Emergency numbers
The phone numbers a Western New York homeowner actually needs at 2 AM during an outage, a gas leak, or a billing emergency. All numbers are public, verified against the utility's own contact pages, and linked through to the official source so you can confirm any of them yourself.
Bookmark this page. The best time to find these numbers is not when you need them.
Is someone in immediate danger right now?
Call 911 first. Don't wait for the utility. Downed live wires near people, electric shock, smoke or fire in a panel, a large gas leak — 911 dispatches faster than a utility call center and they coordinate with the utility on their end.
If anyone is in immediate danger — downed live wires near people, a fire, electric shock, or a gas leak you can smell — call 911 first. Do not wait for the utility.
911
911Fire, medical, immediate electrical or gas danger
National Grid serves most of the Buffalo metropolitan area, Erie County, Niagara County, and surrounding upstate territory. Check your bill to confirm — the utility name is printed at the top.
Report a power outage
1-800-867-522224 hours a day, every day. Reporting matters — if nobody calls, the map may show your street as energized.
Verify at official sourceCustomer service (billing, accounts)
1-800-642-4272General customer service line
Verify at official sourceOutage map (live)
Updates every 5 minutes — useful to confirm scope before you call
Verify at official sourceNew York State Electric and Gas serves parts of the Southern Tier, the Finger Lakes, and pockets of upstate NY. Check your bill to confirm — if it says NYSEG or RG&E, this is your utility.
Report an electric outage
1-800-572-113124/7 outage reporting line. Call 911 first if it's a life-threatening electrical emergency.
Verify at official sourceCustomer service (billing, accounts)
1-800-572-1111Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 7 PM, excluding holidays
Verify at official sourceAutomated customer service (24/7)
1-800-600-2275Payments, meter readings, payment arrangements outside business hours
Natural gas emergency / suspected leak
1-800-572-1121Call from a safe location. If you smell gas, leave the house first, then call. Call 911 as well if the leak is large.
Verify at official sourceIf you smell gas inside or outside your house, the right order is: leave first, then call from outside. Don't flip switches, don't use the phone inside the house, don't start a car in an attached garage.
National Grid gas emergency
1-800-892-234524/7 gas emergency line for National Grid upstate NY territory
NYSEG gas emergency
1-800-572-112124/7 gas emergency line for NYSEG territory
911
911For any gas emergency where people are in immediate danger, or if the leak is large enough to evacuate the area
New York state law requires you to call 811 at least 2 business days before any digging project on your property — fence posts, tree planting, footers, anything that breaks ground. Free service, prevents you from hitting buried lines.
Dig Safely New York (811)
811Or 1-800-962-7962. Call at least 2 full business days before you dig.
Verify at official sourceIf you have a billing dispute, a service complaint, or a regulatory concern about your utility that you cannot resolve with their customer service line, the NY Public Service Commission handles consumer complaints.
NY Public Service Commission (PSC) consumer hotline
1-800-342-3377File a complaint or escalate an unresolved utility issue
Verify at official sourceNY HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program)
1-800-342-3009Income-eligible utility bill assistance. Also contact your county Department of Social Services.
Verify at official sourceThe single most reliable way to find out is to pull your last electric bill. The utility name is printed at the top — it will say either National Grid or NYSEG (or occasionally RG&E in parts of the Finger Lakes). That is the only source of truth; zip code alone isn't reliable because territory boundaries don't follow town lines cleanly.
If you can't find a bill, your town's building department or code enforcement office can usually tell you which utility holds the franchise for your street.
Related: WNY winter outage playbook · Critical loads builder · Rebate & deadline watch.
