Relocating a gas meter box

[Zippee]

We're looking to move our gas meter box about 40cm along a wall (gas feed comes straight up from the path at the side of the house.
Does anyone know if this can be done by a qualifies gas safe person or if it has to be our supplier (it's an incredibly simple cut, move, reconnect job)?
Unfortunately our supplier is Scottish Power who are probably the biggest showers of sh!te going and even getting through to them is nigh on impossible. Then we'd have to arrange an engineers appt that would likely never be set up, cancelled or just not turned up to...

Legally does this have to be done by the provider?

[Rawhide]

My understanding is after the meter you can use anyone (Corgi registered I'd suggest) but prior to meter it's the utility company.

[Zippee]

Rawhide said:

My understanding is after the meter you can use anyone (Corgi registered I'd suggest) but prior to meter it's the utility company.

B4gger - is the main feed coming in that would also need moving

[Muncher]

Has to be done by a supplier and when I last looked about 9 years ago it was £900 regardless of how far it was moved, I'd expect at least £1,500 now to move it.

[SkodaIan]

It's not the people who you pay the gas bill to (the energy supplier) who you need to ask, it will be the gas distribution network operator. There are eight of these in the UK apparently.

From a quick search, both Scottish Gas Networks (which covers Scotland and bizarrely also some of South-East England) and Northern Gas Networks have a form which can be filled in on their website to apply to move the gas meter.

Even if its not one of those two, these aren't the companies people with billing issues deal with, so their call centres won't be overloaded with people unable to pay the bill like all the energy companies are at the moment.

[Keypad]

A few years ago a new garage door impacted on the gas meter when fully opened.

We asked if it could be moved. Simple job that I could have done if legally (& SWMBO) allowed to do so. No new pipe connections, etc needed, just use up a bit of slack in the flexible pipes.
Chap who came along said, "Is that it?", did it in 5 - 10 mins & no charge.

So I think it can't harm to ask?

[Pica-Pica]

Rawhide said:

My understanding is after the meter you can use anyone (Corgi registered I'd suggest) but prior to meter it's the utility company.

It’s the distribution network company, and the same with electrical supply, and also with water supply.
(It’s GasSafe registered, not CORGI now)

[Octoposse]

Had our’s moved entirely this year. Supply used to come into kitchen, internal meter, then under the house to boiler on opposite wall, the only gas appliance in the house.

Old supply was in the way of an extension / conservatory, so had it intercepted and new pipe laid to new external meter cupboard, 11 metre run from memory.

Local utility supplier was Southern Gas Networks. Their admin and coordination was abysmal - took multiple visits, four months from quote to installation, and had enough plastic safety barriers delivered to circle a medium sized town.

But the people who did the work were brilliant - block paved path and lawn completely restored before they left.

[ArmaghMan]

Zippee said:

We're looking to move our gas meter box about 40cm along a wall (gas feed comes straight up from the path at the side of the house.
Does anyone know if this can be done by a qualifies gas safe person or if it has to be our supplier (it's an incredibly simple cut, move, reconnect job)?
Unfortunately our supplier is Scottish Power who are probably the biggest showers of sh!te going and even getting through to them is nigh on impossible. Then we'd have to arrange an engineers appt that would likely never be set up, cancelled or just not turned up to...

Legally does this have to be done by the provider?

Legally yes.
Not the provider (the people you pay your bill to, though you have to contact them to arrange)
They will then contact the GDN ( gas distribution network) who will actually carry out the work.

[towser44]

£650 is the price at least with Cadent where we live. We had Smart Meters fitted 2 weeks ago and the EON engineer said we should get Cadent out to look at replacing the pipe coming in which is corroded (and is Cadent's responsibility not the gas supplier) and also moving the shut off valve which at the moment is difficult to access in an emergency. The price for moving the valve is £650 and also the same to move the meter outside. We're hoping to have the valve moved for free, but depends what the surveyor says tomorrow when he comes out (we've had 2 different people out so far with differing views and the process with Cadent is very confusing/annoying!)

[Schiehallion]

Did something similar in Scotland a few weeks back - albeit a little bit more work involved. We were £450 if we dug the trench, and broadly the same again if they did it.

As others have said, the move itself absolutely needs to be done by the DNO which is SGN for all of Scotland as far as I'm aware.

https://www.sgn.co.uk/gas-connections/household-cu...

Edited by Schiehallion on Wednesday 14th September 17:53

[paolow]

Schiehallion said:

Did something similar in Scotland a few weeks back - albeit a little bit more work involved. We were £450 if we dug the trench, and broadly the same again if they did it.

As others have said, the move itself absolutely needs to be done by the DNO which is SGN for all of Scotland as far as I'm aware.

https://www.sgn.co.uk/gas-connections/household-cu...

Edited by Schiehallion on Wednesday 14th September 17:53

As above. if it involves the pipework before the meter it must be done by your DNO (which in our case was SGN also). They have a relatively simple application process and will conduct a viability survey during which you can discuss where the new meter will go. We wanted a recessed box which they were fine with, but there was no discount for sorting this and obviously we had to pay for and arrange this separately.

If all goes well you will get a meter move date so tee up a gas safe guy (or girl) for this day (in the PM) to complete the gas run to your existing pipework when the meter is moved. In the end it was done in a day (the box having been installed previously) and all went quite smoothly. There is no need to involve the people you pay your bill to.

All in with the box, making a hole, putting it in, moving the mains and final connection it cost us £1k. The movement of the meter was literally <1m but was from one side of a wall to the other which made all the difference.

[miroku1]

All depends upon if there enough slack in the pipe to move it to the new position without requiring extending .
I’d do it myself then have the internal gas supply altered by a corgi person.

[ArmaghMan]

miroku1 said:

All depends upon if there enough slack in the pipe to move it to the new position without requiring extending .
I’d do it myself then have the internal gas supply altered by a corgi person.

And you'd be breaking the law.

[sam greenock]

Schiehallion said:

Did something similar in Scotland a few weeks back - albeit a little bit more work involved. We were £450 if we dug the trench, and broadly the same again if they did it.

As others have said, the move itself absolutely needs to be done by the DNO which is SGN for all of Scotland as far as I'm aware.

https://www.sgn.co.uk/gas-connections/household-cu...

Edited by Schiehallion on Wednesday 14th September 17:53

SGN is the biggest DNO in Scotland but it is not the sole one.

GTC are a pretty big one nowadays in both gas and electricity, many new build estates use GTC

GTC are absolutely hopeless, I wanted my gas meter moved in 2008 they quoted £1500 then, despite living about 30miles from Glasgow, They insisted I was in Shorpe and wouldn’t listen to anything else, despite their area manager coming to the site and shaking his head in disbelief at their imbecility
He was also aghast that they told me the price was cheap as they had to buy shovels, wheel-barrrows and other materials.

As I’m related to a very senior SGN manager, it was sorted without further ado by SGN

If anyone has the misfortune to have to deal with GTC - good luck

[SoliD]

sam greenock said:

SGN is the biggest DNO in Scotland but it is not the sole one.

GTC are a pretty big one nowadays in both gas and electricity, many new build estates use GTC

GTC are absolutely hopeless, I wanted my gas meter moved in 2008 they quoted £1500 then, despite living about 30miles from Glasgow, They insisted I was in Shorpe and wouldn’t listen to anything else, despite their area manager coming to the site and shaking his head in disbelief at their imbecility
He was also aghast that they told me the price was cheap as they had to buy shovels, wheel-barrrows and other materials.

As I’m related to a very senior SGN manager, it was sorted without further ado by SGN

If anyone has the misfortune to have to deal with GTC - good luck

GTC are Independent Gas Transporter and usually do smaller new estates, the DNO is set generally by where you live.

[sam greenock]

SoliD said:

sam greenock said:

SGN is the biggest DNO in Scotland but it is not the sole one.

GTC are a pretty big one nowadays in both gas and electricity, many new build estates use GTC

GTC are absolutely hopeless, I wanted my gas meter moved in 2008 they quoted £1500 then, despite living about 30miles from Glasgow, They insisted I was in Shorpe and wouldn’t listen to anything else, despite their area manager coming to the site and shaking his head in disbelief at their imbecility
He was also aghast that they told me the price was cheap as they had to buy shovels, wheel-barrrows and other materials.

As I’m related to a very senior SGN manager, it was sorted without further ado by SGN

If anyone has the misfortune to have to deal with GTC - good luck

GTC are Independent Gas Transporter and usually do smaller new estates, the DNO is set generally by where you live.

DNO was Scottish Power for electricity & gas ( SGN for gas under contract from Scottish Power) . They sold off whole area ( not just our estate ) to GTC for both.

• SGN ( formerly Scotia Gas Networks was spun out of Transco and sold off to an alliance of SSE and some Canadian pension fund, SSE has enow sold their interest in it- apparently the spin-out was to increase competition ????

[dhutch]

Octoposse said:

Had our’s moved entirely this year. Supply used to come into kitchen, internal meter, then under the house to boiler on opposite wall, the only gas appliance in the house.

Old supply was in the way of an extension / conservatory, so had it intercepted and new pipe laid to new external meter cupboard, 11 metre run from memory.

Local utility supplier was Southern Gas Networks. Their admin and coordination was abysmal - took multiple visits, four months from quote to installation, and had enough plastic safety barriers delivered to circle a medium sized town.

But the people who did the work were brilliant - block paved path and lawn completely restored before they left.

Can I ask what the cost you?

towser44 said:

£650 is the price at least with Cadent where we live. We had Smart Meters fitted 2 weeks ago and the EON engineer said we should get Cadent out to look at replacing the pipe coming in which is corroded (and is Cadent's responsibility, not the gas supplier) and also moving the shut off valve which at the moment is difficult to access in an emergency. The price for moving the valve is £650 and also the same to move the meter outside. We're hoping to have the valve moved for free, but depends what the surveyor says tomorrow when he comes out (we've had 2 different people out so far with differing views and the process with Cadent is very confusing/annoying!)

Assuming you dont have to pay twice, that appears an ok price? Let us know how it goes.

When trying to find our water pipe, United Utilities found our gas main. A seriously corroded bit of steel pipe turns 90deg and emerges as plastic piping, under a thick cloak of bondo tape and the whole lot smelt of gas for an hour or so afterwards.

Coupled with the meter being in the corner of what we want to become a second living room (and they are surprisingly noisy when flowing gas) it is on one of many long to-do lists we have.

[towser44]

dhutch said:

Octoposse said:

Had our’s moved entirely this year. Supply used to come into kitchen, internal meter, then under the house to boiler on opposite wall, the only gas appliance in the house.

Old supply was in the way of an extension / conservatory, so had it intercepted and new pipe laid to new external meter cupboard, 11 metre run from memory.

Local utility supplier was Southern Gas Networks. Their admin and coordination was abysmal - took multiple visits, four months from quote to installation, and had enough plastic safety barriers delivered to circle a medium sized town.

But the people who did the work were brilliant - block paved path and lawn completely restored before they left.

Can I ask what the cost you?

towser44 said:

£650 is the price at least with Cadent where we live. We had Smart Meters fitted 2 weeks ago and the EON engineer said we should get Cadent out to look at replacing the pipe coming in which is corroded (and is Cadent's responsibility, not the gas supplier) and also moving the shut off valve which at the moment is difficult to access in an emergency. The price for moving the valve is £650 and also the same to move the meter outside. We're hoping to have the valve moved for free, but depends what the surveyor says tomorrow when he comes out (we've had 2 different people out so far with differing views and the process with Cadent is very confusing/annoying!)

Assuming you dont have to pay twice, that appears an ok price? Let us know how it goes.

When trying to find our water pipe, United Utilities found our gas main. A seriously corroded bit of steel pipe turns 90deg and emerges as plastic piping, under a thick cloak of bondo tape and the whole lot smelt of gas for an hour or so afterwards.

Coupled with the meter being in the corner of what we want to become a second living room (and they are surprisingly noisy when flowing gas) it is on one of many long to-do lists we have.

Surveyor came out late last week to us and we've been very lucky. He has recommended the valve is moved due to it being in an accessible place and it's just as easy for them to relocate the meter to outside as it is to move the valve inside, so the result is we are having the meter moved outside, the stand pipe that comes in replaced and moved and the shut off valve will be accessible, and all done for free :-)

[dhutch]

towser44 said:

Surveyor came out late last week to us and we've been very lucky. He has recommended the valve is moved due to it being in an accessible place and it's just as easy for them to relocate the meter to outside as it is to move the valve inside, so the result is we are having the meter moved outside, the stand pipe that comes in replaced and moved and the shut off valve will be accessible, and all done for free :-)

Oh nice. Winner!