Cost of getting gas from street?

[tttonyyy]

Hi all,

Been a long time since I posted here, but after reading this thread:

remembered what a top bunch of people frequent this group. :)

Anyway, that aside, I have a question, the answer for which I've not found by searching the group.

Yesterday we looked at a house in Southampton (3 bed semi) which is electrically heated. It also has an electric hob (all flavours of which we loath), and only a quarter of the windows were double glazed.

Double glazing costs and the cost of fitting a combi for central heating we can figure out, but:

a) How would we find out if there is a gas pipe down the street? b) How much would it cost to get it connected to the house with a meter?

There is a suspiciously gas-pipe-looking pipe (capped tapered threaded affair) descending into the cupboard under the stairs (hard to see, but may be from the floor above). But it's unknown if this is a gas pipe or not.

Any advice gratefully received. :)

Thanks,

Tony

[Doctor Drivel]

> ...I remembered what a top bunch of people frequent this group. :) The uk.d-i-y Lunatic Association were in full flow there.

Check with next door and see it they have gas. The pipe under the stairs if it goes back to the street will be most certainly a gas pipe.

[Jim Alexander]

> ...I remembered what a top bunch of people frequent this group. :) >

no idea about the cost but find out here...

A

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Ask any neighbour? Being a semi you must have at least one?

Ask a gas supplier?

The vast majority of city or large town buildings had gas fitted when they were built. And if it's not needed it was rare for the supply to be taken out - just capped. In the '50s many went all electric as there was little difference in running costs - and town gas was poisonous. Only when North Sea gas arrived did the large price differential come about.

[Roger Mills]

If it comes *down* from the ceiling the house may have been piped

*internally* for gas - but this won't be a gas *supply* pipe. Is there also one coming *up* from the floor?

If the property was built within the last 50 or 60 years, chances are that a supply was laid in from the main and simply blanked off if the original/previous owner didn't want it. In that case, it *may* be that all that is needed is to connect a meter between the incoming pipe and the internal gas distribution pipework.

*BUT* be aware that if the gas main in that road has recently been renewed (plastic fitted in place of cast iron), any properties not using gas at the time will have been disconnected from the main - and a more costly digging operation will be required, to make a new connection.