The National Gas UK distribution business is responsible for looking after 82,000 miles of pipeline, and delivers gas to around 11 million domestic, industrial and commercial customers.

We don't sell gas but we make sure it is piped to you in a safe and efficient way. The companies that do sell you gas are gas suppliers. You should contact your gas supplier if you have any questions about:

• buying gas
• your gas bill
• your meter reading, or
• problems with your meter.

You can find the phone number of your gas supplier on your gas bill or statement. If you don't have a bill or statement you can find out the name of your gas supplier by calling 0870 608 1524.

We provide the National Gas Emergency Service. This is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Emergency calls are free of charge, although some mobile phone operators may charge you.

Safety is our top priority and we are responsible for attending to all reported gas emergencies inside or outside the homes and businesses in our distribution area.

We record all calls to our emergency number, and we may monitor them to help train our staff.

If you are deaf or have hearing difficulties and you use typetalk you can use it to phone the National Gas Emergency Service or to ask or complain about our services. Our minicom number is 0800 371 787.

The operator who takes your details will ask if there are any special circumstances we need to know about when we visit you. It will help us to help you if you tell us about any special needs you have, for example, you have mobility, sight or hearing difficulties.

If English is not your first language don't worry, you can still phone our gas emergency service on 0800 111 999 and we will find an interpreter who can translate for you.

We may need to visit you if someone has reported a gas emergency to us. If we are called to your home we will take the steps set out in this code of practice. See when and how we might contact you.

If you are on your gas supplier's priority service register (PSR) and we need to disconnect the gas supply to your home, we will provide you with alternative temporary heating and cooking facilities. If you are on the register and we fail to provide you with temporary heating and cooking facilities while we cut your gas off, we will pay you compensation.

Find out more about the priority service register.

We will also try to be sympathetic to the needs of other customers. If we can, we will always try to make sure that you have temporary heating and cooking facilities.

When we visit, please tell us if you have any special needs we should know about, for example if:

• you are disabled, chronically (long-term) sick, or of pensionable age; or
• you live with anyone who is disabled, chronically sick, or of a pensionable age.

We will try to use the most up-to-date techniques to help keep disruption to a minimum when we are carrying out essential maintenance or repair.

If we don't meet our guaranteed standards of service while we are working around your home, we will pay you compensation.

We, and our contractors, will:

• give you at least five working days' notice of any mains or service replacement work in your road;
• park all vehicles and machinery safely, to avoid obstructing your road, driveway and so on;
• let you know before we start work if we have to excavate across access roads or driveways;
• leave the site in a safe and tidy condition at the end of each working day; and
• act professionally and politely at all times.