What is law on position of gas meter?

lemontart

rwilks13 wrote: »

Hi,
interested to read the thread. I have just spent all evening reading gas pipeline legislation !! in an effort to understand my rights....life is too short..

We had invited a gas safe engineer to inspect our boiler installation and he noticed an additional problem (not raised in our survey or gas inspection on purchasing the house) that there had been a conservatory built around the gas meter and over the pipe. He advised the supply was 'at risk' but was himself surprised when southern gas disconnected us the same day with no comeback. He said there is a Gas safe technical bulletin 004 (which I cant get access to on line) which supports his advice.

The reason stated by the gas network was due to the build around and because there was a plastic gas pipe (I think it was infact metal inside plastic) but presume the work needed doing-just not as a gas emergency as it had been like that for 3 years.

So we had no choice really other than to sign a waiver (with no quote supplied) to Southern gas moving our meter the next day . Then another 2 weeks without gas anyway as the plumber had to move the internal pipe.

6 weeks later we have a bill for £800 from the gas network and paid the plumber nearly £500.

I thought I would challenge the bill from the gas network to try and reduce the cost a bit. I found a web reference that the gas legislation may prevent me being liable to pay costs of moving gas pipe as the build preceeded me buying the house having scoured gas legislation I cant find any such reference...advice would be welcomed.


the 'quoted' pipeline safety regs 1996..as I say I cant actually find this in regs in order to challenge southern gas.

Construction and installation
9. The operator shall ensure that no fluid is conveyed in a pipeline (save for the purpose of testing it) unless it has been so constructed and installed that, so far as is reasonably practicable, it is sound and fit for the purpose for which it has been designed.

There are probably other elements which are contravened and it may even breach the Gas safety (installation & use) regs.

Within MSL1 there is a section dedicated to built over supplies. the cost to alter the suply is recoverable from you unless you can demonstrate that a previous owner built the extension, then under the Gas Act you cannot legally be charged.

here is what you are looking for http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/sm/metering/crf/metrology/am/mamcop/Documents1/19%20November%202010%20-%20TB%20003%20-%20Built-over%20gas%20services-service%20pipework%20-%20Safety%20concern.pdf

jalexa

So MP is AR and LP is NCS. Even AR can be switched back on at householders risk.

Unless I have missed it there is no post which explains the supplier's action to immediately cut supply on the AR report of the recent post.

Assuming that is the recent poster was on MP.

rwilks13

Thank you for your help , unfortunately I need tech bulletin 004 but I think I will try and get the gas safe inspector to email to me as he was very helpful on the day (despite everything!) . ..I still cant find the legislation about whether I have any comeback as the build happened when I wasnt the owner of the property...

rwilks13

jalexa wrote: »

So MP is AR and LP is NCS. Even AR can be switched back on at householders risk.

Unless I have missed it there is no post which explains the supplier's action to immediately cut supply on the AR report of the recent post.

Assuming that is the recent poster was on MP.

Thank you for replying- yes we are on MP .
Gas safe thought it was 'at risk' but no need to disconnect. The gas pressure was a slightly low but the supplier pipe was too small so Gas safe advised that was the responsibility of Southern gas to supply our property with 32mm pipe.
Southern gas explained that we were disconnected because the conservatory was built over a plastic pipe (which i dont understand as it was metal in plastic sheath). Also because of the buildover it is 'AT risk' they dont agree with gas safe --once they have come across an at risk problem they have to disconnect.
They said they wouldnt charge for the 32mm pipe (as that was their responsibility) change but in the end they charged us all of the labour and just not the materials (ie a few metres of 32mm pipe). :mad: