if it does. When you book work, ask the gasfitter which risk class it falls in, so you know which certificates are coming, and hold the final payment until you know when they'll arrive. A gasfitter in Wellington who works on your type of appliance can take it from there once you tell us the job.