Electric Bonding Gas Meter

[ban-all-sheds]

That will just rack up a debt for the standing charge.

 

[SimonH2]

I agree, just contact the supplier (SSE in this case) and tell them you no longer want a gas service - i.e. cancel the contract. If you are on a dual fuel tariff then you need to switch your electric to a single fuel tariff. It's up to them how they disconnect the supply - one method being to simply fit a blanking piece in the gas pipe (it's a make-female fitting with a solid middle so clocks the pipe it's fitted into.) They may remove the meter, but I doubt it. I recall when my parents moved some years ago the house had been empty for a while - and the gas engineer had to come and "reconnect" the supply which involved removing this blanking device and checking the service for leaks.
As to the bonding, I call "make bovine excrement". The bonding will be on your own pipe on your side of the meter and will not need to be interfered with - so zero issue to the flat.
The only possible issue is that it could leave a small section of metal pipe on their side of the meter - but this will not be connected to anything, there'll be no mains cables in the vicinity that could make it live, and it'll (assuming it's not ancient) have a plastic service pipe. Put another way, it's about as dangerous as having metal hinges on the gate - bits of metal that don't realistically have any means of being made live.

 

[EFLImpudence]

The bonding will be on your own pipe on your side of the meter and will not need to be interfered with - so zero issue to the flat.

That is likely the case.

The only possible issue is that it could leave a small section of metal pipe on their side of the meter - but this will not be connected to anything,

Nevertheless, it is that piece of pipe which actually requires bonding.

there'll be no mains cables in the vicinity that could make it live,

Not in the flat, perhaps, but we don't know about the rest of the building.

and it'll (assuming it's not ancient) have a plastic service pipe.

Well, we don't know that and it's likely a long way from the flat.

Put another way, it's about as dangerous as having metal hinges on the gate - bits of metal that don't realistically have any means of being made live.

If the hinges reach to the ground floor, then yes about as dangerous.

 

[333rocky333]

Bear in mind the 18th have amended bonding to services with an insulated insert

 

[EFLImpudence]

Well, they no longer say the wrong part should be bonded.

Do they say the actual extraneous-c-p should be?

 

[JohnW2]

Well, they no longer say the wrong part should be bonded. Do they say the actual extraneous-c-p should be?

There is 'elsewhere' a regulation generically requiring that all ('actual') extraneous-c-ps should be main bonded, isn't there?

That's what seemed to make the 'silly' reg in 17th so silly since I don't think the requirement to bond on 'the wrong side' of a meter etc. over-rode the generic requirement to bond the actual extraneous-c-p, did it? (i.e. to comply with those regs, one would presumably have had to bond on both sides of the meter/whatever, wouldn't one!).

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

There is 'elsewhere' a regulation generically requiring that all ('actual') extraneous-c-ps should be main bonded, isn't there?

There is, but I believe the reason for the 'insulating section' is that the gas companies do not want current flowing in 'their' pipes - so something of a catch 22 position.

That's what seemed to make the 'silly' reg in 17th so silly since I don't think the requirement to bond on 'the wrong side' of a meter etc. over-rode the generic requirement to bond the actual extraneous-c-p, did it?

Not if one understood the situation.

(i.e. to comply with those regs, one would presumably have had to bond on both sides of the meter/whatever, wouldn't one!).

One would, but ...

 

[JohnW2]

There is, but I believe the reason for the 'insulating section' is that the gas companies do not want current flowing in 'their' pipes - so something of a catch 22 position.

I suppose one can understand that, and it would be no problem if they installed such an insulating section just outside the property, or 'at the point of entry', so that there was no extraneous-c-p.

One would, but ...

Quite!

Kind Regards, John

 

[SUNRAY]

Hi, I've just joined the site and was wondering if someone can help.

I live in a flat and have a gas meter. It has a pipe coming into it from outside and a pipe which leads from it to the boiler. There is a clip attached to the pipe leading from the boiler to the pipe. I have been told this is the earth bonding.

I want to have the meter taken out as I don't use the meter and object to paying a standing charge for something I don't use. SSE have told me they can't move it as it would breach the health and safety rules as the earth bonding could go live into the flat if there was a short circuit.

My housing association have said it would be safe and they don't need to move the bonding.

Please could someone let me know the correct answer. I know very little about electrics so could the answer be in simple tones (for a simple person ).

Thanks

A simple question, have you taken out a contract with SSE?

If not then you are paying nothing.
If you have, then tell them you are moving out and to supply a new address such as a relative or work for further communication.

As long as you don't use any gas there will be no further liability.

 

[JohnW2]

... tell them you are moving out and to supply a new address such as a relative or work for further communication.

As I and others have said, it may well not be quite as simple as that, since it is very possible that the OP has a 'dual fuel' contract (i.e. gas + electricity) and he wants the electricity supply to continue.

He therefore needs to cancel just the gas part of his contract, and he can just ask for that, without having to lie about 'moving out'. It's possible that they will not have a mechanism for 'cancelling part of the contract'. If so, he could cancel all of it and, at the same time, ask them to provide a new contract for just electricity (top commence when the current contract is terminated) - and I can't see them 'saying no'.

Kind Regards, John

 

[AndyPRK]

Sunray - It's a prepayment meter and these appear to have different rules.


I did try to get rid of an elec meter I wasn't using. I think I told Npower I was moving out. Just got lots of letters addressed to the new occupier. In the end I had to re-register with them to get the meter removed, as they wouldn't remove it without the house owners permission.

 

[SUNRAY]

Sunray - It's a prepayment meter and these appear to have different rules.


I did try to get rid of an elec meter I wasn't using. I think I told Npower I was moving out. Just got lots of letters addressed to the new occupier. In the end I had to re-register with them to get the meter removed, as they wouldn't remove it without the house owners permission.

Yes I did see that it's prepayment. And yes I know they are a PITA as I have several of each flavour in rental properties.
The problem with them is there is little or no control over the standing charge within the meter. I recently had a property empty for 4 months and I had a heated exchange of phone calls and emails with the supplier starting on the day of vacancy. The silly irony is the property is on dual fuel tariff with gas on pre-pay but the leccy is credit, they were totally happy to accept the property was empty with no liability for leccy rental but there is no facility to do the same with the pre-pay unless it is a smart meter (This is one of the rare occasions where smart meters benefit the customer).
It got to the point they threatened legal action and I suggested they miss out the usual successive threats and go straight to court which was obviously not the reaction they expected. In the end they sent a card with enough credit to cover the vacant time.

Due to the confusion over the regs and where the bond goes, all of mine are bonded both sides of the meter which confuses the hell out of any inspection.

 

[JohnW2]

Sunray - It's a prepayment meter and these appear to have different rules.

That's true, but I can't see that any rules could prevent one from cancelling the contract for supply of gas (provided that adequate notice was given).

It is, of course, possible that the pre-payment meter was being used partially to collect arrears. However, I don't really see how even that could prevent the contract being cancelled - it would merely mean that there would be an outstanding debt at the time of cancellation of the contract, which the supplier could then seek to recover via the various legal etc. processes available to them.

Kind Regards, John