BG Refused to Change Gas Card Meter

[anevilpresence]

Hi all,

First post in the forum - lurking has already proved useful for a number of things, following buying our first house mid July. Couldn't see anything on this anywhere already so thought I'd sign up and say hi!

So, my problem: we currently have a gas pre-payment meter and want to switch to a credit meter. We switched to British Gas, as they don't charge to change the meters, switch went fine, and they came and swapped out the electric meter a month or so ago. Gas meter unfortunately is not so simple. Both meters are in cupboard under the stairs. It's a victorian 2 bed terrace, built around 1900.

The first guy was flummoxed by the size of pipe coming out of the meter, so the job was rebooked for someone else with more experience. The second guy said he'd need a smaller meter to fit in the space, buggered off saying he'd be back that afternoon and we never saw him again. The third guy came last weekend, took one look and said he couldn't change the meter due to regulations, saying that the electrical wires run too close to the gas pipes.

This is fair enough except for the fact that all the wires for the upstairs lights basically come into the cupboard through the same hole in the masonry as one of the gas pipes. So separating the two completely will be impossible/very expensive. Other wires also run very close but should be easy to reroute and pin against the wall elsewhere.

I wanted to check with others; is the gas man being reasonable/truthful? Or a tad jobsworth?

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Agile]

My understanding is that its only classed as Not to Current Standards.

I also thought the distance seperation from a cable was only 25 mm but others will confirm the distance. This has no bearing to any replacement meter as its not changed by that.

It seems that they are making up some excuse for not changing the meter due to some other difficulty. Can you post a photo showing the meter in its environment?

Tony

 

[doitall]

wires for the upstairs lights basically come into the cupboard through the same hole in the masonry as one of the gas pipes

Gas pipe should be sleeved in it's own hole, is good enough reason.

The actual gas pipe could be lagged with plastic tape to get over the electric too close problem, but as above you can't have the cables in the same hole.

 

[Terry7556]

25mm is correct for electricity cables and 150mm for meters,controls and switches or ccu,s.the 25mm applies to domestic pipework up to 35mm.over this a separation of 50mm is needed.
the distances can be reduced if the gas pipe is PVC wrapped or a pane of insulating material is interposed
check it out ,on site guide 17th edition, page 18

 

[anevilpresence]

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies - finally got round to taking a few pics. Turns out the wires don't come through the same hole as a pipe but they do enter very close to one, and not sure I can fix that without mucking about with supporting beams for the cupboard wall/stairs

Wider angle view of both the leccy and gas meters and where the wires are situated:
View media item 39022
Closer angle of where the wires enter the cupboard as described:
View media item 39023
Be great if anyone has any ideas as to how to sort this. Gas ran out this morning whilst in the shower and we seem to be spending a fortune compared to our old flat on a credit meter.

 

[Agile]

The cables seem to be wrapped around the gas pipe.

Dig a hole into the wall so the cable can be embedded in a duct and have a plastic cover to keep the cables in the duct.

Maybe put a split plastic pipe over the gas pipe to silence the job's worths?

Tony

 

[Nige F]

Now I like to slag off gasfitters - but that is an electrician`s lash up . Try posting in the electrics forum - I`d want that neatened up and a test on the house electrics if it was my house

 

[Agile]

It also looks as if the inlet pipe has been added by a non gas supplier person.

Where is the inlet valve?

The inlet pipe could probably be moved a little further away from the cable but that still leaves the outlet pipe with the wrapped wires.

Tony

 

[gaswizzard]

Where is the notice indicating where ECV is situated?

 

[xr4x4]

Where's the gas shut off tap?

 

[mickyg]

Its an unusual installation, but they're just making excuses because it won't be straight forward. Most meter guys are contractors on pay per job so they'll bounce the tricky ones and move on to the easy swaps.

 

[anevilpresence]

Thanks again all... am really grateful for the replies!

@Agile - yeah, had the sparky round yesterday and chasing those wires wrapped round the pipe back into the wall and then probably some ducting of some form is the course of action we've decided on - if the next gasman refuses again. That and he'll lengthen the wires from the fuseboard to allow them to be pinned a sufficient distance away from the pipes...

@xr4x4, gaswizzard, Agile: the shut-off valve is there, it's just the photo manages to miss it out. On the left hand side you can just about make out an ironing board leaning against the wall - it's hidden by that.

@NigeF - Lol! I know - and it's a sight tidier than it used to be! We've had a sparky in shortly after we moved in to sort some problems we uncovered just before we completed. Including lack of earth on ground floor lighting circuit Got all our certs now though

@mickyg - my thoughts exactly. Will see what the next guy says. At this rate I'll soon know the entire Devon BG workforce by name

 

[Dan Robinson]

Looks like the meter was moved by a DIY'er - although how they got NG/Transco/BG (whoever resets the trip switches on those things) to do so beats me.

If you have had a spark round to tidy up the wiring, get him back to finish it off properly.

 

[MeterMonkey]

I am a meter fitter for BG and tbh the job is quite simple.

Re-Edit:

It appears that the fitting connected to the outlet of the meter is 1 n a half inch. A regular BG meter fitter doesnt carry the right materials to deal with that. (there are some specialists who have the right materials to do that job)

The pipework on the outlet looks to be 28mm or its imperial equivalent. If it is 28mm the job would be OK to do and just amend the existing pipework at the outlet

The inlet pipe is only connected via a compression fitting into the regulator, the engineer would only need to replace the regulator, he could undo the compression fittings and replace the olive O ring and it would be right as rain.

It then needs to be attached to a bracket which is screwed to the wall, existing bracket would not be acceptable to install a new meter.

There is obivously the NCS issue with the wires around the back of the incomming pipe to the regulator.

When you speak to BG again about your predicament, ask for the specialist to come out and change it. If he cant do it, Then why the hell is he a specialist.

Jack, Cheshire.

The job would literally be about getting the right man there with the right material.

EDIT:- After reading some of the other replies, The meter is installed correctly, and probably was done by an old contractor.

@mickyg: BG now own their own metering company and we are no long paid by price work, we are salaried and our work load is a lot less, from 25+ a day to about 9 a day.

With you saying the ECV is behind the ironing board, its still possible to do a proper gas leak check which is required before and after the meter exchange.

 

[Richrtr]

Hi Jack pls help me out,
I am starting as a price per job meter exchanger, pls clear up my Q,s

If I exchange a meter with no bracket fitted,do I fit one?

Gas regs are no clear,
Is it just ncs? Regs say a gas fitting (meter) when installed must be correctly supported, but is this an install or exchange?

A new meter fit yes use a bracket! but a 20 year old house with it sat on the floor under the stairs or on L brackets in the garage what happens.

Thanks in advance