Neighbour refuses to fix gas leak

rustysheriff

Hi all, this is all new to me so I hope I am posting in the right place?

We (myself, my wife and daughter) moved in to our new house just before Christmas and almost immediately started smelling gas (not just us but friends, family and even the virgin media guy noticed it - unprompted!).

We have had transco out twice and a private gas fitter out once and both say there is no leak on our line. They think it may be the coming from the neighbours house. The engineers cannot detect gas when they come round but this has always been at least an hour after the smell of gas was first detected and the smell has always disappeared by then.

We have not seen the neighbour since we moved in, but we do hear her. We try knocking on her door but she never answers, even when we are sure she is in. We have put a note through her door that she has not replied to. Her house is a wreck and we think she may be worried about a repair bill landing on her door mat when she has little money and so is ignoring the problem.

The gas guys say the have to detect gas before they can enter the property. Unless she lets them in but she doesn't answer the door to them either.

My wife has started getting migrains and I am worried that this may be related to the problem.

I don't know what to do, can anyone offer any advice?

Thanks in advance...

Mojisola

rustysheriff wrote: »

My wife has started getting migrains and I am worried that this may be related to the problem.

Have you got a carbon monoxide detector in your house?

rustysheriff

Yes but not in that room, will be moving it when I get home tonight!

victor2

You can get fairly inexpensive gas detectors as well. Perhaps worth a try and record if/how often it goes off. Then try complaining to the council. Is it rented or owned property?

rustysheriff

Thanks, yes good idea, amazon do one for about £10 which I have ordered. Both properties are privately owned. Would the council have a right of entry?

lstar337

rustysheriff wrote: »

Her house is a wreck and we think she may be worried about a repair bill landing on her door mat when she has little money and so is ignoring the problem.

Or she is worried that they will discover an illegal gas meter bypass/tamper.

Not sure on your next step, but if it were me I would go to my local environmental health department and see what they had to say about it.

Mojisola

rustysheriff - I hope this isn't your house -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-26046430

[Deleted User]

If you can smell gas , and its coming from the neighbours house, they will have a hellover gas leak, it could also be coming from their exterior meter box. I n the last two cold winters I was smelling leaking gas coming thro the pavements. One area had many leaks over a wide area requiring National Grid to replace all the pipes to houses

rustysheriff

Thanks for the tip, I live in a small mid terrace, I think the gas is coming through air brick between the two walls under the floorboards.

Update: we managed catch our neighbour and she reluctantly agreed to have her house tested for gas leaks, but not until next week, at least it's progress, I hope!

Yes Mojisola I saw that story on the news too, it wasn't my house but watch this space!

[Deleted User]

rustysheriff wrote: »

Thanks for the tip, I live in a small mid terrace, I think the gas is coming through air brick between the two walls under the floorboards.

Update: we managed catch our neighbour and she reluctantly agreed to have her house tested for gas leaks, but not until next week, at least it's progress, I hope!

Yes Mojisola I saw that story on the news too, it wasn't my house but watch this space!

Growing cannabis has got an organic type of smell, possibly confused with gas by some. In its last few weeks of the 12 week growing period it does smell quite a lot and its usually vented out through chimneys. Every terraced road now has a cannabis grower, the Daily Mail reckon 1 house in 44 , so its a very popular pastime

C_Mababejive

Perhaps if you can smell gas you need to ring 0800111999. The Gas Emergency Service has a statutory obligation to investigate gas emergencies and where they have reasonable grounds to suspect a hazardous or indeed dangerous situation, the have a right of entry to inspect and disconnect gas installations and fittings under the Gas Safety (Rights of entry) Regs 1996

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/2535/made