General Chat

Just a thought to remind peeps to beware when moving gas meter boxes on external walls. If you have a damp course if can affect the integrity. In our current house (not the one I was talking about before) they moved the electric meter outside a few years ago, it was after the damp course had been done, some how it has started making it damp on just that section of the wall inside. I don't know if it's because it's too low.

I see there is also one that goes on the ground.
As long as ours is moved down a bit it should be ok.

Marion

Well now my porch is finished this gas box is in the way - it takes up so much room that I could utilise. I have just called british gas and asked how I go about leaving when they asked why I said that an alternative supplier would move my gas box chepaer than their quote of £465.00 if I changed my gas and leccy over to them ...... British gas said ok - well you dont need to do anything just go with the other supllier and they will contact us and youll be moved in abuot 6 weeks.

NOT the answer I was looking for - I was hoping they would reduce the quote. They just dont care these days.

Thank for your replies girls.

Good idea Linsey, wont try it though lol.


Got a form to fill in today,that was quick only phoned yesterday.
Anyway on it it asks if it is more than two metres,that might be enough.
Form is filled in and we have to wait on surveyor..free it says.

thanks again
Marion

They refused to move mine so now I dont let them in to read it. They get 50 pence each meter reading..... but not my 50p!

Jeez,

You would have thought to move a meter to an outside wall would suit them better as they dont have to arrange access to read the meter at bill time!!

All new or refurbished houses over here have to have meters on the outside and they are moved for free if already insitu!

love t.x

LOL Lindsey

Tell them a BT van just knocked it and you can smell gas ! They'll end up dong it for free !

Issy, that's unbelievable, sounds like you were properly ripped off.

Very weird, Maddie. Maybe it's coz I was putting on me posh voice when I was pretending to be my mum? LOL

Marion

I would check with whoever you go with that they will do all the work for you. We have recently had our electric meter moved to the outside from the cupboard under the stairs. We had to buy the meter cupboard ourselves and attach it to the wall prior to the electrician coming making sure that we had the right amount of wire. We also had to drill through the wall to the outside ourselves. The only thing the electricity board did was to dig the hole at the base of the wall for the pipe and install the meter. We were then left to fill in the hole they had dug. They charged £600!!! Alright for an hours work dont you think? Hopefully you wont have the same problems with the gas people.

Issy

They have been out and assessed it Summer. They sent Wales and west and the quote shows the distance as under 2 feet.

Maddie, mum's duel discount isn't as much as they say it should be and the bills aren't supposed to come closer than two weeks apart, but they always come the same week. They have been lucky in that they opted for the price protected gas.

In the case of the gas meter it was literally down about 10" and the pipes were all there.

Maddie, I would speak to them again and tell them that it's under a meter and will be easier for them to read.

Thats interesting Summer it was British Gas that put us in touch with Wales and West we just want to move it from what was an outside wall - but is now an inside wall due having a porch built. It will be easier for them to read if its outside and its under two feet.

I tried calling them tonight as I am looking at changing leccy suppliers to see if I moved my leccy to gas (as Id get the duel discount) would they reduce the charge. But they said the dept that deal with that are closed and only open office hours.

Mildred.

I better get the piggy bank raided by the sounds of it lol.
Will be worth it, if in the end we get a parking space of our own.
Some yellow lines have done away with about 5 parking spaces.
Like a lot of other places you get people parking then going to work.

Marion

SS, It would let us get the car further down past the side of the house,if we move it...before somebody moves it with the car lol

Marion

Another point to mention is that I think it works out cheaper to put from inside to outside as they are removing piping & capping rather than extending.

Its still expensive though, although i cant remember how much ours cost.

Yesterday, my mum had the gas meter at their bungalow moved down free of charge by british gas. If you're a customer with them they will move it under a metre for free.

However, if you are disabled or elderly there is a scheme for help with moving a metre if it will make it easier for you to either read it or be read. I don't think that this situation would really qualify. Does it actually need to be moved?

Thanks Maddie, I will have a look around.

We have just had a quote to move our Gas meter less than 2 feet. The quote was from Wales and Utilities and came to £460.75.

In the small print it does say: It may be possible to get an alternative quote from other gas transporters or utility infrastructure providers. A list of registered UIP's can be found at www.GIRS.co.uk (follow the Lloyds register link).

The society of British Gas Industries can also provide alternative installers at www.sbgi.org.uk a list of Gas transporters can be found on the Ofgem Website www.ofgem.gov.uk.

Ill certainly be going down that route - almost £500.00 to move it from one side of a wall to the other takes the biscuit - especially as there is talk of utility meters all being changed in the next few years as the government wants easy to read ones that show how much is being used per item.

Hope that helps

ADDED


Funnily enough the first link provided by Wales and West is out of date - I beleive the correct one is www.lloydsregister.co.uk/girs.html its not easy to navigate though I am still finding my way around.