new gas surply

david29dpo

my parents had a quote from BG of £8000 to bring gas to the house! only has to come from the end of the cul-de-sac, about 60 feet away.i am right in saying only nation grid, formally transco, can do the work? and BG add there cut?

slinx

Hi,

Firstly there are 4 main gas networks, all covering their own geographical area. National Grid cover North London, West Midlands, East of England and the South East. Wales & The West Utilities covers Wales and the South West. Scotia cover Scotland and the South. Northern Gas Networks cover Yorkshire and the North of England.

Technically the market has opened up, so there are other UIP's (Utility Infrastucture Providers) and iGT's (Independant Gas Transporters) which can lay pipe. However there won't be many who'd do a one-off service, but have a look at the Gas Industry Registration Scheme for a list http://www.lloydsregister.co.uk/scheme_search.php?searchForm=1&mode=girs&scheme[]=1

Also you are correct in that Shippers (who you pay your bill to) just pass on your request to the Transporters for a quote. They may add extra cost onto this, but this extra cost should include your meter too.

These Gas Transporters do have an obligation to provide services at a standard charge (a cheaper cost subsidised by the GT), upto a certain length in meters. In a National Grid area the criteria is 23m from a relevant main. Check the relevant transporters website for charges.

If its not a standard charge, the cost would depend on several things.
- The size and type of main it's coming off
- How much gas you need, determining the size of the service
- The surface category (road, footpath, verge etc).
- Additional equipment, such as a governor/kiosk.

Seeing that the quote is so expensive, i'm assuming that either the neighbours don't have gas, and maybe even the nearest main could be of higher pressure (MP or IP) and require a governor. I'd need to see the design and the quotation.

I wouldn't accept this first quote. try to get the cost down digging the trench yourself in private land and moving the meter location to as near the front of the property as possible.

If you disagree with the cost, you can submit an accuracy challenge. They'll re-check the quote and make sure it's the 'least cost option' (which is an obligation). The details of how to make this challenge should be on the quote, if not it'll be on their relevant website.

Hope this helps.

david29dpo

rang national grid today, 15 mins of talking to a lovely lady my parents will have mains gas in 4 weeks for £465. have i uncovered a scam?

I'll_Be_Frank

david29dpo wrote: »

rang national grid today, 15 mins of talking to a lovely lady my parents will have mains gas in 4 weeks for £465. have i uncovered a scam?

Congratulations, David. That's a real money saving on your parent's original BG quote.

Thanks for letting us know. It's always great to hear when things work out well.

Frank.

david29dpo

thanks, but i am livid with BG and will be taking it further.