Landlord Moving Gas Meter and Charging Me!!

SYNERGY

GTG wrote: »

The block is not a simple box shape with say 5 flats on each floor over 3 floors. Even if it were the flat owners on the second/top floor would need longer pipe runs than those on the first and ground floor and similarly the first floor would need longer pipe runs than the ground floor. The shape of the block if you can call it a block is more like a "U" shape if you were looking down from above. Imagine the curved bit being flat and there being 3 flats high on that side. Then on each side of the "U" is two flats adjacent to each other 3 flats high giving a total of fifteen flats. Now if you look down at the right side of the "U" the gas meter cupboard is positioned on the ground floor approximately half way a long it's length.

As far as I'm aware the existing gas supply pipes come up from the meter cupboard on the ground floor through the structure of the building some of which are in a service shafts. I'm presuming the idea of moving the meters outside is so that the main service pipe supplying the block will then not need to enter the building at all and the pipes supplying the flats will be run up and/or around the outside walls to a single entry point for each flat. So it does not matter where the new meters are located some flats are going to have longer pipe runs than others, they are probably thinking the fairest way of charging for this is too split the cost equally between the fifteen flats. Much easier to do if they get one contractor to do the job.

Now if you look down at the right side of the "U" the gas meter cupboard is positioned on the ground floor approximately half way a long it's length.

As far as I'm aware the existing gas supply pipes come up from the meter cupboard on the ground floor through the structure of the building some of which are in a service shafts

These two are the reason for the work being done.

Though they complied with fire regs 40 years ago, they don't now.

bengasman

The last two posts contain a lot of conjecture, and few facts.

Richie-from-the-Boro

The HA

- the work is going to be done to comply with certification rules
- the O/P is going to pay or have it levied + interest against his property [last resort] if / when sold
- many high level DM's and a peer group will have agreed and signed off the work and the costs
- if the work is not carried out all insurances will be annulled and subsequent mortgages may be revised
- the HA has acted within the current law, I see absolutely no evidence whatsoever of 'grey areas' of behaviour

The Price

- most companies would not even be allowed even to bid for the work they would not meet the application standard
- many companies could undertake the job and perform to the same spec at say half the price
- but they can't jump the first hurdle

SYNERGY

- I agree with everything you have said

GTG

- division of costs [applies to all HA's this year] on Major Works is something all HA's are really struggling with
- for example if it was a roof and you lived on the top floor and they decided the 5 on the top floor should pay 60% of the total
- you would think that was unfair, but by your own logic the bottom floor should pay 10% middle floor 30% and top floor 60%

GTG

C_Mababejive wrote: »

I would challenge the fire risk assessment.

This sounds like total rubbish. Millions of homes have internal gas meters.

Whether the meter is inside or not is of no relevance.

Are they also going to move all the electric meters outside just in case one self combusts?

LOL, nice one

GTG

SYNERGY wrote: »

I would hazard a guess that a fire risk assessment has been carried out, always a good thing, in what is apparently a small ( 15 flats ) multi occupancy property.

Correct

If the stairway should be a protected stairway, or the hall etc at the base of the stairs should be a protected escape route, (which according the OP appears to be the case) neither will comply with 15 gas meters in a cupboard under the stairs, in the middle of the hall, also I doubt, owing to the position that the multiple meter cupboard may not be sealed to the inside of the property and vented externally.

Yes it must be what you call a protected stairwell as there is no fire escape and the front doors to each flat are required to be fire doors. Yes it is not sealed to the inside of the communal area and not vented externally.

Many weren't on older properties.

I think you've nailed it SYNERGY! What do you do for a living if you don't mind me asking?

Either way, if the works are to comply with a fire risk assessment, there won't anything the OP can do to change things.

It may be worth the OP attempting to get all the occupants as a group to complain about the cost and possibly try to negotiate a group price.

Nothing to be lost by trying.

Good suggestion, I think the fairest way would be to just split the cost 15 ways for the supply pipes from the gas meters to the individual flats then there can be no argument where the new meters are to be positioned.

GTG

SYNERGY wrote: »

Now if you look down at the right side of the "U" the gas meter cupboard is positioned on the ground floor approximately half way a long it's length.

As far as I'm aware the existing gas supply pipes come up from the meter cupboard on the ground floor through the structure of the building some of which are in a service shafts

These two are the reason for the work being done.

Though they complied with fire regs 40 years ago, they don't now.

With regard to the second one, do current regulations now state that gas pipes for flats cannot run up through the structure of new builds?

sithmaster

i rent from a housing association and had similar work done but there was no cost to myself, if my landlord asked me to pay i would have said no, you want it moved you pay!

Richie-from-the-Boro

sithmaster wrote: »

i rent from a housing association and had similar work done but there was no cost to myself, if my landlord asked me to pay i would have said no, you want it moved you pay!

HiYa sithmaster,

- that would be correct .. .. you rent
- the O/P and this thread is about 'leaseholder' issues

sbunny

Although this is an old thread I though worth adding for anyone who looks at this thread a reference to IGEM/G/5 - Gas in Multi-occupancy Buildings which is a technical publication by 'Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers' which is a chartered professional body. Unfortunately it is £137 to order a copy (see www. IGEM. org. uk website for order details), but maybe you can find in library, and architects should have a copy. P.S. as I can not post full links you may have to do web search for IGEM/G/5 ( www. igem. org. uk/technical-standards/standards/new/igemg5.aspx )

left-right

sbunny wrote: »

Although this is an old thread I though worth adding for anyone who looks at this thread a reference to IGEM/G/5 - Gas in Multi-occupancy Buildings which is a technical publication by 'Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers' which is a chartered professional body. Unfortunately it is £137 to order a copy (see www. IGEM. org. uk website for order details), but maybe you can find in library, and architects should have a copy. P.S. as I can not post full links you may have to do web search for IGEM/G/5 ( www. igem. org. uk/technical-standards/standards/new/igemg5.aspx )

IGE/G/5

You can see the contents at http://www.igem.org.uk/media/214207/Pages%20from%20IGE-G-5.pdf

Some other useful info at http://www.igem.org.uk/media/80392/igem-g-1-3rd-impression.pdf