Asbestos under Gas meter

zepps

Back in January 2025 British gas our supplier was knocking on doors in my street.

So they said to me because of the gas meter being so old and the government mandate we need to be swapped to smart meter.

So install was booked for march .

The engineer turns up and having more seen there is a asbestos plate sitting under the gas meter that he couldn't go ahead with the installation and that he would have to put us on a long list to have the asbestos removed, 6 months he said. 

Anyway 8 months later I got in touch with British Gas via the messenger system.

A British Gas resolver said the asbestos plate was the house owners responsibility and we would need to contact Cadent.

I replied with a photo of the gas meter and the asbestos plate which show  British Gas installed the meter on 15/12/98 you can see the asbestos plate underneath which I presume they would have fitted, it's definitely not 1930's as the house was built in 1933.

A second resolver got back to us who couldn't actually resolve it and just passed it back to us to call British Gas again and totally ignored the issue.

Seeing I would like to change energy suppliers and have a smart meter for gas and electricity so I could have a ev I find I'm stuck in limbo.

Anyone had the same problem and had it resolved.

QrizB

zepps said:

I replied with a photo of the gas meter and the asbestos plate which show  British Gas installed the meter on 15/12/98 you can see the asbestos plate underneath which I presume they would have fitted, it's definitely not 1930's as the house was built in 1933.

The chance of BG having fitted the asbestos sheet in 1998 are vanishingly low.

On the other hand, the chance of it having been fitted by someone (possibly your gas board) between 1933 and the mid-1980s is fairly high.

You (or the home owner, if that isn't you) will probably need to get a specialist in to remove it.

Is the gas meter actually resting on the plate, or is there space between the two?

Eldi_Dos

Has the 'plate' actually been tested to see if it contains asbestos?

zepps

The gas meter is actually sitting on it and one has actually tested to see if it is asbestos.

Eldi_Dos

zepps said:

The gas meter is actually sitting on it and one has actually tested to see if it is asbestos.

Assuming the test came back positive for asbestos I would think you have two choices, pay a specialist company to remove or encapsulate it or arrange to have new meter installed in different location.

Scot_39

There are posts with the process for electricity meters with asbestos backboards in this forum - surely something similar must be in place for GDOs as the DNO / electrical meter backplates.

gefnew

Due to the risks to health following inhalation exposure to asbestos the importation of blue and brown asbestos has been banned in the UK since 1985. This ban was extended to include white asbestos in 1999.
HSE web site.

Ildhund

Scot_39 said:

... the process for electricity meters with asbestos backboards ...

I don't think there's any one specific process. It requires coordination between DNO/gas transporter, supplier, homeowner and perhaps homeowner's asbestos-trained and suitably equipped engineer. The best solution I've come across is OVO's deployment of an asbestos-trained meter engineer, so one operator to (a) cut off the supply, (b) dismount the existing meter etc., (c) remove and dispose of the offending ACM, (d) replace using acceptable materials, (e) mount the new meter etc. I don't know if suppliers have specially-trained gas meter engineers.
  

zepps

The issue I have is that my supplier British Gas has constantly pushed me to have a smart meter installed for the gas.
They even said that because the meter is coming up to its end of life and apparently it's a government mandate to do so that I must have a smart meter.

It's only when the installer incountered the supposedly asbestos plate which the meter sits on that this got pushed into the long grass.

The installer said at the time that there is at least a 6 months waiting list. 

So having contacted BG several times and got no where I wanted to see if anyone on here had encountered the same situation.

I'm in no hurry to have a smart meter as I've read on here that there is still problems with bills etc. 

It's just ironic they push you to change to a smart meter than all of a sudden it's oh you got asbestos we can't touch that.

Bigphil1474

You wouldn't need a specialist asbestos contractor to remove the plate, it would be unlicensed work. If somebody can remove the plate with the meter in situ, I would get that done. If the meter needs to be moved to remove the plate then I can't see how anyone other than the supplier can sort it out. 

Boohoo

zepps said:

The issue I have is that my supplier British Gas has constantly pushed me to have a smart meter installed for the gas.
They even said that because the meter is coming up to its end of life and apparently it's a government mandate to do so that I must have a smart meter.

It's only when the installer incountered the supposedly asbestos plate which the meter sits on that this got pushed into the long grass.

The installer said at the time that there is at least a 6 months waiting list. 

So having contacted BG several times and got no where I wanted to see if anyone on here had encountered the same situation.

I'm in no hurry to have a smart meter as I've read on here that there is still problems with bills etc. 

It's just ironic they push you to change to a smart meter than all of a sudden it's oh you got asbestos we can't touch that.

I had a similar problem when I switched to smart meter but mine was the backboard that the old meter was attached too.

Installer came and looked and within 10 secs said asbestos and you have to remove it and pay.

Fair play to the lad he knocked on the door and said he spoke to his supervisor and gave me a number of our local energy supply company (not sure if that's correct) which I think was UK power network.

Called and explained and they came out and done a survey and arranged another date to remove and replace. This was done and then I called my then electric company to fit smart meter.

If you look at your bill it should tell you who yours is like mine is 

It maybe worth a call.

What region are you?