[Archived] DIY corner

[cletus]

Has anybody had any experience in the moving of a gas meter?

I`m planning some alterations in my house & my gas meter is in a little cubby-hole in one corner of the room. It sort of takes up all the space in that corner, so i wouldn`t mind getting it moved. I don`t want it moving too far, maybe up the wall & boxed in or even through the wall into the room on the other side of it. It sounds a real pain, but i really need the space in that corner to fullfill my plans.

I`ve been told that it`s illegal to move the gas meter, cos it belongs to the gas provider (transco) & only they can move it.

Has anybody had any experiences in dealing with such things? (i.e....costs? problems? hints? who to contact/ask? etc....)

Many thanks for any advice

[Sandiway Blue]

Has anybody had any experience in the moving of a gas meter?

I`m planning some alterations in my house & my gas meter is in a little cubby-hole in one corner of the room. It sort of takes up all the space in that corner, so i wouldn`t mind getting it moved. I don`t want it moving too far, maybe up the wall & boxed in or even through the wall into the room on the other side of it. It sounds a real pain, but i really need the space in that corner to fullfill my plans.

I`ve been told that it`s illegal to move the gas meter, cos it belongs to the gas provider (transco) & only they can move it.

Has anybody had any experiences in dealing with such things? (i.e....costs? problems? hints? who to contact/ask? etc....)

Many thanks for any advice

Correct.

Best advice is to ring Transco or maybe they have a website? Could be some info on there?

http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Gas/Connections/GasServices/MoveMeter/

here you go this should help.

[colin]

Cletus,

I think you are correct that the gas meter belongs to your gas supplier, so you'd its permission to move it.

Plus it needs to be moved by a *something* *something* Registered Gas Installer (CORGI - not a small dog, before anyone leaps in)or some other accredited installer or all your home insurance becomes invalid.

In other words, don't do it yourself or get a mate to do it.

[cletus]

Correct.

Best advice is to ring Transco or maybe they have a website? Could be some info on there?

http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Gas/Connections/GasServices/MoveMeter/

here you go this should help.

Thanks for the link

I`ve checked it out, but it goes on about "how big do you want the trench digging?" & "Do you want us to back-fill it?"

....not what i`m after. The pipe & meter are already in the house. I just want it raising 6ft or so or 2ft to the right (through the wall)

Do you think the gas company would send somebody out, so i can show them what i want doing & they can give me a quote?

[bob fleming]

It's a domestic minefield Cletus. Far too much red tape and too many hidden penalty clauses. Your best bet is to leave the gas meter where it is and just move the house around it into the position you want.

A simple solution to a potentially tricky problem .

[Sandiway Blue]

Thanks for the link

I`ve checked it out, but it goes on about "how big do you want the trench digging?" & "Do you want us to back-fill it?"

....not what i`m after. The pipe & meter are already in the house. I just want it raising 6ft or so or 2ft to the right (through the wall)

Do you think the gas company would send somebody out, so i can show them what i want doing & they can give me a quote?

Possibly but i can see it running into daft money.I`m no expert on this kind of thing but would a `gas safe` (formerly CORGI) engineer be able to do the work if there is a gas valve outside?

[cletus]

Possibly but i can see it running into daft money.I`m no expert on this kind of thing but would a `gas safe` (formerly CORGI) engineer be able to do the work if there is a gas valve outside?

There`s a shut-off valve (lever) just as the pipe comes into the house (next to the meter) but i`ve been told ONLY somebody from the gas supplier (Transco) are actually allowed to move the meter. A plumber/gas fitter mate of mine said he could go to prison if he moved the meter! Not sure if he`s exaggerating a bit there? lol.

Today i`ve also been told (from a friend) Transco would charge £300-£400 before they even lifted a finger.....& then another gas fitter would have to do the re-connection work to the pipe leading to the house appliances, Transco 'don`t do domestic work'..... So i`d be paying twice

Yet another friend has told me i could get it done for free if i was registered disabled. Has anybody got a wheelchair i can borrow?

Jeez! All this hassle for a job consisting of 2 straight 5ft lengths of copper pipe. I think Bob Fleming has hit the nail on the head....it`d be easier moving the house.

[Al]

There`s a shut-off valve (lever) just as the pipe comes into the house (next to the meter) but i`ve been told ONLY somebody from the gas supplier (Transco) are actually allowed to move the meter. A plumber/gas fitter mate of mine said he could go to prison if he moved the meter! Not sure if he`s exaggerating a bit there? lol.

Today i`ve also been told (from a friend) Transco would charge £300-£400 before they even lifted a finger.....& then another gas fitter would have to do the re-connection work to the pipe leading to the house appliances, Transco 'don`t do domestic work'..... So i`d be paying twice

Yet another friend has told me i could get it done for free if i was registered disabled. Has anybody got a wheelchair i can borrow?

Jeez! All this hassle for a job consisting of 2 straight 5ft lengths of copper pipe. I think Bob Fleming has hit the nail on the head....it`d be easier moving the house.

It's not even copper now. They have switched to plastic. A couple of months ago gas fitters arrived in Baxenden and dug up all the road on Scott Avenue to change all the piping from copper to plastic. In the process some of the meters were moved.

Surely it can't cost a fortune to fit a bit of plastic pipe. Who's house is it anyway?

[beerwins]

There`s a shut-off valve (lever) just as the pipe comes into the house (next to the meter) but i`ve been told ONLY somebody from the gas supplier (Transco) are actually allowed to move the meter. A plumber/gas fitter mate of mine said he could go to prison if he moved the meter! Not sure if he`s exaggerating a bit there? lol.

Today i`ve also been told (from a friend) Transco would charge £300-£400 before they even lifted a finger.....& then another gas fitter would have to do the re-connection work to the pipe leading to the house appliances, Transco 'don`t do domestic work'..... So i`d be paying twice

Yet another friend has told me i could get it done for free if i was registered disabled. Has anybody got a wheelchair i can borrow?

Jeez! All this hassle for a job consisting of 2 straight 5ft lengths of copper pipe. I think Bob Fleming has hit the nail on the head....it`d be easier moving the house.

A lot of the information you have been given is right, I work as a Plumber, im not Gas Safe registered but the guy I work with is, he cant touch meters only connect the mains feed pipe for the domestic appliances, as you rightly said whoever moves your meter will not connect it back up to run into your house they will only move it to where you want it and connect it to the main.

There are a lot of reasons why specified companies are only allowed to move the meter but the long and short of it is money, there are very easy ways of bypassing a gas meter to save on bills and it can also be dangerous, that being said I know plenty of people who still do it, dont ask me for any numbers though

[Alan75]

There has been a lot of good advice posted here, whatever you do, dont move the meter. this is a job for the gas supplier.

It is a criminal offence, not to mention dangerous, to tamper with gas pipework before the meter.

You can get a gas safe registered tradesman to alter anything after the meter, but anything before the meter is part of the network and you can’t touch it.

Depending how old your property is, its worth checking if there is plans by your supplier to upgrade pipework in your area or plans to change the meter - they do prefer meters to be fitted externally these days.(They still send estimated bills with the excuse that the reader couldnt get access)

[JC4LAB]

Lian Battersby & Nick Tilsey on Coronation Street might have a few tips

[Paul]

It was many, many years ago but we had an internal meter moved outside and it was no problem at all. We live in a very old property and all that happened was the meter was placed on the outside of the building at the point the supply entered the house. Our then old style meter (dials!!!) was upgraded with the newer model and put in a rather ugly white box. I'd suggest if you want to move the meter location it could get expensive, if you're prepared to simply have it put in the spot where the gas supply enters the house it should be less so. Obviously you then need a Corgi man to do the internal stuff. We've always used the guys from Chorley Domestic Supplies who are very good.

[cletus]

Thanks for the advice guys

Plenty for me to mull over there.

My meter is on the inside of an outside wall, if that makes sense?? lol.

Maybe i could look into getting it put onto the outside wall. My neighbour two doors down has a gas box on the outside. I might have a word with him.

All this for a bl00dy corner suite!! We`ve bought a HUGE corner sofa & the leg-iron wants it to fit perfectly in the corner.....thus the need to move the gas meter & cubby-hole