A friend of mine is building an attached garage. However when the ground was excavated a gas pipe was uncovered. She duly filled in the forms and sent off her money for this to be moved.
6 weeks later they came to move it and said the pipe was too big for them, ie not just a single private supply and told her to contact Transco.
Transco arrived and said it wasn't for them because it was too small and wasn't a gas main and to contact someone else.
The man from Transco implied that moving it may be prohibitive but since the garage footings are in and some walls already built means she is in between a rock and a hard place.
The gas pipe is shown on some drawings but not as far over as is it is. The pipe needs only to be moved a foot to clear the foundations.
Firstly, is it a gas mains pipe or is it not? If it is a mains pipe then Transco can do the work. If not a mains pipe, which appears the case, then it is an installation pipe, then any gas fitter can move it.
Secondly, is the pipe actually used? If not just leave it there, or rip out the bits where the walls are to go. If used rip it out and run a new copper pipe to where the appliances are.
What is at the end of the pipe? Where does it come from?
What, you mean involving "rocks", "hard places" and "Transco"? I'll say. Unfortunately my rocks and hard places were different to yours, so I can't offer advice other than to wish you lots of luck....
I'm confident that the pipe is in use. A neighbour has since said that the pipe in the road was replaced more than 10 years ago.
It's a pip 3-4" in diameter and feeds a few houses.
As I said, Transo say this is not a main, but it is not a feed to a single house so it seems in no-mans land.
Building control are not happy with the idea of the pipe being lintelled over which is what the builder was intending to do. Since it is in the way of a structural wall we can only move it. It's only about a foot in the way.
If we had known of its correct position we would have moved the garage over by a foot!
"Fred" wrote | As I said, Transo say this is not a main, but it is not a feed to | a single house so it seems in no-mans land.
Contact your / your neighbours' gas suppliers (the people who bill you). It /may/ be the case that the pipe was installed by them in arrangement with the original house builders, especially if this is a recently built housing scheme, and not a Transco one. A side effect is that you will not be able to change your gas supplier to a more competitive one.
Find where is does come from and go to. If it is a mains pipe then it is a Transco problem. Get the idiots back to move it.
Many underground pipes were installation pipes (after the meter). Some of these fed maybe some cottages with sub meters which were mainly slot meters. So find out exactly where it goes to and comes from. Transco maybe right. If you turn off the main c*ck and other houses are not affected that are most probably fed by the mains.
I have a seen a bodge up where an underground installation pipe feeding cottages with sub meters was connected to the incoming mains pipe in the main house, converting it to a mains pipe. The cottages had meters fitted (off the mains) and all appeared well. This was done just after WW2, before the gas industry was nationalised and countrywide standards were introduced. For some reason it remained that way until the 1970s, when occupants of the former main house wanted the meter moved for improvements. The gas board had to run each cottage back to the mains in the street.
The old private companies would take short cuts to avoid spending money. Sounds familiar to the private lots we have today.
This pipe is on the supply side of the meter. There are no sub-meters.
Apparently the franchise to move the customer's pipe to the meter and or meter itself falls to a specific company. I can't remember the name. Something like Fulcrum.
The responsibility of the gas main belongs to Transco, but the franchise for working on the pipe between the two sizes of pipe, ie the final customer
35mm pipe and the main, fall to a third company which sounded like ACID or something similar.
I was hoping someone here had direct experience of this situation. Unfortunately for my friend it seems unique.
Ive read the full story so far on this one. Firstly lets not blame anyone especially Transco as it may not be their fault or even their pipe!!.
Lets clear something up. Transco do not own all gas mains and services in this country. They used to,but thanks to Government interference they no longer do. We now havea situation where we have things called IPGT's. This stands for Independant public gas transporter. Transco is the major PGT (public Gas Transporter) but there are lots of IPGT's also!.
IPGT's can install gas mains and services to properties and bring out their main to a single connection point which Transco then connects to their network. This is the kind of scenario which occurs on many new build housing developments and has occured for the past few years,perhaps as long as 7/8 years. Transco do not own mains on IPGT sites but they do attend emergency calls to gas escapes and such on IPGT sites on a make safe/best endeavour basis only. The costs are charged to the IPGT.
Now then,to the case in point, first thing,is your meter a main meter or sub meter. Simply put,if there is a pressure regulator on the inlet side of your meter,then its a main meter.
Second thing,who owns the main that feeds your property?,well it should simply be a case of contacting your "gas supplier" and they should be able to tell you who your PGT is. It may even say on your bills who your PGT is.
The procedure then is to say to your gas supplier,hey i need the service pipe moving,they then send an application pack,they recieve it and quote back to you,you accept quote,job gets arranged. Gas supplier then arranges for the PGT or its contractor to undertake the work.
If you are having problems with this chain of events then you need to contact your gas supplier. It is for them to sort out. Remember this point,
Customers deal direct with gas suppliers
Gas suppliers deal with PGT's.
Customers cannot approach PGTs directly to undertake work. PGT's only accept instructions for work from gas suppliers,,,
phew,,hope that clears that up.. By the way,the mention of Fulcrum will be Fulcrum connections
here
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of NGT.
As i say,you deal with your gas supplier,end of story.
If it gets troublesome and your getting no where go here
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submit your complaint online..
This mass confusion is as a result of privatisation and dismantling of the gas industry.
Another fiasco is about to unfold on July 12th. Sometihng called "meter unbundling". Yes folks,as from that date,companies which are suitably registered with OFGEM will be licensed to fit meters,not just transco.
The problem is that from that date,Transco;s responsibility will end at the end of their network,i.e the incoming service valve. Previously its responsibility ended at the meter outlet.
It could therefore be possible to have a leaking/defective meter,Transco will attend,cut you off and tell you to contact your gas supplier. Gas supplier then can choose freely who will replace the faulty meter becuase meter unbundling is all about competition and choice. In most cases,gas supplier will choose Transco becuase they have the nationasl footprint and workforce to react. Transco man goes back and sorts out meter,transco bills gas supplier for cost of job. Customer meanwhile makes lots of phone calls,waits in,takes days off work....oh i cant wait!!!.
confused,you will be..oh I'll tell you about PEM's contracts another day..!! Change the 900 to 670 in the return email address to reply
If they have a contract (which is a two way thing) when a customer has a leak Transco deal with it immediately. Council's had contracts with BG for heating maintenance. Ring BG, if a problem they deal with it and charge the council.
Sounds to me that the various bodies are trying to push responsibility onto each other ("Not my job mate").
If it is the supply side of the meter, it is down to one of them to sort it. You should not be having to work out who is responsible. It is up to them to agree between them..... Have you thought of calling Ofgas or whatever they are called now for a ruling as to who has to fix it ???
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