Help! Turning gas supply back on in property where no one knows who last supplied the gas?!

[foodiefil]

Hi all, sorry for the dull question. Currently doing up an old-new-to-us house and the last person who lived there didn't use any gas at all (I know!). So we've rang Transco and they say it was Scottish Power but Scottish Power have no idea what we're on about and can't find when they last supplied the property, if ever. Are we at a dead end here? How do we get the gas reconnected??!

Is there gas when the supply is turned on at the meter or not? If not then perhaps it has been disconnected. If there is then ask Transco what they suggest you do. Have you provided the MPAN for the meter when you've spoken to these two companies?

Transco? Going back a bit there.

There are now eight main gas distributers in UK, you can work out who yours is on www.energynetworks.org/info/faqs/who-is-my-network-operator.html

Unless you have a gas bill handy, you are unlikely to know the Meterpoint number of your property (I've labelled both mine because for a while I worked in Metering).

There might be a label on your gas meter saying "property of..." but it could be 50 years out of date, and wrong.

No gas at all and we don't have the MPAN number.

I literally have no clue I'm just using the words the workmen are using when asking us to find out who the supplier is/was.

I don't know why but we can't seem to just get our supply switched from one house to the other atm.

Thanks for your replies

There's only 8 suppliers, call each and every one of them and explain your situation. One of them must know when they last stopped supplying gas. Would that work?

It's supposed to be Scottish Power but they aren't able to find anything?? I don't really know what they're looking for or need either

Go and take a photo of the meter showing serial and MPAN then contact the distributors. Scottish Power are not a distributor - whereabouts in the country is the house?

If you are in Scotland, it might be Scotia Gas Networks (a partnership operated and 50% owned by SSE)

If you put your postcode into www.energynetworks.org/info/faqs/who-is-my-network-operator.html
and then click on the "Gas" icon it should tell you the network operator.

I have worked in a number of Utilities companies, and recommend that if the phone call centre is stunned by your query, you write a 2-line letter and post it. It will be logged and passed along until it reaches someone who knows what to do.

the website also says:

Gas
The majority of the UK's gas is delivered by National Grid, Northern Gas Networks, SGN or Wales & West Utilities. To find out who supplies your gas call the Meter Point Administration Service on 0870 608 1524.

but if that fails, try the letter.

woooofudge

Is there an MPAN on your meter?

Ring sgn formerly transco they can trace it for you and you can go with any energy supplier run very fast away from Scottish power they are worse than useless.

I'll go back tomorrow and look at the box again for an MPAN. Thank you for those links I'll do that now. And great advice on the letter front! Would an email have the same effect? :-/

Thank you everyone. I tried googling but knew mumsnet would be a better shout

an email doesn't enter the same manual handling process as a letter.

Yes - although apologies, it's an MPRN on a gas meter. MPAN is electricity meters. It's the numbers under the barcode below the dials on ours.

can you post a pic?

Will do in the morning if I have time. Just got in and seen this.

OP - take a photo of your meter close enough to show the dials and numbers.