Smell Rotten Eggs at Home? Leave Right Away, Piedmont Warns
CHARLOTTE – October 27, 2026 -- If you smell natural gas, leave immediately and call Piedmont Natural Gas at 800.752.7504 or 911 from somewhere safe. The utility issued the reminder as temperatures fall and furnaces switch on.
Mercaptan gives odorless gas a rotten-egg smell
Natural gas has no smell on its own. Utilities inject an odorant called mercaptan, which smells like rotten eggs, so leaks are easy to notice.
Leaks can also be seen and heard
Smell is not the only warning sign. Piedmont says leaks can cause bubbling water, blowing dirt or dead plants. Sinkholes or exposed pipe may also appear, and a hissing sound can come from near a gas line or meter.