Too late to be of much interest to you now, but I knew of some local authority houses and a block of flats built in London in the late 70s.
Boiler(s) in the block of flats, which supplied heating via rads to the houses too.
There was a gas connection in the kitchen and my girlfriend?s mum claimed that the deal was that gas was included in the rent and she didn?t need a meter.
She had a bit of a battle, but persuaded someone to connect both a cooker and a gas fridge to the supply.
With hindsight, I think maybe she should have either got a / the gas co to fit a meter, or asked to local authority to arrange it.
She would have liked to have bought it, but her spouse wouldn?t sign the papers.
My ex would have been a millionaire before tax.