Compensation for gas works?

Narradisall

Hi,

So as many others, we've been getting the mains gas upgraded around our street the last few weeks. I've seen the work going on and they dig holes up in the pavement or the driveway (pavement part) of all the streets.

So anyway a contractor told us they'd be doing this Friday (today) and I've come home to find they have dug up the hole on the pavement drive and covered it with a metal plate as they have with all the other houses on our drive......

.....however unlike everyone else they've dug an additional 4 holes in our tarmac'ed drive right up to the walls of our property which we did not consent to. My daughter who was home at the time said they needed to dig another hole and then "couldn't find" what they were looking for the first 3 holes they dug but they would be coming back to fill in on Monday and for now we have a load of safety barriers in the drive.

Annoyingly we had our drive tarmac'ed many years ago with all these wierd stones into it and I know they're going to come along and shove a load of new plan black tarmac in which is going to look out of place.

So I'm wondering should I complain? Ask them to do the whole drive? Claim compensation?

My issue isn't that the works needed doing because I'd much rather have safe gas, it's that we're the only house in the close that needed an additional hole within our property bounds (right up to the walls) and they had to dig 4 big holes which we didn't consent to!

Any comments appreciated....

I'll await to see what they do Monday....

WhoIsThat

Narradisall wrote: »

Hi,

So as many others, we've been getting the mains gas upgraded around our street the last few weeks. I've seen the work going on and they dig holes up in the pavement or the driveway (pavement part) of all the streets.

So anyway a contractor told us they'd be doing this Friday (today) and I've come home to find they have dug up the hole on the pavement drive and covered it with a metal plate as they have with all the other houses on our drive......

.....however unlike everyone else they've dug an additional 4 holes in our tarmac'ed drive right up to the walls of our property which we did not consent to. My daughter who was home at the time said they needed to dig another hole and then "couldn't find" what they were looking for the first 3 holes they dug but they would be coming back to fill in on Monday and for now we have a load of safety barriers in the drive.

Annoyingly we had our drive tarmac'ed many years ago with all these wierd stones into it and I know they're going to come along and shove a load of new plan black tarmac in which is going to look out of place.

So I'm wondering should I complain? Ask them to do the whole drive? Claim compensation?

My issue isn't that the works needed doing because I'd much rather have safe gas, it's that we're the only house in the close that needed an additional hole within our property bounds (right up to the walls) and they had to dig 4 big holes which we didn't consent to!

Any comments appreciated....

I'll await to see what they do Monday....

So you were never advised of this work in advance?
Your poor daughter must have been teriffied as the diggers came in and satrted digging up the driveway, not just one hole, not even two or three, but four holes! :eek:
She probably was wondering when & where it would ever stop.
Perhaps the house itself was next to be attacked, especially as they seemed to be getting closer & closer.

I do hope your poor daughter has not been too traumatized by the whole experience.

Yes, complain.
Yes ask for a complete new driveway.
Yes, although no amount of compo will ever likely reverse the mental trauma your daughter obviously incurred, nor your shock on discovering how these corporate goliaths act without any thought for their consquences, do claim. If you don't get a life changing sum, don't hesitate to take legal action.

Perhaps as for the front & rear gardens to be landscaped too as a goodwill gesture, as it will look odd with a nice new drive and scruffy old gardens won't it.

Good luck!

[Deleted User]

This work would be carried out by National Grid.Over 100 bodies in the UK have rights of entry to anyone`s property to carry out work or inspections without the permission of the householder. I m pretty sure that National Grid digging up gas pipes and the local DNO replacing cables is on that list. Advanced notice would be sent out to all properties.
Its a common enough sight to see streets and drives getting dug up to replace old and leaky iron gas pipes so I would think there is a well worn compensation scheme in operation. People I meet are always complaining about the holes they dug up were not put back exactly how the drive was before but I expect there will be some sort of get-out clause because its virtually impossible to restore a drive unblemished to its former state. Leaking gas pipes are a big danger and the properties all need a gas service so I think occupiers should have to accept a bit of cosmetic damage, the alternative would be to switch off the gas supply in the street to each house. I don`nt think the OP has a cat in hells chance of getting a new drive or compo for "mental trauma " for the stress. what I`ve seen the Grid do over the years is to put the gas meter outside free of charge. That would normally cost well over £500

Robw89

Hi, I'm new to this so bare with me.

Just moved into a house on Friday, which was previously unoccupied.
There was note through the door saying we missed you from National Grid as they had been replacing the gas pipes in the street. They finished the street and have left ours as they couldnt get access. I rang them up on Saturday morning and they sent someone out to us and explained the situation and said someone will be round Monday to sort it out. So Monday came and the site worker said, it wont be done for at least 2 weeks, as they are booked out on the next street along for the next 6 days and have to apply for a permit to dig up the road again, which can take another 5 days.

does anybody know if we are entitled to some sort of compensation for being disconnected all that time?

Thanks

Tucker65

Robw89 wrote: »

Hi, I'm new to this so bare with me.

Just moved into a house on Friday, which was previously unoccupied.
There was note through the door saying we missed you from National Grid as they had been replacing the gas pipes in the street. They finished the street and have left ours as they couldnt get access. I rang them up on Saturday morning and they sent someone out to us and explained the situation and said someone will be round Monday to sort it out. So Monday came and the site worker said, it wont be done for at least 2 weeks, as they are booked out on the next street along for the next 6 days and have to apply for a permit to dig up the road again, which can take another 5 days.

does anybody know if we are entitled to some sort of compensation for being disconnected all that time?

Thanks

Have you got a supplier? You're sure you're not disconnected because this was a change of tenancy? that's fairly common practice in the energy industry.

If not then have a look into the guaranteed standards of service, if you're off for a length of time due to a fault (and not a safety restriction) you could be entitled to compensation. Though I don't know the standards for Gas as I work in the electricity industry.

Bob_Bank_Spanker_2

Tucker65 wrote: »

Have you got a supplier? You're sure you're not disconnected because this was a change of tenancy? that's fairly common practice in the energy industry.

It is?! And there was me thinking we had the deemed contract in this country for 30 years to stop disconnection on tenancy changes....

lemontart

If a property is unoccupied as in not lived in they cannot connect gas, they are not permitted to do so for many reasons.