As of mid-September 2026, my AC in Houston runs all day and the house stays sealed up against the humidity, so any smell inside tends to hang around. For a long time my reflex for a whiff of gas near the stove or the water heater closet was the one I’d use for burnt toast: windows up, fan on, maybe flip a light so I could see what I was doing while the air cleared.
I thought moving air was the fix. Turned out it’s the part that wastes time you don’t have. CenterPoint Energy’s own gas-leak safety page says not to turn electrical switches on or off, and it has a flat answer on the windows, too.
What CenterPoint Energy says
CenterPoint Energy answers the window question head-on: “Don’t waste time opening windows. Your priority is to evacuate immediately and avoid any actions that could cause ignition.” Its steps for inside the house start with leaving the area immediately on foot, with family members and pets, without stopping to gather belongings.
Why the switch matters
CenterPoint’s page explains that under certain conditions, leaked gas can create flammable mixtures that may ignite, which is why it says to keep all ignition sources away from suspected leak areas.
Federal pipeline safety guidance from PHMSA spells out which ignition sources it means. It tells people not to “turn on or off any light switches, garage door openers or other electrical switches (these also can ignite airborne gases).” It says the same about using a telephone or cell phone. PHMSA’s leak-recognition page adds that if you’re inside a home, you shouldn’t pull plugs from electrical outlets, and that you shouldn’t ring doorbells to notify others; knock with your hand to avoid a potential spark from metal knockers…