Boiler stopped working after your new gas or smart meter was fitted? Here's what to do
If you can smell gas, stop reading. Don't use light switches or anything that could spark. Open doors and windows, turn the gas off at the meter if you can do it safely, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency line: 0800 111 999 (Northern Ireland: 0800 002 001). It's free and open 24 hours.
It's very common for a gas boiler to stop working, or show a fault code, the same day a new gas meter or smart meter is fitted. In most cases the boiler isn't broken. Something to do with the gas supply needs sorting out.
- Check the gas is turned on at the lever by the meter.
- If it's a smart meter, check its screen says the gas supply is on.
- Light a gas hob for a minute or two to pull air out of the pipes.
- Reset the boiler, up to 2–3 times.
- Still not working? Call your energy supplier and tell them it started after the meter work.
- If they can't fix it, call a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Each step has important details below. Tap a step to jump to it.
Why this happens
To change a meter, the fitter has to turn the gas off and open up the pipe. When the gas comes back on, a pocket of air can be left in the pipework. The fitter is supposed to clear this out (called "purging") and check your appliances relight, but a little air can be left behind.
Your boiler tries to light, gets air instead of gas, fails to make a flame and locks itself out for safety. That's why you see an ignition or flame failure code.
The other common causes are simpler: the gas lever at the meter was left off, or the valve inside a new smart meter is closed.
Step by step
1Check the gas is on at the meter
Next to your gas meter there's a lever on the pipe, called the emergency control valve. When the lever is in line with the pipe, the gas is on. When it's across the pipe, the gas is off.
Some boilers also have a gas valve on the pipe underneath them. Make sure that one is open too.
2If you have a smart gas meter, check its screen
Smart gas meters have a valve built in that can shut off the gas. After fitting, or if a prepayment meter runs out of credit, the valve can be left closed.
- Look at the meter's screen for a message about the supply or valve (for example "Ready", "Off" or "Valve closed").
- Prepayment: check you have credit or emergency credit.
- Many meters have a button sequence to turn the gas back on. The steps vary by model. For example, British Gas's guide for the Landis+Gyr G470 is: make sure all gas appliances are off, press the B button, then hold the A button until it says "Release A for gas". Check your supplier's guide for your exact meter. The model name is usually on the front.
- If the screen says the meter is off or locked and the buttons don't work, only your supplier can open it. Skip to step 5.
3Clear the air from the pipes
If you have a gas hob, light one burner and let it run for a minute or two. If it splutters or won't light at first, that's the air coming through. Once it burns with a steady blue flame, gas is reaching your kitchen, and it should be reaching the boiler too.
No gas hob? Don't loosen any pipes or fittings yourself. Go to step 4, and if that doesn't work, step 5.
4Reset the boiler
Press the boiler's reset button (or hold it for a few seconds, depending on the model) and turn the heating or hot water on. It may take two or three tries as the last bit of air clears.
If it still locks out after about three tries, stop. Pressing reset over and over won't fix it and isn't good for the boiler.
5Call your energy supplier
If the problem started straight after the meter work, ring your supplier before paying a plumber. Tell them:
- the date the meter was changed
- that your boiler stopped working right after
- the error code on the boiler
Ask them to send an engineer back to check the meter and purge the pipes, and to check whether the smart meter's valve is open. Write down the date, time and the name of the person you spoke to.
6If it's still not fixed, call a Gas Safe engineer
If the gas supply is fine (your hob works normally) but the boiler still won't light, the fault may be in the boiler itself and the meter change may just be coincidence. Only a Gas Safe registered engineer should work on a gas boiler. You can check an engineer is registered at gassaferegister.co.uk. Never take the boiler's cover off yourself.
Common error codes you might see
The steps above are the same whatever your code says. These codes all mean roughly the same thing: the boiler tried to light and couldn't make a flame. A gas supply problem is one of the most common reasons. Check your boiler's manual, as codes can vary by model.
| Boiler make | Code | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Vaillant | F28 / F.28 | Failed to light (no flame on start-up) |
| Vaillant | F29 / F.29 | Flame lit, then went out |
| Glow-worm | F28 | Failed to light |
| Worcester Bosch | EA 227 | No flame detected after trying to light |
| Baxi | E133 | Failed to light, often a gas supply problem |
| Ideal (e.g. Logic) | L2 | Ignition lockout: failed to light or lost the flame |
Is it winter? Any of these codes can also come from a frozen condensate pipe (the thin plastic pipe that runs from the boiler to a drain outside). If it's been freezing, that might be the cause rather than the meter.
What if my boiler or heating is electric?
This guide is for gas boilers. If you have storage heaters, an electric boiler or an immersion heater on Economy 7, see our guide: No hot water after a smart meter on Economy 7.
Questions people ask
Can a smart meter break my boiler?
The meter itself doesn't damage the boiler. But the work to fit it can leave air in the pipes or the gas turned off, and that stops the boiler lighting.
How long does air in the gas pipe take to clear?
Usually a minute or two of running a gas hob, or a couple of boiler resets. If it isn't clear after that, ask your supplier to send someone back.
Should I have to pay to get it fixed?
If the problem was caused by the meter fitting, raise it with your supplier first, before paying for an engineer. If they don't sort it out, you can complain to the supplier and then to the Energy Ombudsman.