Gas mains meter - lever too difficult to turn off?

wimbleQ

Hello,

We recently had a new gas hob put in and the plumber advised us that the lever at the meter where you turn off the mains gas is very stiff and would be difficult to turn off in an emergency without tools.

Please can anyone advise if this is something the gas board would repair for free or whether they would charge? Would they repair just the lever or put in a new meter?

Also where the meter is positioned it is very difficult for us to read and would be impossible for my elderly mother to do so (it is at floor level, in a dark and narrow understairs cupboard facing inwards). Would the gas board change the position of the meter on this basis without charge? I know it is generally very expensive to have a meter moved and we don't want it moved for any reason other than that it cannot be easily read.

Ta muchly for any advice on this.

Canucklehead

wimbleQ wrote: »

Hello,

We recently had a new gas hob put in and the plumber advised us that the lever at the meter where you turn off the mains gas is very stiff and would be difficult to turn off in an emergency without tools.

Please can anyone advise if this is something the gas board would repair for free or whether they would charge? Would they repair just the lever or put in a new meter?

Also where the meter is positioned it is very difficult for us to read and would be impossible for my elderly mother to do so (it is at floor level, in a dark and narrow understairs cupboard facing inwards). Would the gas board change the position of the meter on this basis without charge? I know it is generally very expensive to have a meter moved and we don't want it moved for any reason other than that it cannot be easily read.

Ta muchly for any advice on this.

Good morning: the RGI who installed the gas hob should have called your gas network immediately to fix/replace the lever(FOC). I doubt you could have the meter moved without charge.

HTH

Canucklehead

Chippy_Minton_2

Why would you mother need to read the meter?

The energy compaines do it round our way.

torbrex

wimbleQ wrote: »

Hello,


Also where the meter is positioned it is very difficult for us to read and would be impossible for my elderly mother to do so (it is at floor level, in a dark and narrow understairs cupboard facing inwards). Would the gas board change the position of the meter on this basis without charge? I know it is generally very expensive to have a meter moved and we don't want it moved for any reason other than that it cannot be easily read.

Ta muchly for any advice on this.

A couple of mirrors fixed at the correct angle would get round the difficulty of reading the meter, a little effort is required but that would save the huge expense of moving the meter.

macman

I would try a squirt of WD40 on the lever to see if that frees it off a bit.

lemontart

call 0845 605 6677 and report the stiff meter handle and the gas network will send an engineer out to deal with that on the day, if in the national grid area you can book appt for it 4 hr window if in another net work can only be booked same day, free of charge

Please note they will not move the meter - this is to ensure you can turn the gas off is an emergency and is a safety issue with the lever they will come out,

keystone

macman wrote: »

I would try a squirt of WD40 on the lever to see if that frees it off a bit.

NO - its NOT the OPs property. Call the Gas Company who will come and fix it a no charge. As has been already mentioned the plumber should have reported it anyway.

Touch it only if you want a big bill later when they decide you've been "fiddling" with their property.

Cheers

capita_guy

keystone wrote: »

NO - its NOT the OPs property. Call the Gas Company who will come and fix it a no charge. As has been already mentioned the plumber should have reported it anyway.

Touch it only if you want a big bill later when they decide you've been "fiddling" with their property.

Cheers

Unless of course he was not a Registered Gas Installer!

keystone

capita_guy wrote: »

Unless of course he was not a Registered Gas Installer!

Then the OP would have been daft to employ him wouldn't they? Even if he wasn't it's still not their problem because it isn't their property and it will cost them nothing to get it put right.

Cheers

Canucklehead

keystone wrote: »

Then the OP would have been daft to employ him wouldn't they? Even if he wasn't it's still not their problem because it isn't their property and it will cost them nothing to get it put right.

Cheers

Hi....it wouldn't be the first time someone on MSE has been caught out by someone who is neither a plumber or a RGI or competent in any way.;)

Wonder if the OP has made the call?

Canucklehead

wimbleQ

Hello

Thank you all for these replies - have been busy at work so have only just read them but yes I will call to have this repaired.

The person who did the gas work is registered as I saw his Corgi card and checked that at the time when he put our boiler in (before he did the gas hob).

He only mentioned the problem with the lever when he did the gas hob and I think he said he was going to call someone to look at it but nothing ever happened.

Good suggestion re mirrors, thank you. We know it is expensive to move the meter if the gas board won't agree to do it on the basis it can't be read, so will try to rig up something with mirrors. Reason for reading meter is because you generally the cheaper tariffs are those where you read the meter yourself and advise meter readings. It would even be difficult/awkward for a meter reader to read because of the position it is in.

Ta muchly