Gas supply in Villages

[Dunton]

Does anyone know why gas mains supply has not been installed at (it seems) a lot of villages when they have electricity, water, sewage on mains?

Is there some plan to install? in any particular order?

I did try to get this info from British Gas a while back, but never received an answer.

 

[Nixt]

Why would you want to be connected to another leeching, fat cat toting, pretend its not a monopoly, privatised utility?

Go for another heating fuel.

 

[Dunton]

Because it's cheap (ish) and easy to use (mostly) and it's what I am used to.

But, the question was why the gas main had not been supplied, when electricity, water and sewage had (not in all cases). Is it just the cost to the supplier?

 

[gas4you]

It is usually down to cost in the end and linked to the proximity of a suitable gas main. Quite often if a village parish council approaches a gas supplier then they will give a cost per household to supply the village with gas. The problem you then have would be getting everyone to change so that it would be the lowest cost per customer.

Until then why not consider LPG

 

[BoxBasher]

Its a balance of Cost vs Neccessity.

1) Water is a basic requirement of life, there is not always a viable alternative to mains water (not everybody has access to a well) tanker deliveries of water would not be too sensible unless you could treat and chill the water to prevent bacteriological/microbial development. Therefore there is a good case for laying miles of water main.

2) Electricity, whilst not a basic requirement of life, is classed as essential because without it a lot of things you do wouldn't function (lights, TV, computer etc). Cables are easier to install than a pipeline due to available lengths of cable on coils, ability to install overhead/overland (on poles) quickly etc

3) Heat is probably more essential than electricity but can be provided in other ways ie electricity, but more traditionally coal, oil, wood and more recently tank gas - which were, and still are widely used in rural areas. It would not be cost effective to lay gas mains down miles of roads to feed a few isolated dwellings.

 

[namsag]

Purley down to cost . Its been about 16 years since there was a nationwide effort to connect thousands of villages but that was done on a long term plan that if it cost £x amount to put in they would get £xxx amount back over the future years .

But now that the old gas board has split into so many companys there is not the same pay back. One of the gimmicks they used then was giving away free gas kettles because of the money they would make on the gas heating them over the years. In the end it all boils down to profit

 

[BoxBasher]

But now that the old gas board has split into so many companys there is not the same pay back.

Gas distribution is still solely down to National Grid (formerly Transco). The gas you use and pay for is purchased by your supplier from National Grid, so if they laid a pipe they would still get revenue from it, but it would be likely to be a very long pay-off period. One of the problems being that they don't have the same powers as "The Gas Board" so can't just decide to throw a pipe accross somebody's land and would have to negotiate and pay for easements. There is also a much smaller labour force - doing mainly reactive repairs and some refurbishment.

 

[namsag]

As i said there is not the same pay back, in the past the gas board would have made money on the transportation and on point of sale, Also not just down to national grid as half the countrys network was sold to various companys a couple of years ago . National grid are the biggest with fifty percent . As for size of workforce this doesn`t come into it as this work is done by contractors

 

[JohnD]

Gas distribution is still solely down to National Grid (formerly Transco). .

Except for the Scotia Gas bits (branded as Southern Gas Networks down here and still using the old pale blue vans with a new name on the side).

Bought some of the network off NGT.

 

[htgeng]

I remember reading that one of the lottery millionaires paid Transco around £140,000 to provide gas to their country pad. I guess if you can write a big enough cheque, then you can get your gas connection.

 

[Dunton]

Yes, thanks. It appears that it depends upon how far you are from the main how much it costs (obvious I suppose). I guess 'they' would only do it if the majority of the village wanted it and were prepared to pay their proportion of the total cost.

How does one find out exactly where the nearest main is?

 

[Nige F]

dowsing rod

 

[BoxBasher]

How does one find out exactly where the nearest main is?

Ask National Grid if they can let you know where the nearest main is or provide a quote for extending an existing one. Any work in the public highway will need to be done by them. Usually find that they will allow you to install a meter at the boundary of your land and have the rest of the pipework run along your land by an approved contractor.

 

[Bamber gaspipe]

Mod 2 seems to be on duty.

MOD 2

correct and if you start tonight the lot goes be advised

 

[Bamber gaspipe]

MOD 2

correct and if you start tonight the lot goes be advised[/quote]

Child.