Gas meter in garage - issues.

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We had a large extension added about 15 years ago. The whole extension had to be piled (built on clay) and a concrete slab added.

The old gas meter / cupboard that was previously on the outside wall wasn't touched and is now inside the integral garage of the new extension. The supply is now buried under a substantial concrete / piled slab holding the whole extension up. We've had no issues, we've had meter readings taken, we even had Corgi inspect the whole system after an issue with the original certificate on completion. The building inspector found no issues, signed it all off and life went on.

A few months back a gas engineer came around to block off the kitchen gas supply as we went for a electric hob. Did all the tests at the meter, he commented on the plastic pipe but that was about it.

In an effort to change gas / electric tariffs from our current supplier I was advised to get meter readers fitted. (I've put it off for years). This week the guy turned up and immediately said the gas meter was illegal as the pipe from floor level to the meter in the garage was plastic and should be steel. He said if he touched it he'd have to report it. If he reported it the gas supplier would demand we move it outside, the block paved drive, the piled concrete slab and half the garage floor would have to come up, if we refuse they'd cut the gas supply off and it all got a bit daft - and it would be bloody expensive naturally.

Needless to say they were shown the door, didn't do the job and promised not to report it (something tells me they will)

Having done basic research I appreciate the fire issue with plastic inside the garage and what the regs say however now we've had the fear of god put into us that we now have an unsellable house.

The bizarre thing is the meter in its current location was previously on an exterior wall, on a long block paved driveway, built from scratch by the developers (we bought from new in the 90's). Over the years the kids have played footie etc on the drive, cars have been parked, doors have been opened the meter box / pipe has been ravaged by general traffic and abuse yet why would they fit a plastic pipe from ground level to the box ?

Surely it would have to be steel / metal. Any one of my kids could have kicked a ball and smashed the hell out of it.

Is it possible that inside the plastic sleeve is a steel pipe ? It was in a high traffic area where any nudge from a car bumper, door, child etc could have damage it.

Anyone seem similar - mid 90's build.
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looking at the fitting under your main tap i would say your service is plastic under the sleeve .
And is now classed as AR (at risk .)
And yep its something they have ignored in the past but are now tightening up on .
If its clearly obvious and building work is recent then they will definitely charge you to relocate the meter.
If it looks historical and you dont admit to having had extension done yourself then they will move it for free usually .
The other consideration is worst case scenario if something did happen to it your house insurance could be affected .
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But going back the rules were in place 15 years ago when you had the work done so its not something they have just brought in
 
looking at the fitting under your main tap i would say your service is plastic under the sleeve .
And is now classed as AR (at risk .)
And yep its something they have ignored in the past but are now tightening up on .
If its clearly obvious and building work is recent then they will definitely charge you to relocate the meter.
If it looks historical and you dont admit to having had extension done yourself then they will move it for free usually .
The other consideration is worst case scenario if something did happen to it your house insurance could be affected .
.
.
But going back the rules were in place 15 years ago when you had the work done so its not something they have just brought in
Thanks for that, I thought deep down after googling all day that was probably the case. I guess we need to wait to see if these guys report it, what follows from then onwards and take it from there. I'm amazed that isn't a sleeve and was permitted outside in full glare of the sun and the old location on the drive.
 
Just further and after more googling.

SGN quote
If SGN dig the trenches£796 +VAT
If you dig the trenches£547 +VAT

SGN to refit the meter£101 +VAT
SGN to refit the meter and reconnect meter outlet pipework£203 +VAT

These prices look reasonable and must be kind of subsidised surely ( I was never expecting it to cost nothing)

I presume the best case scenario is let SGN dig up the block paved drive as they have to 'put it right' and they should do it better than me ! No need to mess with the slab / piling etc.

I presume they disconnect in the trench and divert to the nearest external wall - this is doable as we have a small external section of wall a few feet from the current meter.

It's a difficult one, just get it done for peace of mind, wait to see if we were 'grassed up' or declare it ourselves. Or just leave it as we're probably all going heat pumps.

These smart meters must be causing some grief for people.
 
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I suppose saving a few quid is worth more than your kid's lives if anything were to go wrong........ probably won't get your house re built on the insurance either.
Just saying.
 
Our gas supply was plastic in the garage because it had been built over when an extension was built by previous owners.
When we wanted a new boiler one of the people quoting noticed the plastic pipe and issued paperwork to say it was wrong (I can't remember the exact wording of that notice).
I contacted Cadent, our gas distributor, and they moved the meter at no cost and reconnected the pipework to the new meter position. They were very flexible with agreeing a new meter position with me to avoid damage to block paving.
They did ask if we had built over the supply pipe or if it was like that when we moved in, I think that this was the critical detail which allowed the work to be done for free. I didn't have to provide any information to prove when the extension was built.
 
Could you just enclose the gas pipe in the garage with something like a wooden or metal box, attached to the wall? That would protect it from any damage by impact, which is what I suppose the objection to the pipe being plastic is about.
 
Would adding some shuttering/formwork around it, then encasing it in concrete satisfy?

It probably wouldn't conform. There's 18 inches of plastic pipe showing, embedded in a concrete slab backing onto a block / brick wall at the garage door end but some jobsworth fitting a smart meter thinks my house will blow up as a result.

Corgi didn't pick it up when they checked the whole system, the building Inspector didn't pick it up on one of his numerous visits, numerous gas engineers servicing the boiler in the last 15 years have ignored it and surveyors for house purchases don't bother with it.

It's classified as 'at risk' but no riskier than parking a car in a garage with a car full of highly combustible petrol. It's so risky they don't even cut your supply off as 'the risk' is still there up to the meter. Hence once they're told they're almost duty bound to rectify it themselves hence them paying for most of the jobs.
 
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