NGN want to replace gas service pipe and move meter outside

ac2820

Northern Gas are currently out in the street replacing the old pipes with new plastic ones. But they also want to replace my service pipe, which would also mean moving my gas meter from under my stairs all the way to the front of the house. The guy who popped round had a look and said they would have to dig a trench through my hallway and out the front which sounds hugely invasive...

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience of this, if it needs to be done or just something they'd like to do? Is it worth having done? How long might it take?

I'm a bit lost and at the time just said "if that's what you need to do" in a non committal way but no that I've had a think i'm not really sure I want all the headache..

Exodi

I had this happen quite recently (though my Meter was inside my porch and has now been moved about 1 meter outside the front) - they dug up a section of my driveway. You can still tell where they dug it up though credit where it's due, they did a fairly got job putting it back, plus it's a relatively old driveway (~17 years old) so I didn't make a fuss of it. I also don't expect it's within the contractors remits to lay new driveways for complaining members of public. I did think that inevitably they'll get some people kicking off about it (and to be fair, if I had just had a new driveway done, I might feel a bit more strongly about it).

Nonetheless, in my case the internal pipe supplying the meter was plastic, which I understand may be illegal or at least void our home insurance (as the gas supply pipe melting in a fire inside the house would cause a massive fire with unlimited fuel).

I looked at it that if they were willing to rectify this issue I have (as it's on my property so I'm responsible for it) free of charge, I'd be daft to refuse or complain about it. God forbid I did refuse and my house burns down and endangers my family, or voids my home insurance.

The pipes inside your house running to the meter, are they plastic? If they are, I suspect this will ultimately not be optional. I believe the meter and the supply pipe may also be their property.

Separately from the plastic/metal pipe thing, I believe current regulations insist the meter is outside to reduce the impact of a gas leak (better it going into the air outside than inside a closed environment like your home).

ac2820

Hi there, 
Thanks for your response. I had a chat to the guys working out on the street and they said it won't actually be that invasive because they can just run the new pipes through the old holes/pipes so they don't actually have to dig anything up inside my home.
The pipes are currently steel so I don't believe there are any legal issues, more so just that they are liable to wear out over time

QrizB

ac2820 said:
The pipes are currently steel so I don't believe there are any legal issues, more so just that they are liable to wear out over time

Steel pipes have a nasty habit of rusting through. They replaced all the ones on my street with yellow plastic about a decade ago.