National Grid - Built-over Service pipe in Porch

Pincher

I wanted to put in 22mm blue mains water pipe (to replace old lead pipe) from the pavement into the garage via the drive. I wanted to do it with a mole so I didn't have to dig up the drive, so got a quote from a guy with a mole. For ten meters, including connection at both ends, he wanted £1,000. So I paid £400 for some builders to dig up the drive and we now have a blue pipe supplying the house, and a concrete stripe through a red tarmac drive!

As it turns out, red tarmac is a special order, and there is a minimum quantity, so it could easily be £500 to repair the stripe, and it wouldn't match properly. If it was black tarmac, I could have paid the council road repairs people some money when they come to do pot holes, but not red.

So now I have to do the whole drive, and so replacing the blue pipe could end up costing me £2,000! Should I have paid the £1,000 to the mole man, hell yes.

Annyd1

Hi we are in exactly the same scenario. Called emergency number as small leak from meter and man then said our pipe which is now in a garage extension and has been boarded and plastered over should be moved. Had planning permission and building regs etc and it was never mentioned as a potential problem.
We have now received a letter exactly the same as yours so would live to know if you went ahead with the site survey and what happened.
Thanks

Annyd1

Hi we are in exactly the same scenario. Called emergency number as small leak from meter and man then said our pipe which is now in a garage extension and has been boarded and plastered over should be moved. Had planning permission and building regs etc and it was never mentioned as a potential problem.
We have now received a letter exactly the same as yours so would live to know if you went ahead with the site survey and what happened.
Thanks

coolwatch

Same situation, I bought a house where an outside alcove has had a plastic roof/glass doors put onto it, making it into a conservatory, enclosing the meters.

Had a smart meter fitted and they reported the potential problem.

Letter has now come from National Grid wanting a site survey.

How did everyone else get on?