Safety and Maintenance
Gas Appliance Won't Start After an Enbridge Meter Exchange?
A meter exchange requires the gas supply to be shut off and restored. If an appliance will not start afterward, first determine whether reconnection and relighting were completed.
What to do first
Start with the immediate safety steps
If a gas appliance will not start after an Enbridge meter exchange, do not turn the meter valve or repeatedly try to relight it. Check whether Enbridge completed the inside inspection and appliance relighting, left a callback card, locked the new meter or identified a safety violation. If gas service was not restored or several appliances are off, contact Enbridge Gas at 1-877-362-7434. If service is restored and only one appliance still fails, leave it off and contact a TSSA-registered fuels contractor. If you smell gas, leave immediately and call 911 and Enbridge's emergency line at 1-866-763-5427.
What normally happens during a meter exchange
Enbridge Gas explains that the technician turns off the gas supply, removes the old meter and installs the replacement. Afterward, when an adult can provide access, the technician restores service, inspects the gas equipment and piping and relights appliances that can be safely returned to operation.
That final inside step matters. A new meter can be physically installed while appliance relighting remains incomplete because no adult was present, the technician could not access the home or a follow-up appointment is required. Enbridge may leave a callback card or keep the meter locked until the required work can be completed.
Start by reviewing the paperwork or door card and asking anyone who was home what the technician completed. Do not infer that gas is on because the meter looks new. Do not test the meter valve. If the utility left instructions, follow them and use the contact number on the notice or Enbridge's published meter-service line. This is a supply-restoration question before it is an appliance-repair question.
After emergency crews say it is safe
Send the appliance or gas-line details for service
Do not use this form during an emergency. After emergency responders or the fuel supplier say it is safe to return, send the appliance or gas-line details, the symptom and any recent service history.
Look for a callback card, lock or safety notice
A callback card usually means Enbridge needs access or another step before normal service can resume. A lock or tag at the meter is not an invitation to troubleshoot. Leave it exactly as found and contact Enbridge. The utility's current Conditions of Service state that only a qualified person may restore gas after a safety issue.
The technician may also identify an infraction or safety hazard that prevents one appliance, or the whole service, from being relit. Read the notice carefully. It should help distinguish an access problem from a condition that needs correction. Do not remove tags, reconnect equipment or ask an unqualified person to "just turn it back on."
If the instructions are unclear, call Enbridge and quote the visit date and notice details. The utility can confirm the service status. A contractor should not be asked to defeat a utility lock or reverse a supply decision.
Decide whether to call Enbridge or a contractor
When the furnace, water heater, fireplace and range are all off after the exchange, incomplete gas restoration is more likely than several simultaneous appliance failures. Contact Enbridge before arranging separate repair visits. Do not use burners or pilots as informal tests of whether gas is available.
If most appliances are operating normally and one appliance will not start, the gas supply may already be restored. The remaining issue could involve that appliance's ignition sequence, controls, power or a condition noticed during relighting. Leave the appliance off, record its symptoms and arrange qualified service.
If the meter is unlocked but you are still uncertain about the service status, call Enbridge. If Enbridge confirms normal service and directs you to a contractor, provide that context with the service request. This simple sequence prevents a homeowner from paying for an appliance visit when the utility still needs to complete access and relighting.
Safe checks that do not involve the gas supply
Once Enbridge has confirmed service restoration, there are a few non-invasive observations that can help describe a single-appliance problem. Check whether the appliance has normal household power, whether its display shows an error and whether an ordinary owner control is set as expected. Use only controls identified in the exact manufacturer manual.
For a gas fireplace, note whether the remote display is active and whether a wall control responds. For a furnace or boiler, note the thermostat display and any visible fault code. For a water heater, note any status light or message. Do not open combustion compartments, remove sealed glass, bridge wires, reset hidden switches or relight a pilot unless Enbridge or the exact owner manual specifically directs the action.
One careful start command is enough to observe the sequence. Repeated ignition attempts can obscure the original fault and are not appropriate when there is unusual odour, delayed ignition, soot, abnormal sound or a safety notice. If the appliance begins to light and then shuts down, record the timing and leave it off for service.
What to photograph before requesting service
Take photos only from a safe location and never manipulate the meter to improve the view. Cover account numbers, barcodes, customer names and other personal details before uploading documents. Helpful images include:
- The callback card, tag or violation notice with personal and account information covered.
- The meter from several steps back, showing any utility lock or tag without touching it.
- The full appliance and its surrounding area.
- The control, thermostat, remote or display showing the exact error or status.
- The appliance make, model and serial plate if it is safely owner-accessible.
- Visible soot, staining, damage or a vent concern without opening the appliance.
- The exterior vent termination from ground level.
- A written list of which other gas appliances are working and which are not.
Who to call, and in what order
For gas odour, hissing, visible meter damage or another immediate gas emergency, leave the area and call 911 and Enbridge Gas at 1-866-763-5427 from a safe place. Do not operate electrical switches, vehicles or phones near the suspected leak.
For a callback card, locked meter, missed inside access, incomplete relighting or uncertainty about whether service was restored, call Enbridge at 1-877-362-7434. The utility controls the meter and can confirm the status of its exchange work. Keep the visit notice available during the call.
For an appliance that still will not operate after Enbridge confirms service is restored, use a TSSA-registered fuels contractor. Share the appliance model, the utility's confirmation, any notice and the safe observations you collected. If Enbridge identified a safety violation, share the full wording so the contractor can understand the required correction. The proper sequence is emergency response when needed, utility completion when supply is unresolved, then appliance service for an isolated equipment issue.
Prevent confusion at the next utility visit
When Enbridge schedules meter work, arrange for an adult to provide the access described in the appointment instructions. Clear a safe path to the meter and appliances without moving equipment. This gives the technician the best chance to complete inspection and relighting in one visit.
After the technician finishes, ask which appliances were relit, whether anything was left off and whether follow-up is required. Keep all notices. A meter exchange does not ordinarily mean every appliance needs repair; establish what Enbridge completed, whether supply is available and whether one appliance remains isolated.
Questions we hear
Frequently asked questions
No. Do not operate the meter valve or remove a lock or tag. Contact Enbridge Gas so its trained representative can confirm service status and complete any required restoration or relighting.
The utility may be unable to complete inside access and relighting, or it may identify a safety issue that prevents restoration. Follow the callback card or notice and ask Enbridge to confirm the exact reason.
Call a TSSA-registered fuels contractor when Enbridge has confirmed normal gas service and one appliance still fails, or when a utility notice identifies appliance or piping work that must be corrected by a qualified contractor.
Ask about your project
Tell us about the property and equipment
Send the service address, timing, appliance model and safe photos that show the work area.