Gas leak we were not advised about

BennyKind

Looking for some advise on something please.

Me and my wife moved in to a new house in August 2021. We wanted to change to a smart meter so an engineer came out to change the gas meter that is outside the back door, this was in February 2022.

Fast forward to yesterday, 12th November 2023 and I could smell gas around our cooker. We called gas emergency number and had someone come out and make the house safe. He confirmed that there was a leak behind the cooker with his beeping machine and that was the only place it was detected. He then went to the gas meter outside to take some measurements. Whilst in there he found a note from the previous engineer that fitted the meter to say that he had a drop in ppm(!?. Not sure if that is correct unit) in 2 minutes which was the same as what the engineer was having last night suggesting that it was the same leak. 

The emergency gas engineer suggested that we have probably had the same leak the whole time. This is slightly concerning that this whole time we were not aware that we had a gas leak despite the previous engineer taking a measurement that would suggest we do! Should we not have been advised to do something about it?

So we had a gas safe engineer come and take a look at the cooker today and after a couple of hours and £266 later it turns out that there was two leaks in the cooker which is not repairable. (it was quite old).

So I am glad that we are all still alive and the house hasnt exploded but I cant help but feel someone should be held accountable for this that could have been so much worse. Not only that but we must have been paying too much on our gas bills for not far off 2 years. 

I fully understand that the leak is probably our responsibility, as it is out appliance and inside our property, but if we had known about it we would have done something about it at the time. 

I'm almost definitely going to bring it up with our energy supplier but I just wondered if anyone had any advise about claiming back the financial loss and how far I should be taking this matter? 

Plus I got to get a new cooker! 

QrizB

I'm not a gas fitter but I would expect there to be a permissible leakrate. If the smart meter fitter's measurements were less than the permissible rate, they would be able to reinstate your supply after fitting the meter and would not need to tell you.

If the leak was greater than the permissible rate, they would have left your gas turned off and with a "do not use" tag. And they would definitely have told you!

A gas leak like this should be detected as part of your annual gas service and safety check. If you moved in in August 2021, you should have had two or three by now (unless you're winging it, which is a choice with implications). When was your last one?

The chance of you getting compensation from your energy supplier for a gas leak on your own cooker are essentially zero.

ArbitraryRandom

QrizB said:

I'm not a gas fitter but I would expect there to be a permissible leakrate. If the smart meter fitter's measurements were less than the permissible rate, they would be able to reinstate your supply after fitting the meter and would not need to tell you.

That's what I think would need checking - if the rate of pressure drop noted on the note was acceptable/minor and if it got worse overtime (assuming it wasn't detectable inside previously). 

matelodave

First a whinge and then the inevitable " how can I get compensation" , why?. 

Fair enough if the house had blown up, but it didn't,. Why should anyone get be blamed or get compensation for something that might have happened but didn't. TBH it was another two years before the OP managed to smell a problem, so it's not obvious or apparent that the cooker may have been faulty two years previously.

 As noted above, if the pressure drop was within limits  then there is no reason to investigate further and it may not have been the cooker that was responsible for it.

If the OP is that bothered about gas safety then perhaps they should have arranged to have an annual gas safety check, in which case any problems would have been identified. 

BennyKind

I need to look at the notes but it was something like a drop of 3 which the engineer last night did suggest it wasn't much of a leak and it hadn't changed since Feb 2022.

Yea we have been really bad with servicing, as in we had it done once when we first moved in! but have one booked in at end of month. 

I will just mention it to supplier and see what they say 

Thanks anyway

matelodave

Would you have been asking for compensation if the fitter had just shut down down you gas supply and told you to get a Gas Safe engineer in to sort it out before he'd reconnect it or would you be whinging that you'd been left without heating, hot water or cooking until you had it sorted out.

jefaz07

The units would’ve been millibars. A permissible drop is usually either 4 or 8mb providing appliances are connected and no smell of gas has been reported. 

He would’ve tested the installation before and after his gas works, if the drop is the same and within permissible figures then he can leave it on..and he doesn’t have to tell you. 

Many times I haven’t. 

And if you called me and said you touched my installation 18 month ago, now my cooker is leaking, buy me a new one. I don’t think I’d be able to answer through laughing. 

ArbitraryRandom

jefaz07 said:

BennyKind said:

Haha, didn't realise this would push so many buttons. Jesus.
 I was just asking a question which i thought was the point in these places. Anyone would think I'm asking to shag their missus. 

Anyway, if anyone wants to buy me a new cooker send me a message.  😉

And I answered it. But you aren’t going to get a free cooker after that long! And as someone who has been on the receiving end of such requests I can’t tell you how ridiculous it is. 

But I'm sure we can all empathise with how someone who isn't familiar with gas would feel to smell gas in their home and then be told there'd been a leak for who knows how long...? 

Yes, immediately jumping to who can I get to give me money is an unfortunately frequent occurrence - but it seems the OP has accepted and understands the proportionality of their situation (I'm sure we've all seen threads where the OP has reacted much more poorly to the responses received ) 

OP, Black Friday is coming up and AO.com normally have some good sales (other retailers are available, compare to make sure you are actually getting a good deal, and get cashback where available). 

BennyKind

Just to clarify im not blaming the fitter for the leak and I'm not expecting him to pay for a new cooker but surely the fitter is employed by the energy company who I have been paying too much money to for 2 years. Why does everyone care so much that I want to get back some money for the gas I havnt been using for 2 years which I wouldn't have used if I had just been told in the firdt place that there was a leak! 

BennyKind

ArbitraryRandom said:

jefaz07 said:

BennyKind said:

Haha, didn't realise this would push so many buttons. Jesus.
 I was just asking a question which i thought was the point in these places. Anyone would think I'm asking to shag their missus. 

Anyway, if anyone wants to buy me a new cooker send me a message.  😉

And I answered it. But you aren’t going to get a free cooker after that long! And as someone who has been on the receiving end of such requests I can’t tell you how ridiculous it is. 

But I'm sure we can all empathise with how someone who isn't familiar with gas would feel to smell gas in their home and then be told there'd been a leak for who knows how long...? 

Yes, immediately jumping to who can I get to give me money is an unfortunately frequent occurrence - but it seems the OP has accepted and understands the proportionality of their situation (I'm sure we've all seen threads where the OP has reacted much more poorly to the responses received ) 

OP, Black Friday is coming up and AO.com normally have some good sales (other retailers are available, compare to make sure you are actually getting a good deal, and get cashback where available). 

Thanks. Just been looking on AO. But have also measured the gap where the old cooker was and annoyingly its an awkward size. The old one is 700mm which obviously isn't standard. 

I will just have to try and claim a bit more money! 😆 

ArbitraryRandom

BennyKind said:

Just to clarify im not blaming the fitter for the leak and I'm not expecting him to pay for a new cooker but surely the fitter is employed by the energy company who I have been paying too much money to for 2 years. Why does everyone care so much that I want to get back some money for the gas I havnt been using for 2 years which I wouldn't have used if I had just been told in the firdt place that there was a leak! 

I don't think they do (but worth realising that people seeking compensation and making complaints without good reason costs us all in the end in higher standing charges as it adds to the supplier's operational costs; meaning it's not something to be encouraged IMO). 

Ultimately I think most people on this forum want to help people understand their rights/get what they're entitled to, not 'stick it to the system'. 

And while I completely understand why it would have been great for the engineer to tell you there might be a problem and you might WANT someone to give you some money; the engineer didn't do anything wrong and it's your responsibility to ensure the proper functioning of your appliances... so.