How do I have my gas uncapped and reconnected?
Gas supplies are generally capped for safety reasons, typically if a property has been empty for a long time or there’s been a gas leak. Sometimes businesses decide they no longer require gas and they have the meter removed so as to eliminate standing charges. In this case the supply would be capped off.
If you are moving into new premises and you find that the supply has been capped off, you’ll need to check where the cap is to work out who to contact.
The descriptions below should help you decide:
- If the meter is capped on the incoming gas pipe or the emergency control valve (i.e. before the meter), then you need to call the gas network in your area to find out why this has been done. We can do much of this work on your behalf and identify your meter reference number and identify the capacity of the existing gas pipe. This is important as you need to ensure any equipment you plan on installing will have sufficient gas to operate correctly.
- It will also be necessary to identify the pressure tier of any incoming supply as this will denote what type of gas meter you will need.
- If the cap is on the internal pipework (i.e. after the meter), you’ll need to contact a private Gas Safe-register engineer to take it off. If you’re a tenant, get in touch with your landlord or managing agent.
- If the inlet pipe or the meter itself appears to be clamped or capped in any way, contact us.
If you have an existing gas supply and you wish to stop using gas, it is generally cheaper to have the meter removed and the supply capped of. The reason is that even though you won’t be using gas you will continue to pay a standing charge for the meter asset.
Be careful though! If there is a chance that you will need gas in the future, removing and re-installing gas meters can be costly. If you are not 100% sure you won’t need gas for the foreseeable future it may be better to hold fire until you are sure.