Smell gas right now?
Leave the building and call 000, asking for NSW Fire and Rescue. Only if it's safe: turn the gas off at the meter or cylinder, switch off appliances and pilot lights, and open doors and windows. Put out any flame or cigarette. Once you're outside, ring a licensed gasfitter, and your gas supplier on the number printed on the bill.
Gas work in Sydney under NSW rules
A certificate for every job
On network gas, within 5 business days of finishing, the gasfitter must test the installation for defects and submit a certificate of compliance to Building Commission NSW. Bottled gas gets a certificate of inspection and a compliance plate instead.
Lodged online since March 2026
From 1 March 2026, gas certificates go through the BCNSW eCert portal. Posted or emailed forms aren't accepted any more, so ask your gasfitter when theirs was submitted.
Only approved appliances
NSW requires every gas appliance to be tested and correctly labelled before it can be sold or installed in the state. Check the label on anything bought online or second hand before you book the install.
What counts as gasfitting
Connecting or disconnecting a gas appliance is gasfitting unless the appliance is designed to be readily detached. Swapping over a gas cylinder isn't.
Checking a gas fitter's licence
NSW needs a licence or certificate for any gasfitting, whatever the job costs and whether it's at a home, a shop or a factory. Contracting for it takes a contractor licence, and the gasfitter must be licensed in each category of work they do or be supervised by someone who is.
The NSW Public Register shows a licence's categories, expiry date and any conditions, suspensions or public warnings. Make sure gasfitting is one of the categories, and that the name and number on the certificate match the person you looked up.
Moving off gas, if you choose to
We haven't found an NSW rule that makes Sydney homes give up gas appliances. If you do move your hot water to a heat pump, Energy NSW lists an indicative Energy Savings Scheme discount of up to $330 when a gas water heater is replaced, and you still make a minimum payment. Our Sydney hot water page covers the rest.
Disconnecting the old gas appliance is gasfitting work, so it needs a licensed gasfitter and ends with its own certificate, separate from the plumber's paperwork for the new system.
Questions to ask a Sydney gas fitter
- What's your licence number, and does it include gasfitting?
- Is this network gas or LPG, and which certificate will I get?
- Is the appliance approved and labelled for sale in NSW?
- When will you submit the certificate through eCert, and can I have a copy?
What we would do
Treat the certificate as part of the job, not an extra. Before work starts, look up the gasfitter on the Public Register and check that gasfitting is one of their categories. Afterwards, make sure you have the certificate with their name and licence number on it, and keep it with the appliance manuals. If you're thinking of going electric, have the gasfitter cap off the old appliance properly rather than leaving a live connection behind.