Gas Meter - this looks dangerous, who's responsible?

[markvaughan]

So I'm running some earth cable before the electrician comes to sign off, and I just found my gas meter is supported by one leg on a block of wood..
Who would have installed this, is it dangerous, and who's responsibility would it be to fix the situation?

The meter belongs to the gas supplier?

View media item 83820
I read the sticky, I'm not going to diy the gas supply or anything of that nature, this post about the meter, it's safety and around who should take ownership of a possible solution.

Any advice and help appreciated.
Mark

 

[nortonj]

Hi. Is the meter fixed to the wall on a bracket?

 

[Tibbot]

If you own the house, then you are responsible for everything in it.

 

[markvaughan]

Hi. Is the meter fixed to the wall on a bracket?

Nope. I think the inlet pipe and the one leg on the block are the only support.

 

[markvaughan]

If you own the house, then you are responsible for everything in it.

Great, I'll just have it removed then, if neither the supplier or the transporter own it..

 

[nortonj]

A picture of the top end of meter will help. The responsibility falls with whoever owns your meter, this should be your supplier. But i would ring 0800 11 999 for advice.

 

[U6]

There's a digit missing from the above number.

0800 111999

 

[nortonj]

Cheers u6.

 

[markvaughan]

As requested, pic of top side of meter, you can see supply pipe, etc.

View media item 83821
And the depth isn't quite clear, so this shows the gap from the wall and no supporting bracket.

View media item 83822

 

[nortonj]

Yes looks dangerous to me call the above number and they will advise you who to call or will send somebody out.

 

[markvaughan]

Have rang through to the National Grid gas helpline, they say this is a supplier issue, so I'll ring npower on Monday.

With regard to cost and liability, you think remedial work would be at my expense?

I'll update when I get an answer.

 

[nortonj]

Only the installation pipework coming from the outlet of your meter is your responsibility as far as i am aware. So you should be ok.

 

[Agile]

My experience is that they take very little interest in support aspects unless you are very lucky and get one the very few helpful guys!

However, yours is only supported by the outlet pipe which places an undue strain on it and makes it At Risk.

However, rather than wait in for someone to call, it may be easier to just get a piece of wood made up that you can place under it yourself so that it supports the whole area of the underneath.

Tony

 

[markvaughan]

Really it could do with moving over to the left a half meter, inside a cupboard. I wanted to put a dish washer in, and removing the base units would leave the meter just out in the room, on this block, where anyone could kick the block or the meter accidentally.

The pipe can be hidden behind some wood framework, but the meter is just too big in it's current place.

I moved in 2 years ago.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Sadly my experience corresponds with Tony's.... Even the National Grid man who attended (to fix a leak caused by his colleague who changed the meter the day before!), was sufficiently concerned about the standard of the meter and supply pipework, to call his superior.

That was about 6 years back, maybe longer. It's still the same, a good length of steel service pipe being supported entirely by the piece of lead pipe attached to the governor on the end of the steel pipe, and the meter... (The lead is wrapped round a shelf bracket for extra support!) They (NG) are not prepared to do anything until it starts leaking.....

I would suspect, offered payment, your Supplier would arrange something, but I doubt they'll do much for free.... I need the entire service replacing, from the main in the street to the meter and I'm certainly not paying them for that!