Is it legal? - Gas Meter attached to two pliable connectors

[Ines Spires]

A domestic Gas Standard pre-payment Meter was exchanged for a Gas Smart Meter (SM) and then connected to the pre-existing pliable/semi-rigid/anacondas.
I believe this is illegal and breaks laws and regulations when this was done on 30 March 2017.

But my Utility company who had the Gas SM installed state that the:-
“the pipework did not need to be changed at the point of installation of the gas SMART meter and that the attending engineer completed the work in a compliant manner”. (FULL Response at end)

This came to my attention when later I had a gas leak from the Gas Smart Meter.
So Emergency (Cadent) called who made safe and stated in Notice that “Gas leak from corroded stainless steel anaconda flexible pipe after meter”.

1-Gas SM BEFORE - Exchanged Standard Meter to SM.jpeg
2-Gas SM AFTER - Changed Outlet Flexi to Rigid pipe.jpeg

1. 2.

I believe how the Gas SM was originally fitted is Not Compliant to laws and regulations.
Who is right - me or the Utility company?
If I am, I need your help in how to say to them what laws and regulations have been broken by them fitting the Gas SM as they did.

From what I have found from different forums and as I can not access website gas safe register, when a Gas meter is EXCHANGED - not Temporarily Removed and Refitted or Repositioned or Relocated - if two anacondas exist, then the Outlet one has to be replaced by a Fixed pipe.

(1) Legal requirements
- Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR)
- Any other Laws?

(2) National Standards
- BS 6400-1:2016
- Technical Bulletin TB 084 : The prohibition of two pliable connectors on a domestic gas meter installation
- Any other Standards?

Found this quoted in a forum, but there may be an updated one for 30 March 2017:-
TB084 22/09/10 states "The requirements of Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure(GIUSP)
Where an existing meter installation is encountered with two pliable connections fitted, the installation should be classified as "Not to Current Standards" (NCS) in accordance with the procedure detailed in the current GIUSP (TB001). The Gas user/responsible person should be advised to contact their gas supplier in order to rectify the matter."
In my case, is not the installer the gas supplier?

(3)Operational / Management / Codes
Ofgen, SMICoP, MAMCoP
Is not an Ofgem Approved Meter Installer (OAMI), who is working on behalf of a meter asset manager (MAM), required to renew the outlet with rigid pipework if they do a meter exchange?
- Any other Codes?

Has the Utility company broken the law?
Or is what they did just NCS or AR?
Or should I just stop complaining?
I hope advice can be given to me as I believe the Utility company’s work put lives at risk - I thank you in advance, Ines.


Utility Company Response in Full:-
“Your complaint is in relation to the gas meter pipework. I have been in contact with the Compliance Manager of the installing company regarding the original installation appointment. The Compliance Manager has confirmed that the pipework did not need to be changed at the point of installation of the gas and electricity SMART meters and that the attending engineer completed the work in a compliant manner.

I appreciate you having provided a report from a British Gas engineer, however this report is inconclusive to the nature of this facet of your complaint. Furthermore, I am unable to comment on any conversations you have had with an engineer with whom we have no affiliation. Therefore, based on this information, this facet of the complaint will not be upheld.”

 

[muggles]

What are you trying to achieve here?

 

[Stadan20]

What are you trying to achieve here?

Some sort of compensation no doubt

 

[CBW]

The utility company imo are correct, 2 semi-rigid stainless steel connections on a meter installation refer to a meter installation - not pipework exiting the meter, except in a semi sunken meter installation whereby it is the outlet of the box where the meter installation ends. The only thing that would be ncs about that is a meter which would be unstable or secure.

Edit: also not ideal having a source of water above it either.

Or should I just stop complaining?

yes

 

[Ines Spires]

If it is financial compensation and I went to the Energy Ombudsman, as I am sure you know, it will be £50/100 max. Big deal, for all my above effort and time in researching and finding out. Remember, I am a layman, not an expert like you, and all the above I have gathered myself. So, I am asking forum members to state to me what is correct, incorrect and/or what more I need to say to back up my view that the Gas SM installation is NOT compliant.

So what am I trying to achieve? At the risk of sounding arrogant and pompous, it is a matter of principle AND safety.
The Utility company I am dealing with have done so many wrong things in their SM Gas and Electric installation that I have found out in hindsight. They have been unethical and incompetent in many ways, but I am not going to state all that here as I am pursuing those matters separately.

If there appointed Gas SM installers are exchanging meters that breaks the Law and Regulations should not Ofgem be aware?
As Gas Engineers is not safety of paramount importance in the work you do - of course it is!
To Gas Engineers on this forum, all I am asking you as the experts, has the Utility company exchanged the meter safely, correctly and up to the current standards and regulations as of 30 March 2017.
I want to stop this 'cowboy' behaviour, make sure other Gas SMs fitted by this company have been done up to standard and make the relevant authorities aware before something unfortunate happens.

 

[CBW]

I’ve already stated what is correct. If there was anything gas safety wise that needed reporting it would be reported to gas safe not ofgem. So if you have a genuine concern regarding safety, then contact gas safe. Also if there was anything non compliant, Cadent should have picked it up.

 

[Gasguru]

If it is financial compensation and I went to the Energy Ombudsman, as I am sure you know, it will be £50/100 max. Big deal, for all my above effort and time in researching and finding out. Remember, I am a layman, not an expert like you, and all the above I have gathered myself. So, I am asking forum members to state to me what is correct, incorrect and/or what more I need to say to back up my view that the Gas SM installation is NOT compliant.

So what am I trying to achieve? At the risk of sounding arrogant and pompous, it is a matter of principle AND safety.
The Utility company I am dealing with have done so many wrong things in their SM Gas and Electric installation that I have found out in hindsight. They have been unethical and incompetent in many ways, but I am not going to state all that here as I am pursuing those matters separately.

If there appointed Gas SM installers are exchanging meters that breaks the Law and Regulations should not Ofgem be aware?
As Gas Engineers is not safety of paramount importance in the work you do - of course it is!
To Gas Engineers on this forum, all I am asking you as the experts, has the Utility company exchanged the meter safely, correctly and up to the current standards and regulations as of 30 March 2017.
I want to stop this 'cowboy' behaviour, make sure other Gas SMs fitted by this company have been done up to standard and make the relevant authorities aware before something unfortunate happens.

Unfortunately in the real World the HSE, Gas-Safe etc don't really care, the trade is a shambles and there just isn't the willpower or the common sense to sort it out (and too many middle men with influence exploit the situation).
There's a just a handful of prosecutions every year versus the 100,000s of illegal and shoddy gas installations. Welcome to the gas industry.

Most of these smart meter installers have done a quick course and really couldn't give a stuff about safety...every authority is fully aware.
The UK signed up to this pointless exercise and must be seen to be carrying it out.
In reality how many people have died/been injured so far...maybe a few so in the eyes of the government it's insignificant.
They would rather spend the limited resources on prevention of a large scale rail incident etc.

How do you think those of us that are conscienceous in this trade get on when we see sub-standard work every day?
It's not right but for your own sanity move on and forget it....

 

[gas112]

the reason for not being fitted on two anacondas is partly safety partly fiddling of meter which i wont go into

 

[Gasguru]

Of course the government could slap a pound on everyone's gas bill to pay for Gas-Safe rather than the ridiculous conflict of interest we have at the moment with the installers paying £100s each year to Gas-Safe.
Then we could have 3 independent "Gas-Safes" managing the licencing and dump an underperforming one without too much disruption.
Then we could slap another whole pound on everyones gas bill for a nice incentive scheme for the "Gas-Safes" to route out the cowboys and string 'em up.
Perhaps then we would have a safer fully compliant gas trade...but that would be far too sensible for a feckless UK government.

We face continual increase in legislation, procedures and hoops to jump through...the net result is that those who comply struggle to compete, dissappear from the trade and standards continue to fall as the cowboys continue knowing there's little risk of prosecution. Total backwards thinking.