Gas pipe maintenance

[ValkOx]

Could any of you help with this please.

I have a gas pipe to my terraced house which hasn't been used for several years, the pipe follows the route of the alleyway which is shared with a neighbour. It appears that a main (or dual?) pipe is T'eed off between the properties.

A few years ago, my neighbour's supply pipe was updated with a plastic pipe but mine, as it was not being used, was cut off.

I now have to pay to get a new pipe laid but should the original pipe have been maintained/updated when they did the neighbour's pipe? Were they entitled to cut-off my pipe?

 

[PRS1]

Everything from meter backwards belongs to the supplier so i would have thought that its their decission to make.
Lets face it if your not a customer of theirs what obligation do they have too you-none!

 

[namsag]

A gas service not used for 12 months should be cut off .
Its up to you to pay to have it reinstated

 

[bengasman]

Not only were they entitled to remove the connection, it could be argued that they were obliged to do so.

On top of that, afaik, no company is obliged to start supplying you with anything.

 

[ValkOx]

Thanks for the replies. Not sure how this became construed as a gas supplier question as the question wasn't about supplying gas but the maintenance of an existing gas pipe.

The pipe doesn't belong to any supplier, it 'belongs' to the gas network operator and, as an existing pipe, my question was is there a duty of maintenance.

At the moment I do not have a gas supplier therefore I am not a customer hence I do not understand the reasoning behind the supplier / obligation / reinstatement comments but thanks for taking the time.

 

[JohnD]

"duty of maintenance"

if they own an old pipe in the ground that is not being used, they have a duty to prevent it leaking. One way to do that is to dig it up and renew or remove it, another way is to cut it off so it is just a length of scrap pipe not connected to anything.

As the pipe was out of use they chose to cut it off (there are lots of old pipes and cables in the ground that are disused, and not worth the trouble of digging them up)

sorry

 

[ValkOx]

"duty of maintenance"

if they own an old pipe in the ground that is not being used, they have a duty to prevent it leaking. One way to do that is to dig it up and renew or remove it, another way is to cut it off so it is just a length of scrap pipe not connected to anything.

As the pipe was out of use they chose to cut it off (there are lots of old pipes and cables in the ground that are disused, and not worth the trouble of digging them up)

sorry

Good point. I hadn't considered the maintenance angle of simply removing the potential issue. Thanks for the response.

 

[bengasman]

The owner of the network installs and maintains pipes and connections at the request of suppliers; it is the supplier that pays for the connection.
"Transco" bears the cost for maintenance, so they will simply cut off a pipe that is not in use.
Transco then get paid for connecting you up to the grid by the supplier who may charge you whatever they see fit within the boundaries set by the regulator.