Gas supply in road being updated - can they insist meter must be outside?

Hello,

I am posting on behalf of my brother so am getting info a little second hand.

Essentially my brothers house has a gas meter installed under the stairs. The gas company are updating the gas mains along their road and they have knocked on the door saying the supply pipe isn't up to scratch and they want to replace it. No problem with that obviously.

They have then said they will update the pipe (iassume diggin up his drive) and install the meter on an outside wall. Again no real problem with that, I can see the benefit for future maintenance, reading of meters etc. From the new meter location however they then say they would run pipe to connect up to the exisiting house pipework (installation pipework) under the stairs but that this would have to be run above the floor.

This is where my brother has a problem because there is no obvious route the pipework can take and it not be completely unsightly even if boxed in. The exising main supply must run somewhere in his drive and either up through his existing concrete floor at the stairs location or run in the concrete floor.

So my question is basically can they do this? I am ok with the fact that they must update the supply pipe etc and to some extent that the meter must be located on the outside but, can they then say we can only run it above floor in boxing? or is it a case of basically that being easier for them? Forming a route from the gas meter on the outside wall to connect to existing installation pipework would involve ripping up tiles and then somehow chasing a route in a concrete floor I suppose.

I realise that would be a complete ball ache for them but legally/regs? is it allowed. I have been trying to read the Gas Safety (installation and use) regulations 1998 and I see this which seems to pertain to the situation:

19.—(1) No person shall install any part of any installation pipework in a wall or a floor or standing of solid construction unless it is so constructed and installed as to be protected against failure caused by the movement of the wall, the floor or the standing as the case may be.

(2) No person shall install any installation pipework so as to pass through a wall or a floor or standing of solid construction (whether or not it contains any cavity) from one side to the other unless—

(a)any part of the pipe within such wall, floor or standing as the case may be takes the shortest practicable route; and

(b)adequate means are provided to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, any escape of gas from the pipework passing through the wall, floor or standing from entering any cavity in the wall, floor or standing.

(3) No person shall, subject to paragraph (4), install any part of any installation pipework in the cavity of a cavity wall unless the pipe is to pass through the wall from one side to the other.

19 part 1 seems to suggest it can be run in a concrete floor as long as provision (I have no idea how this can be done) is made to protect against failure from movement.

Realise thats a long post and my apologies but wanted to try and get as clear as possible. Any help/advice greatly appreciated.

New installations the meter must go outside and be sealed. Existing can go inside. There's a good chance they'll just insert a new pipe inside the existing thereby saving digging the drive up.
Not sure about the reconnections being outside, obviously it's preferable to being on the main escape route but could be tricky as you say.
Either way it would be at their expense to his satisfactory standard

Meters don't have to go outside. Here's a guide to which I like to refer: http://bit.ly/2EE1KIx

I'm not sure they can force you to move it, but they prefer them outside for practical reasons (e.g. taking readings and repair/replacement work) - only real benefit to you is that you don't have to be home in future when they need access, but the disruption this will cause doesn't really outweigh that.

If the pipe going into the current meter is the same size as the one coming out they might be able relocate the new meter and just re-use the existing pipework by patching across the pipes in the location where the old meter was.

Nakajo said:

Meters don't have to go outside. Here's a guide to which I like to refer: http://bit.ly/2EE1KIx

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The service can not be built over and will be required to travel to an outside wall where the meter can be located either on the inside or the outside of this wall, local to the service.
Most sensible people locate the meter on the outside.

noseall said:

Most sensible people locate the meter on the outside.

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thanks, youre great too

John D v2.0 said:

thanks, youre great too

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Once Ideal Home and Country Living magazines stopped endorsing the 'gas meter chic' look, I fell out of love with the whole gas meter table lamp idea myself.

Oh ye of little faith.

We had ours replaced/updated a couple of years ago and was concerned they would fix it to the lower wooden panel which is next to the frront door and which would need replacing at some time and then the drama of getting it moved to fit new frame etc,dont know what i worried about as they just put a plasic pipe through the old iron one,which oddly tees off from the house next door.