Connection to gas main - is it true?
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Pegleg2001
Posts: 113 Forumite
in Energy
I heard this story recently and thought I would share it with the board. It could be apochrophyl...
A chap in rural Solihull bought a remote property and wanted to get mains gas delivered to the house. An old farmhouse apparently, set back 200 yds or so from the road.
British Gas (or Transco?) quoted circa £22,000 to do the work. This made him consider whether his desire for on demand gas was really necessary and if filling his Aga with solid fuel remained best!
Whilst discussing his dissapointment in the pub with a friend, he was approached by an individual - from his attire a seasoned construction worker no doubt - who interjected after eavsdropping on the conversation.
"Ah, bejeezus, couldn't me and my lads connect you - no problem? Sure, soir, - it'll only cost you £5,000 and we can do the job over the weekend. We do work for the gas board all the time, we will take care of the paperwork, etc....to be sure, to be sure, to be sure..."
Taken in by the man's blarney and genuine nature, the chap thought this sounded great and agreed. That weekend the team turned up fully equiped - with JCB - at the house and set the task in ernest. The JCB dug the channel in about 4 hours, the pipe was laid and plumbed into the house. A separate team worked out on the road digging the hole to the gas main.
That evening they connected the incoming gas to the chap's new gas cooker. In anticipation they all watched as he turned it on an, hey presto, gas!. Result? Happiness all round.
The chap paid over his £5,000 in cash, happy in the knowledge he had saved a whopping £17,000. No doubt the construction team sunk a few pints of teh black stuff that night too.
About a month later the chap was waiting one Sunday morning for his kettle to boil and realised it was taking some time. Upon investigation it appeared that the gas had blown out. He tried to re-ignite with no success as gas was not feeding through.
He called BG to complain. They stated that they had no record of him as a customer. He relayed his story of his recent installation so BG sent a team around to investigate.
When they dug a hole to the main the check the connection they found that the feed pipe was not in fact connected to the main at all - but to a separate large gas propane bottle that had been buried next to it! Now emtpy, of course.
Oh dear... :-[
Peggy
A chap in rural Solihull bought a remote property and wanted to get mains gas delivered to the house. An old farmhouse apparently, set back 200 yds or so from the road.
British Gas (or Transco?) quoted circa £22,000 to do the work. This made him consider whether his desire for on demand gas was really necessary and if filling his Aga with solid fuel remained best!
Whilst discussing his dissapointment in the pub with a friend, he was approached by an individual - from his attire a seasoned construction worker no doubt - who interjected after eavsdropping on the conversation.
"Ah, bejeezus, couldn't me and my lads connect you - no problem? Sure, soir, - it'll only cost you £5,000 and we can do the job over the weekend. We do work for the gas board all the time, we will take care of the paperwork, etc....to be sure, to be sure, to be sure..."
Taken in by the man's blarney and genuine nature, the chap thought this sounded great and agreed. That weekend the team turned up fully equiped - with JCB - at the house and set the task in ernest. The JCB dug the channel in about 4 hours, the pipe was laid and plumbed into the house. A separate team worked out on the road digging the hole to the gas main.
That evening they connected the incoming gas to the chap's new gas cooker. In anticipation they all watched as he turned it on an, hey presto, gas!. Result? Happiness all round.
The chap paid over his £5,000 in cash, happy in the knowledge he had saved a whopping £17,000. No doubt the construction team sunk a few pints of teh black stuff that night too.
About a month later the chap was waiting one Sunday morning for his kettle to boil and realised it was taking some time. Upon investigation it appeared that the gas had blown out. He tried to re-ignite with no success as gas was not feeding through.
He called BG to complain. They stated that they had no record of him as a customer. He relayed his story of his recent installation so BG sent a team around to investigate.
When they dug a hole to the main the check the connection they found that the feed pipe was not in fact connected to the main at all - but to a separate large gas propane bottle that had been buried next to it! Now emtpy, of course.
Oh dear... :-[
Peggy
The Pegster
Quote-of-the-day: "A fool and his money were lucky to get together in the first place"
Quote-of-the-day: "A fool and his money were lucky to get together in the first place"
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Comments
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Very interesting story Peggy, I wonder what he did to get it finally sorted :-/
Can you not find out the ending I'm curious now ;D
Hopefully you may be able to post Phase ll of the Gas saga.
;D 0 -
Hi Peggy,
I heard this story about ten years ago happening to a guy in Dundee and have heard it numerous times since. Always the same story but different town. It regularly does the rounds in the pubs etc. My brother has heard it and he lives in Hull, my sister has heard it and lives in Sheffield. I think it may have happened (sucker born every minute) but I do think it is now just one of them stories.
So in answer to your question, I think it is not true.
Regards
Kellm ::)0
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