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www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk Forum Index -> General DIY forum
-> DIY Disasters |
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LadyG1976
Junior Member
Joined: 16 Apr 2008
Posts: 2
Location: WILTSHIRE
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 Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 5:01 pm Post subject: UNWANTED GAS PIPE - HELP! |
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Having been sold a maisonette that was supposed to be all electric, I've now uncovered a live gas pipe in my kitchen sticking up about 8 inches exactly where my built under oven needs to go!
I've had the emergency gas man out to check it, it is definitely live and of the old style but he refused to lower it the two inches I need as there is no isolator valve and uncrewing the collar to replace the cap would allow lots of gas into the apartment - against Health & Safety Regs.
South Wales & West look after British Gas/Transco's pipe in our area and they have said they will send out an engineer in the next 2-3 weeks to assess it but have stated it will need a two man crew to dig up the road and isolate it from there - this will costs THOUSANDS! And apparently I'm responsible for the bill. All for the sake of two inches!
My entire refurbishment project has grounded to a halt until the problem is rectified - I was supposed to move in in two weeks time!
I'm absolutely gutted. Has anyone any ideas that might help me out?
Desperate of Wiltshire |
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thescruff
Senior Member
Joined: 10 Mar 2008
Posts: 4657
Location: Bath
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| Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 5:11 pm Post subject: |
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The secret weapon comes in handy sometimes.
Can you say when the supply last had a meter.
If it's 12 months or more they have to terminate the supply at source.
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Scruff |
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LadyG1976
Junior Member
Joined: 16 Apr 2008
Posts: 2
Location: WILTSHIRE
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| Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 8:15 pm Post subject: |
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Hurray! That's a BRILLIANT answer and exactly what I needed to hear!
I shall get on the blower and start stamping my feet!
Thanks, you've just saved me thousands!
A happy Lady G of Wiltshire |
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thescruff
Senior Member
Joined: 10 Mar 2008
Posts: 4657
Location: Bath
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| Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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Yes M'Lady, just don't mention thescruff or wawu will be knocking on me door. 
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Scruff |
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Gadget
Jack Of All Trades
Joined: 18 Dec 2005
Posts: 3456
Location: Whitley Bay
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| Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:40 pm Post subject: |
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Nice one, Scruffy!.. 
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By eck! |
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thescruff
Senior Member
Joined: 10 Mar 2008
Posts: 4657
Location: Bath
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| Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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In case anyone was wondering.
There's a little know rule the utilities have that says any service that hasn't been used for 12 months must be disconnected, what this means to the end user is, if you buy a property that hasn't used gas for 12 months, then you have to pay for a new service to be run in, probably costing several thousand pounds.
In this case they have neglected their duty.
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Scruff |
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Hoovie
Devon DIYer
Joined: 27 Jul 2007
Posts: 7773
Location: East Devon
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| Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:56 am Post subject: |
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I have a better suggestion ....
If you haven't got a meter, get a gas cooker, gas boiler, etc and get free energy 
_________________
If you have a son, DO NOT name him after a verb ....
"Neil, Standup. Neil, Standup"
"Which is it, man?" |
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EJJ150847
Senior Member
Joined: 04 Jan 2008
Posts: 1379
Location: Fareham, Hampshire
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| Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:01 am Post subject: |
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| Hoovie wrote: |
I have a better suggestion ....
If you haven't got a meter, get a gas cooker, gas boiler, etc and get free energy |
Spot on Hoovie, like it.
My Pa In Law had a Pub in Portsmouth and even though we had gas fires all over never had a gas bill. Word was that years ago it was the Gas fitters local and his supply came direct from the Gasometer behind the Pub.
I bought a house with no apparently live gas but when they did a survey to put it in the previous supply was still live, saved me thousands.
John
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Mebyon Kernow |
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Repo
Junior Member
Joined: 05 Apr 2008
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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| I used to live in a house that had been divided into two flats. Upstairs had a leccy meter but I didn't. For the three and a half years I lived there I never once paid for electricity. I had a SETI farm at the time (distributed computing project) and that would have cost £50 or so a month worth just to run that :p |
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faerie9
Junior Member
Joined: 19 Nov 2007
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 7:44 am Post subject: |
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Back in my 3rd year at uni, I arranged for gas and leccy as you do...
Ages later, we were only getting leccy bills and my supplier said I'd only asked them for one fuel (untrue).
Anyway it turned out that the last tenants hadn't paid their bill, and so the current supplier wouldn't release the account, but hadn't told us about it! (Clever, that.) The to-ing and fro-ing took so long that it still wasn't resolved by the time we moved out 9 months later. Result: free gas, and boy did my housemates use a lot, the house was like a sauna!
*waves at LadyG*
Fae - also in Wiltshire. |
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