tarquinlinbin wrote:
On 24 May 2005 21:14:36 GMT, andrew@a17 (Andrew Gabriel) wrote:



In the UK, the gas transporter (Transco) will try and find the
leak and disconnect the affected appliance. They will only
disconnect the whole house if they can't find the leak, or
can't fix it by disconnecting an appliance. They are not
responsible for fixing the leak (unless it's in their meter
or other associated supply pipework) -- their service is free
and is only to make the installation safe. It seems that as a
free goodwill guesture, they will spend up to 30 minutes
fixing a leak in your pipework if that's all that's required
to solve the problem. Otherwise, you will have to employ a
gas fitter to repair the leak and reconnect.

Indeed Andrew,what could be fairer? A man comes to your house and
gives you half and hours worth of his expertise free of charge AND
maybe preserves the safety and property of the customer and his
neighbours. Who else comes round and works for free?

Although this is the same Transco which was charged with culpable
homicide after failing to maintain their gas main which was "extensively
corroded" which then leaked, causing a gas leak into the foundations of
a house, blowing it up in 1999, killing a whole family of 4.
"quantities of gas escaped from the main, entered the foundations of the
house and formed a gas cloud which ignited and exploded."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/574946.stm