Short answer: Yes, you can replace a gas hob with induction, but it takes two trades. A Gas Safe registered engineer disconnects the hob and caps and tests the gas supply. A qualified electrician then fits the induction hob, which usually needs its own circuit. The gas side is short, but it must be done before the electrician starts.
The short version
Changing from gas to induction is a kitchen job with a gas part and an electrical part. The gas part is small. A Gas Safe registered engineer turns off the gas, disconnects the hob, seals the pipe and tests that the installation is gas tight. After that, the hob is just a piece of metal and glass, and the electrician can take over.
Gas Safe Register is clear that an old gas hob should only be removed or disconnected by a suitably competent registered engineer. Check their ID card for the “Cooker” work category, which covers disconnecting domestic cooking appliances.
Why this comes up so often in Islington
Islington has 42 conservation areas, and much of the borough is Georgian and Victorian terraces split into flats. Kitchens in those conversions are often small and squeezed into what was once a back room or a landing. People switch to induction for a few reasons:
- A flat surface is easier to work around in a narrow galley kitchen.
- Some leaseholders want to stop using gas for cooking.
- A kitchen refit is already happening, so the gas pipe is exposed anyway.
The gas meter in these houses can be a long way from the flat. In a converted house in Highbury or Canonbury it might be in the basement, under the communal stairs, or in a meter cupboard by the front door. The engineer needs to reach your emergency control valve to turn off the supply safely, so find it before the visit. Our guide to finding your emergency control valve in a London flat explains where to look.
Who does what
| Task | Trade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Turn off gas and disconnect the hob | Gas Safe registered engineer with Cooker category | Gas Safe guidance |
| Cap the gas pipe and test for tightness | Gas Safe registered engineer | Pipe left sealed and tested |
| Relight and check the boiler and any other gas appliances | Gas Safe registered engineer | Needed after the gas has been off |
| New circuit and connection for the induction hob | Qualified electrician | A new circuit is normally notifiable electrical work in England |
| Worktop cut out changes | Kitchen fitter or joiner | Induction hobs rarely match the old gas hole exactly |
Book the gas visit first. The electrician should not be working in a cupboard with an uncapped gas pipe.
What the gas engineer will look at
On a straightforward swap the engineer will:
- Isolate the hob, or turn off at the meter if there is no local isolation valve.
- Disconnect the hob from the gas pipe.
- Fit a proper cap or plug to the open end.
- Test the gas installation for tightness.
- Turn the supply back on and relight the boiler, checking it runs normally.
If you are also getting rid of a gas oven, a gas fire or anything else, mention it when you book. Each one needs capping. If the boiler is now the only gas appliance, the engineer may suggest shortening the redundant pipe in the kitchen so there is nothing left that someone could connect to later.
Landlords switching rentals to induction
Some landlords in Islington and Hackney choose induction when a gas hob wears out, partly because it removes a gas appliance from the flat. A few things follow from that.
HSE guidance says the annual gas safety check covers every gas appliance and flue the landlord provides. If the boiler stays, the yearly check carries on and the record simply lists one appliance fewer. If there are no gas appliances at all but pipework still runs through the flat, HSE says no annual check is needed, but the landlord must still keep that pipework safe.
The gas cooker point also matters for carbon monoxide alarm rules. The 2022 England regulations require a CO alarm in rooms with a fixed combustion appliance, but gas cookers are excluded. Removing a gas hob does not change the alarm duty for a boiler in another room. Our carbon monoxide alarms page has more on this.
Things that are easy to forget
- Pans. Induction needs pans with a magnetic base. This has nothing to do with gas, but it surprises people.
- The oven. If your gas hob sits above a gas oven, decide on both at once. Two capping visits cost more time than one.
- Leasehold rules. Some leases and building managers ask to be told about changes to gas or electrics. Check before work starts.
- The meter. Removing a hob does not remove the gas meter. If you want the meter or supply taken out entirely, that is a matter for your gas supplier and the network, not a gas engineer. Our gas pipework page explains the split.
Booking the gas side
London Gas Engineers can arrange the disconnection and capping as a short booked visit through our gas cooker and hob installation service, with the price confirmed once we know how many appliances are involved and where the meter is. Tell us the postcode, whether the flat is rented or owned, and whether a gas oven is going too.
Quick questions
Can the electrician cap off my gas hob?
Only if they are also Gas Safe registered with the right category. Gas Safe Register says disconnecting or removing a gas hob should only be done by a suitably competent registered engineer, so in most homes this is a separate gas visit.
If I remove my only gas appliance, does my rented flat still need a gas safety check?
HSE says that where there are no gas appliances but gas pipework passes through the property, no annual gas safety check is needed, but the pipework must still be kept safe. Most flats keep a gas boiler, so the yearly check usually carries on.
Should the gas pipe be taken back to the meter?
Not always. Capping close to the hob position is common. Taking the pipe back further can make sense if the kitchen is being refitted. The engineer will advise once they see the pipe route.
Last updated 23 October 2026. Written for homes in London. Rules can change, so check the linked sources for the latest position.