# Forum Home Renovation Plumbing  New Natural Gas Connection - 'Chicken or the Egg' ?

## SteveAndBelle

Hi.  I'm hoping someone can help me here with a Natural Gas installation process problem.  I can't seem to grasp how it's all supposed to work, maybe I'm just a bit 'thick' ... I dunno.  Got me beat :) 
My wife and I bought a property a few months back.  It's got electric hot water & an electric cooker so there was absolutely no gas to the property at all however we knew that a natural gas mains line ran right past the front door because the neighbouring house had it installed and we could see the meter etc.  We wanted to at least cook with gas so we obviously needed to get it connected. 
No problems there, I just called up AGL and started asking if it was possible etc. and they told me that it most probably was so I lodged an install request then and there.  I was expecting it to take a few months and that was fine because we had a heap of other stuff to do so it wasn't urgent plus we weren't even sure if we were going to just go for gas cooking or gas hot water or both at that stage. 
We came back from a short week-long holiday shortly after calling AGL to find some freshly turned soil etc. on the front lawn and a neatly installed pipe & frame down the side of the house.  Great !  Very neat & tidy and ready to go even if we still weren't quite ready.  There was no gas meter installed, it was just the pipe & the framework and this is where it gets confusing. 
Now, for many reasons we decided against going for a gas hot water system and just stick to a gas cooker.  We have now purchased one and would love to get it installed ... but what's the next step ? 
I was told I had to call the retailer (AGL) to get them to install the meter and then I could get a plumber to run the pipes and install the stove but it seems that's the wrong way around.  I've now been told that I have to get the gas fitter to install the stove & pipework in the house and _then_ call AGL who will come out and supply/connect the meter. 
Chicken or the egg ?!  What's the actual process I have follow to move forward with this ?  Can anyone help ?! 
Steve.

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## lazyboy

I just had the very same thing done a month ago.The guys that ran the supply also put the meter in at the same time.After that got my plumber in and he did all pipe work and gas points back to the meter.This was in nsw.

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## SteveAndBelle

> I just had the very same thing done a month ago.The guys that ran the supply also put the meter in at the same time.After that got my plumber in and he did all pipe work and gas points back to the meter.This was in nsw.

  
Yeah, that's exactly what I thought would happen too.  A contractor runs the pipe from the street, the retailer (via that same contractor) then attaches their meter to that pipe along with an isolation valve and then a plumber sends it through to the appliances & devices in the house.  Makes sense to me ... but maybe it's a QLD thing ?!?  I just don't know. 
Anyone else have any experience with this or can tell me what I should do next ?

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## wonderplumb

I done one not long ago where the contractors ran gas in from the street and hung the meter bar on the wall. It was up to me to ring alinta (AGL,Agility what ever they like to be called nowadays) and pick the meter up from them. This was in sydney.

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## Peeeeda

Two ways to get gas in Brisbane (Southside example) 
1. Email me peter@gasconnections.com.au and I take care of just about everything (only the end user is allowed to phone to set up their gas account though) 
2. Customer enquires about gas with AGL, AGL emails APA, APA emails MTC, MTC emails subby, subby visits site and scopes for gas. Returns job to MTC.  MTC return it to APA.  APA phones customer with results and cost (if any).  Customer then phones AGL if accepting to open an account.  Customer then finds a gas fitter who hopefully knows what size of pipes to run from meter to appliance. Once intelligent gas fitter is found, customer phones AGL with licence number.  APA then contracts Comdain to install service from main.  Comdain pass job back to APA once complete.  APA then inform retailer. Retailer then emails authorisation for gas meter fix.  APA then email job to fit meter.  MTC subby it out to again.  Subby travels to APA to collect gas meter then fits it at house.  Customer then phones gas fitter to say "Yay, at last" Gas fitter finishes job then sends completion certificate to APA. 
Used to be simple till they brought competition in   :Doh:   Email me if you need a quote  :2thumbsup:

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## SteveAndBelle

> Two ways to get gas in Brisbane (Southside example) 
> 1. Email me peter@gasconnections.com.au and I take care of just about everything (only the end user is allowed to phone to set up their gas account though)

  
Damn it Peter  :Biggrin:   I should've logged on last night and read this thread because I'm now already about half-way through the '2nd way' you mentioned  :Tongue:   I called AGL very early this morning and they talked through it with me. 
No biggie though, it sounds like it's all pretty easy from here on in.  You're right though, it's far too complex if you don't get it all done at once. 
Thanks heaps for your detailed reply.  I'm sure others out there will also appreciate it. 
Steve.

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## SteveAndBelle

Just thought I'd post up a follow up to the above. 
After being let down BIG time by the local plumber I had organised and then getting an insanely expensive quote from another guy I decided to email Peter (above) and offer the job to him. 
Well, what can I say !   He was on time, pleasant, professional and very fast which of course meant that the overall fee was kept to a minimum.  He also knows everything there is to know about the gas supply industry as he's been working in it for years previous to him starting his own business (Gas Connections) so he knows all the 'ins' and 'outs' of doing things various ways. 
So, if you're in Brisbane and need anything done with gas from connections through to supply & install of hot water systems then email Peter using the address he's supplied above.  I couldn't recommend him more.  Thanks Peter ! 
"_Now we're cooking with gas_"  :Wink:

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## Uncle Bob

> 2. Customer enquires about gas with AGL, AGL emails APA, APA emails MTC, MTC emails subby, subby visits site and scopes for gas. Returns job to MTC.  MTC return it to APA.  APA phones customer with results and cost (if any).  Customer then phones AGL if accepting to open an account.  Customer then finds a gas fitter who hopefully knows what size of pipes to run from meter to appliance. Once intelligent gas fitter is found, customer phones AGL with licence number.  APA then contracts Comdain to install service from main.  Comdain pass job back to APA once complete.  APA then inform retailer. Retailer then emails authorisation for gas meter fix.  APA then email job to fit meter.  MTC subby it out to again.  Subby travels to APA to collect gas meter then fits it at house.  Customer then phones gas fitter to say "Yay, at last" Gas fitter finishes job then sends completion certificate to APA.

  Lol!. And I thought the telecommunications industry was bad.

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## rrobor

My daughters street got a gas line. She applied for gas and came home one day to find a new digging in the street and  a meter at the side of her house. They must have used a drill from the street, cos there was no trench, only a bit of digging where the meter was.

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## Peeeeda

Sorry post readers.  I'm relocating to Melbourne.  Good luck with your gas connections but I can't help you anymore!

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