External gas pipe

It is not unusual for gas pipes mounted externally to be just bare copper after all there is nothing to freeze in them well certainly not at UK winter temperature. The only pipes that are sleeved are the main service pipe to the meter or on the consumers side, pipes going through walls. We have an external meter cupboard and the service pipe is sleeved but the pipe into the house is not until it reaches the point where it disappears through the wall and inside under the floor.

I presume the pipe you are posting about has come from your meter probably under the floor internally before externally going to the fire. It should not be coming up through the soil which suggests your ground level is too high. The sleeving you are seeing is probably to protect the pipe from spade damage. It could be that the pipe is run underground due to the position of the meter but it is not something I have seen. I have only seen gas pipes on the consumers side exit walls go along external walls before going back through the wall never from underground.

Richard