If this is your situation right now: Seriously, stop reading, get out, then call.
If You Smell Gas, Start Here.
Natural gas has a smell for a reason. Here’s what to do first, what that smell actually is, and why October is when Oklahoma homeowners notice it.
Leave first. Call from outside.
Oklahoma Natural Gas says to do three things, in this order:
- LEAVE the area immediately.
- DON’T use electrical equipment. Light switches, the garage door opener, the thermostat, your phone while you’re still inside.
- CALL 911 and Oklahoma Natural Gas at 800-458-4251.
Don’t go back in to look for the source, shut off the furnace, or open windows. Finding a leak is the gas company’s job, and they don’t charge for it.
We’re an HVAC company, you want the gas utility. If you smell gas right now, take your phone OUTSIDE and make those calls. We’ll still be here afterward, let’s make sure you are, too, babe!
What natural gas actually smells like
Natural gas has no odor of its own. The utility adds an odorant on purpose so you can smell a leak, and Oklahoma Natural Gas describes the result as a rotten egg or sulfur-like smell. If you’ve ever walked past a stove burner that didn’t light, that’s the smell.
One thing worth knowing: Oklahoma Natural Gas also notes that the odor may not be detected by everyone. A head cold, allergies, or a reduced sense of smell can hide it. So your nose is the first sign, not the only one.
What else to look and listen for
Oklahoma Natural Gas lists these alongside the smell.
Outside the house. Blowing dirt. Persistent bubbling in puddles or standing water. Dead vegetation in an area that should be green.
Inside the house. A yellow flame where you normally see blue, which Oklahoma Natural Gas points to as a sign of improper burning and a possible carbon monoxide risk. An appliance that fails to ignite.
Any time. An unusual hissing or roaring sound.
Safety guidance on this page follows Oklahoma Natural Gas. Last verified October 6, 2026.
Why this comes up in October
Your furnace sat still all summer. The first real cold night, it runs for the first time in months, and the house smells like something.
Two different smells get mixed up here, and they mean opposite things.
Dust burning off. A faint, slightly scorched smell when the heat first kicks on. It’s dust that settled on the heat exchanger over the summer, and it fades as the system runs. This one is normal.
Rotten egg or sulfur. That’s not dust. That’s the odorant, and it means leave the house and call from outside.
If you can’t tell which one you’re smelling, go outside and call. Nobody at Oklahoma Natural Gas is going to be annoyed with you for being careful.
What we check on a fall tune-up
Peace of mind is everything. We get it.
At the beginning of the season we check the heat exchanger, the burners and flame, and the gas connections. We use a carbon monoxide detector and tell you whether anything was or was not detected.
If we find a concern, we tell you what it is and what your options are to correct it. And if the source looks like it’s something other than your HVAC system, we tell you to call Oklahoma Natural Gas for a free leak detection.
That last part is the whole point. We’re not the right people for every gas smell in your house, and you deserve to be told which kind you have. More on what a visit covers on our heating and furnace page, or book a one-time tune-up.
This happened to a client of ours
Alison F., Google review. Read the rest on our reviews page.
Good questions
My furnace smells like something burning when the heat first comes on. Is that gas?
Who do I call if I smell gas in Oklahoma City?
Should I open windows before I leave?
What if I’m not sure whether I smell gas?
What does a fall tune-up include?
Why is my furnace flame yellow instead of blue?
If the gas company has been out and told you the house is clear, and you still want someone to look at the furnace itself, that’s us. We’ll tell you what we find in plain language and lay out your options without pushing you toward any of them. Zero pressure. Ever.