Independant Gas Transporter

Pssst

The facts on IGTs are this. Up until about 6 years ago,Transco, Now mostly National grid Gas,were the only ones who could lay gas mains and srrvices and they owned all the gas transportation network.

Up until then,National Grid Gas were the predominant and almost exclusive PGT (Public Gas transporter).

Government,in the name of competition,opened the market to allow other companies to set up as IPGTs(Independant public gas transporters) PGTS and IPGTs do not own or sell gas,they merely provide the infrstructure to transport it. this is important.

Now then,fast forward.

Housing developer builds big development.

How can he save money/maximise profit?
He does a deal with an IPGT. They lay the gas services and mains to the new development for a reduced rate,provided that they can also do a deal to ensure that there is only one gas shipper (gas seller) for the whole estates.

The private network is then taken out into the main road and National Grid are obliged to connect to its network (subject to parameters)

Everyones a winner-except you.

Developer gets cheaper gas network installed including mains,services and cheapo meters. (have you looked at your meter? what make is it ?)
IPGT gets income from monopoly gas shipper for the estate.

So then,if you want to change shipper( gas supplier to you !) you pay the lower gas tarriff which they might offer you BUT you still have to pay the IPGT for transporting YOUR gas from the main road (National Grid connection point) through to your private service point.

Thats where they have you !

Despite paying a charge for gas to your supplier,you still have to pay shipping costs over the private network.

spiro

chrism_scotland wrote: »

IGT's are basically where housing developers pay a cheaper company to put in the pipes, rather than National Grid Transco, they're a bit of a nightmare, it can take longer to transfer suppliers, longer for accounts to be setup I have seen cases where it has taken 9 months for a new Gas Account to be setup just beacuse the flow of information from an IGT is so much slower.

The reason transfers can be a nightmare with IGTs is that the big suppliers and the PGT (Transco) all communicate using a single IT network using standard data flows. Basically the same information is exchanged for IGTs but is uses things like faxes etc which cant be automated and are easy to loose/get misrouted.

Dannii_B

All companies will charge the IGT charge on their tariffs, some of them don't tell you about it. British Gas definitely do but they build it into their unit prices. Some tariffs, like prepayment, you can get away with not paying the IGT charge (as you can't add £42 a year to a prepayment meter easily) and some of the guarantee tariffs don't charge it, but companies have to charge it, and will charge it, but sometimes won't tell you about it and build it into unit rates.

something_girl

Thanks for the informative posts, something I had no idea I was a part of until I started looking into changing suppliers.

neil9313

Dannii_B wrote: »

All companies will charge the IGT charge on their tariffs, some of them don't tell you about it. British Gas definitely do but they build it into their unit prices. Some tariffs, like prepayment, you can get away with not paying the IGT charge (as you can't add £42 a year to a prepayment meter easily) and some of the guarantee tariffs don't charge it, but companies have to charge it, and will charge it, but sometimes won't tell you about it and build it into unit rates.

Well meant post, however some companies do not charge you now!

lemontart

chrism_scotland wrote: »

IGT's are basically where housing developers pay a cheaper company to put in the pipes, rather than National Grid Transco, they're a bit of a nightmare, it can take longer to transfer suppliers, longer for accounts to be setup I have seen cases where it has taken 9 months for a new Gas Account to be setup just beacuse the flow of information from an IGT is so much slower.

It should also be noted that it can depend on what part of the country you live in as National grid no longer owns all the pipes. .

Dannii_B

neil9313 wrote: »

Well meant post, however some companies do not charge you now!

Well, that's up for debate. Probably some tariffs don't charge it, I know on E.On some of them don't, but as far as I'm aware, the IGT charges it, so the supplier passes it on.

neil9313

Dannii_B wrote: »

Well, that's up for debate. Probably some tariffs don't charge it, I know on E.On some of them don't, but as far as I'm aware, the IGT charges it, so the supplier passes it on.

No its fact,and they dont hide it in the tariff, sse, BG,dont charge it, energy watch have the list!