Give up gas connection or keep?

[Indy]

The site we're on houses a 1950s bungalow which has a gas connection (combi boiler, GCH, Gas stove in the kitchen).

 

In our new build, we're planning to move away from the boiler to ASHP and induction hob in the kitchen (sleeker and easier to clean).

 

What should we do with the gas connection? Is it recommended to completely get this removed or disconnected as we're not using it? Or have a connection coming to a 'box' in the property but capped off and unused?

 

I seem to hear time and again that properties without gas are unfavourably looked upon when selling, so wanted to get people's views on this.

[markc]

As it’s there I would keep it.

[Russdl]

Very similar situation to yours. We cut ours off and it is terminated outside of the property. 
 

10 minutes ago, Indy said:

have a connection coming to a 'box' in the property but capped off and unused?

Would that lead to a standing charge?

 

11 minutes ago, Indy said:

I seem to hear time and again that properties without gas are unfavourably looked upon when selling

Not heard that before. 

[jayc89]

6 minutes ago, Russdl said:

Very similar situation to yours. We cut ours off and it is terminated outside of the property. 
 

Would that lead to a standing charge?

 

Not heard that before. 

 

Near me, 5 years ago an individual self-build was put on the market, it was heated with an ASHP and had no gas mains, it must have taken 12 months to sell whilst other properties in the area were selling like hot cakes. 

More people are starting to hear about heat pumps but I still don't think they're mainstream yet and people are generally afraid of the unknown. I don't think that will change until more mass built housing is using heat pumps rather than gas.

[Russdl]

1 minute ago, jayc89 said:

Near me, 5 years ago an individual self-build was put on the market, it was heated with an ASHP and had no gas mains, it must have taken 12 months to sell whilst other properties in the area were selling like hot cakes.

Yep, good point. 

[Indy]

12 minutes ago, Russdl said:

Not heard that before. 

Some of it is related to the bad reputation that old electric storage heaters had, and how they weren't as effective as GCH.

 

Would be interested to hear if people still had to pay a standing charge, even if the connection wasn't being used?

 

 

[Ronny]

23 minutes ago, Indy said:

The site we're on houses a 1950s bungalow which has a gas connection (combi boiler, GCH, Gas stove in the kitchen).

 

In our new build, we're planning to move away from the boiler to ASHP and induction hob in the kitchen (sleeker and easier to clean).

 

What should we do with the gas connection? Is it recommended to completely get this removed or disconnected as we're not using it? Or have a connection coming to a 'box' in the property but capped off and unused?

 

I seem to hear time and again that properties without gas are unfavourably looked upon when selling, so wanted to get people's views on this.

I have gone the same route with heat pump, solar panels and battery storage. Changed the gas stove to induction after using gas for 40 years.  Had the gas meter removed and capped to make sure i avoided the daily standing charge which amounted to £92 a year.

[JohnMo]

I would ask for supply to be cut off via your supplier.  They will most likely want to take the meter away and cap the pipe.  Once this occurs your standing charge should become deleted.

 

This should be reverse of what we had when being connected.  Once meter installed standing charge started, even though a gas supply was in the property for several months.

[joth]

58 minutes ago, Indy said:

The site we're on houses a 1950s bungalow which has a gas connection (combi boiler, GCH, Gas stove in the kitchen).

 

In our new build, we're planning to move away from the boiler to ASHP and induction hob in the kitchen (sleeker and easier to clean).

 

 

You're doing a full demolition and digging out new foundations?

 

Leaving the old pipe in situ and "capped off" in the property won't be an option. It won't be safe to work, it at very least needs a temporary disconnection at the property boundary and subsequent re-connection. Each is a separate chargeable work by the DNO.

When you look at the cost of the unneeded reconnect, I expect you'll decide not to proceed with it. Depending on the DNO and how you play it with them, they may mandate a  disconnection off your plot (so they never have to request permission in future to come onto your premises for subsequent maintenance) or be happy to just leave that temporary disconnect there unused. Disconnecting on the street can cost more and take longer, e.g. if they have to apply for permission to close a road.

Either way, it's the same sales pitch to a future buyer: "not on mains gas".

 

My experience (based on estate agent valuation) is for resale you can make back more than the loss in not having gas by installing higher than building reqs on other energy saving measures (insulation, airtightness, mvhr, PV) and upselling those in any future sale. Slinging "net zero carbon" on a brochure is (in some areas anyway) now seen as a boon, not a drawback.

 

 

[Indy]

29 minutes ago, joth said:

 

You're doing a full demolition and digging out new foundations?

 

Leaving the old pipe in situ and "capped off" in the property won't be an option. It won't be safe to work, it at very least needs a temporary disconnection at the property boundary and subsequent re-connection. Each is a separate chargeable work by the DNO.

When you look at the cost of the unneeded reconnect, I expect you'll decide not to proceed with it. Depending on the DNO and how you play it with them, they may mandate a  disconnection off your plot (so they never have to request permission in future to come onto your premises for subsequent maintenance) or be happy to just leave that temporary disconnect there unused. Disconnecting on the street can cost more and take longer, e.g. if they have to apply for permission to close a road.

Either way, it's the same sales pitch to a future buyer: "not on mains gas".

 

My experience (based on estate agent valuation) is for resale you can make back more than the loss in not having gas by installing higher than building reqs on other energy saving measures (insulation, airtightness, mvhr, PV) and upselling those in any future sale. Slinging "net zero carbon" on a brochure is (in some areas anyway) now seen as a boon, not a drawback.

 

 

 

Yes, full demolition and new foundations to be laid as the new footprint is bigger than the existing one.

 

Interesting that we'll need it both disconnected AND reconnected. Any indications on how much this costs - is it a set/capped price or does it vary by area and council etc?

[Bitpipe]

Based on our experience, if you are demolishing then the gas needs disconnected by the DNO (gas) at the property boundary. Your local Gas Safe engineer can isolate /remove your supply post meter and the DNO guys will disconnect the meter, excavate at boundary and permanently cap off.

 

Your supplier (i.e. whoever bills you) will collect the meter to close your account.

 

It is not safe to do it any other way as during works, a machine could easily hit your live gas pipe (on your property) and you'd have some explaining to to at best or a serious incident at worst.

 

Any decent contractor will insist on it as a pre-commencement condition.

 

It's not cheap, we paid £1500 back in 2015 and they were here for about 2 hours but it is what it is.

 

Reconnection is subsidised and we took advantage of that with a Warmstar gas boiler for our DHW and UFH. That came into the new property in a completely different location so we laid the required yellow perforated duct in as straight a line as possible from boundary to edge of plant room and the guys were here for a whole day making the connection. Included a new meter & box (we went for in ground). That was about £300 in 2016.

 

Now, you may get people willing to do a 'cash in hand' disconnection - some are chancers and some may be moonlighting network engineers but it is illegal for all concerned and probably not worth the grief.

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by Bitpipe
National Grid no longer deal with domestic connections

[Bitpipe]

11 minutes ago, Indy said:

 

Yes, full demolition and new foundations to be laid as the new footprint is bigger than the existing one.

 

Interesting that we'll need it both disconnected AND reconnected. Any indications on how much this costs - is it a set/capped price or does it vary by area and council etc?

 

When I did it, fees were set by National Grid, council don't get involved. Hole required is quite small so did not need closure etc. They literally just put a seal (gunk and metal cap) on where the supply pipe meets your boundary.

 

Reconnection may be more involved as they need to connect from the main which may be on other side of road etc - may be able to use the stub from before but probably no guarantees. If unsure on whether you want to reconnect, running the yellow duct from A to B would not be that expensive.

 

Looks like the DNO is responsible now (changed in 2018) so figure out what area you are in ...

 

https://www.energynetworks.org/operating-the-networks/whos-my-network-operator

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by Bitpipe

[joth]

Ours was about £2500 to disconnect, and took them over a year to do complete all the work. (Being on a main road by a school limited when they could do road closure, and the original date got canceled on day-of by the council due to being second week of the pandemic lockdowns -- ironically, as the school closed and roads were deserted so would have been ideal time -- so they did a temporary disconnect under our garden and then took a year to get off their hands and do the bit in the street, eventually done as emergency works as the entire main had leaks for over half a mile)

 

Also ironic they'll subsidise new connections, but not disconnection.

 

+1 to putting in the yellow ducting in just in case, if you're worried about future proofing. (We weren't so just left it out)

 

[Russdl]

It clearly varies quite a bit.

Back in 2018 ours was £1093 to disconnect, we then received a £240 rebate as it was ‘cut off’ in the track outside our boundary and no road needed digging up. So, £853 to disconnect (no reconnection). 

[Simplysimon]

the other option is to build a cabinet on the boundary to house elec and gas meters as a few of us here have done. when they disconnect get them to make the capped connection in the cabinet ready for you to connect if you wish after putting pipe in ground, just in case.

[joth]

9 minutes ago, Simplysimon said:

the other option is to build a cabinet on the boundary to house elec and gas meters as a few of us here have done. when they disconnect get them to make the capped connection in the cabinet ready for you to connect if you wish after putting pipe in ground, just in case.

Oh! For some reason I thought gas couldn't terminate to a meter in kiosk. At least not permanently. /shrug.

Assuming you're having to remove electrics for the demo too, this is a good choice if you have the space and can have them both bundled into one cabinet.