My parents has a visit on the 23rd and were told that they were having a
new gas meter fitted and that it must go outside. Work started immediately.

I'll get some photos up in a couple of days and it's a total cows ****
of a job (pipework straight across the widow frame etc)

When my parents objected [1] about the work they were told "Either we do
it or we cut you off"

I presume they have some comeback over this. I'll also try and get
details of who actually did the work.

[1] And a police warning for my 75 year old Dad for using threatening
behaviour.

--
Adam

If its S. Yorkshire I would imagine it was Northern Gas Networks unless they sub- contracted to some set of cowboys. In any case NGN will be the people you need to complain to. The threatening behaviour is certainly out of order and cutting off a gas supply without good cause or threatening to do so is criminal and I do not think refusing to allow a gas meter to be changed is a a good cause. To me it seems unlike most utilities to arrive on a job without plenty of due notice and start on it immediately you usually have to wait months before they get round to it. Are they having gas mains in the street renewed? It could be sub-contractors on a bonus for convincing as many customers to have external meters fitted or trying to make more of a job of it to extract more money from the DNO.

Richard

On 26/12/2019 12:31, Tricky Dicky wrote:
If its S. Yorkshire I would imagine it was Northern Gas Networks unless they sub- contracted to some set of cowboys. In any case NGN will be the people you need to complain to. The threatening behaviour is certainly out of order and cutting off a gas supply without good cause or threatening to do so is criminal and I do not think refusing to allow a gas meter to be changed is a a good cause. To me it seems unlike most utilities to arrive on a job without plenty of due notice and start on it immediately you usually have to wait months before they get round to it. Are they having gas mains in the street renewed? It could be sub-contractors on a bonus for convincing as many customers to have external meters fitted or trying to make more of a job of it to extract more money from the DNO.


BTW they also left a notice on the new meter saying that the gas was not
bonded:-)


--
Adam

On 26/12/2019 11:28, ARW wrote:
My parents has a visit on the 23rd and were told that they were having a
new gas meter fitted and that it must go outside. Work started immediately.

I'll get some photos up in a couple of days and it's a total cows ****
of a job (pipework straight across the widow frame etc)

When my parents objected [1] about the work they were told "Either we do
it or we cut you off"

I presume they have some comeback over this. I'll also try and get
details of who actually did the work.

[1] And a police warning for my 75 year old Dad for using threatening
behaviour.

Your dad slowing down? Bet there was a time when there would have been
action which required more than a warning.

On 26/12/2019 11:28, ARW wrote:
My parents has a visit on the 23rd and were told that they were having a
new gas meter fitted and that it must go outside. Work started immediately.

I'll get some photos up in a couple of days and it's a total cows ****
of a job (pipework straight across the widow frame etc)

When my parents objected [1] about the work they were told "Either we do
it or we cut you off"

I presume they have some comeback over this. I'll also try and get
details of who actually did the work.

[1] And a police warning for my 75 year old Dad for using threatening
behaviour.


I agree with Richard's advice to go after whoever ordered the work
rather than any contractor. But I wouldn't rule out that being their
supplier if a "dumb" meter was replaced by a "smart" one: some idiot may
have set an end-year target for smart gas meters. And it does no harm to
copy in the supplier anyhow.

Turning up without notice is bang pit of order unless there was an
emergency. Transporters are supposed to give 5 days' notice of any
disruption to supply.

I'd ask explicitly under what authority, based on what evidence, they
would have disconnected if the new meter had been declined. And if they
would have forced entry to do so.

I'd also check if there were any independent witnesses to this threat to
disconnect. (The police perhaps!) If so, mention that as it might put
them of the all-too-common line that "what our highly-trained and
experienced operatives said seems to have been misunderstood".

Oh, and if the old meter was not a smart meter I'd check that the
paperwork they left showed the reading of the old meter. If not,
further cause for complaint and for a copy to the supplier.




--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

On 26/12/2019 13:34:05, Robin wrote:
On 26/12/2019 11:28, ARW wrote:
My parents has a visit on the 23rd and were told that they were having
a new gas meter fitted and that it must go outside. Work started
immediately.

I'll get some photos up in a couple of days and it's a total cows ****
of a job (pipework straight across the widow frame etc)

When my parents objected [1] about the work they were told "Either we
do it or we cut you off"

I presume they have some comeback over this. I'll also try and get
details of who actually did the work.

[1] And a police warning for my 75 year old Dad for using threatening
behaviour.


I agree with Richard's advice to go after whoever ordered the work
rather than any contractor.Â* But I wouldn't rule out that being their
supplier if a "dumb" meter was replaced by a "smart" one: some idiot may
have set an end-year target for smart gas meters. And it does no harm to
copy in the supplier anyhow.

Turning up without notice is bang pit of order unless there was an
emergency.Â* Transporters are supposed to give 5 days' notice of any
disruption to supply.

I'd ask explicitly under what authority, based on what evidence, they
would have disconnected if the new meter had been declined.Â* And if they
would have forced entry to do so.

I'd also check if there were any independent witnesses to this threat to
disconnect.Â* (The police perhaps!) If so, mention that as it might put
them of the all-too-common line that "what our highly-trained and
experienced operatives said seems to have been misunderstood".

Oh, and if the old meter was not a smart meter I'd check that the
paperwork they left showed the reading of the old meter.Â* If not,
further cause for complaint and for a copy to the supplier.

I was wondering if there was any case for the threats being criminal and
wilful damage to a window frame, as well as leaving the new pipework
unbonded.

The latter would be notifiable to their accreditation agency, not sure
if that would be gas safe or some other?

On 26/12/2019 13:28, Richard wrote:
On 26/12/2019 11:28, ARW wrote:
My parents has a visit on the 23rd and were told that they were having
a new gas meter fitted and that it must go outside. Work started
immediately.

I'll get some photos up in a couple of days and it's a total cows ****
of a job (pipework straight across the widow frame etc)

When my parents objected [1] about the work they were told "Either we
do it or we cut you off"

I presume they have some comeback over this. I'll also try and get
details of who actually did the work.

[1] And a police warning for my 75 year old Dad for using threatening
behaviour.

Your dad slowing down?

Yes. He got rid of the A8 Quattro.


--
Adam

On 26/12/2019 12:42, ARW wrote:
On 26/12/2019 12:31, Tricky Dicky wrote:
If its S. Yorkshire I would imagine it was Northern Gas Networks
unless they sub- contracted to some set of cowboys. In any case NGN
will be the people you need to complain to. The threatening behaviour
is certainly out of order and cutting off a gas supply without good
cause or threatening to do so is criminal and I do not think refusing
to allow a gas meter to be changed is a a good cause. To me it seems
unlike most utilities to arrive on a job without plenty of due notice
and start on it immediately you usually have to wait months before
they get round to it. Are they having gas mains in the street renewed?
It could be sub-contractors on a bonus for convincing as many
customers to have external meters fitted or trying to make more of a
job of it to extract more money from the DNO.


BTW they also left a notice on the new meter saying that the gas was not
bonded:-)

I've got one of those since I had a new meter fitted (I really should
remove it) - however it *is* bonded and it is just that the bonding is
under the floor.

SteveW

I assume then they use gas?
The whole country is in the middle of a plastic pipe replacement. I notice
they push the plastic through the iron pipes. In my case as I had no gas, I
had them cap it at the street, as they too would have wanted to fit an
external meter, saying it was safer. I can sort of see that it may not be a
good idea to have a gas meter under the main staircase of a building!
However the manner of the job sounds somewhat lacking in care and finesse
from your description. Might be worth getting in a gas expert and seeing
what they say. With the routing of pipes being a hot topic since Grenfell,
I'd imagine it might be best to do it sooner rather than later.
Brian

--
----- --
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"ARW" wrote in message
...
My parents has a visit on the 23rd and were told that they were having a
new gas meter fitted and that it must go outside. Work started
immediately.

I'll get some photos up in a couple of days and it's a total cows **** of
a job (pipework straight across the widow frame etc)

When my parents objected [1] about the work they were told "Either we do
it or we cut you off"

I presume they have some comeback over this. I'll also try and get details
of who actually did the work.

[1] And a police warning for my 75 year old Dad for using threatening
behaviour.

--
Adam

On 26/12/2019 13:34, Robin wrote:
On 26/12/2019 11:28, ARW wrote:
My parents has a visit on the 23rd and were told that they were having
a new gas meter fitted and that it must go outside. Work started
immediately.

I'll get some photos up in a couple of days and it's a total cows ****
of a job (pipework straight across the widow frame etc)

When my parents objected [1] about the work they were told "Either we
do it or we cut you off"

I presume they have some comeback over this. I'll also try and get
details of who actually did the work.

[1] And a police warning for my 75 year old Dad for using threatening
behaviour.


I agree with Richard's advice to go after whoever ordered the work
rather than any contractor.Â* But I wouldn't rule out that being their
supplier if a "dumb" meter was replaced by a "smart" one: some idiot may
have set an end-year target for smart gas meters. And it does no harm to
copy in the supplier anyhow.

Turning up without notice is bang pit of order unless there was an
emergency.Â* Transporters are supposed to give 5 days' notice of any
disruption to supply.

I'd ask explicitly under what authority, based on what evidence, they
would have disconnected if the new meter had been declined.Â* And if they
would have forced entry to do so.

I'd also check if there were any independent witnesses to this threat to
disconnect.Â* (The police perhaps!) If so, mention that as it might put
them of the all-too-common line that "what our highly-trained and
experienced operatives said seems to have been misunderstood".

Oh, and if the old meter was not a smart meter I'd check that the
paperwork they left showed the reading of the old meter.Â* If not,
further cause for complaint and for a copy to the supplier.




Well my parents have gone to Scotland for a week so no more info until
they are back.





--
Adam