Installing gas central heating

[squiggle]

My housing association are finally putting central heating into all the flats in my block. Currently I have useless storage heaters, so I'm quite eager to get this put in before winter comes again.

I've been told to get a gas supplier to fit a meter, but all the suppliers I've spoken to have told me Transco (who own the pipes) will not allow them to, as the supply to flat is dead, and new pipework must be laid. No pipes have been checked, they are just going by their computers. I have all the connections in my flat. There is a main riser into the block, which Ts off into each flat - the pipe coming into my kitchen just needs to be uncapped.

The other five tenants in my block have all had theirs done now, but I'm the only one still battling with Transco
as to wether new pipes need to be laid. They say this is because there hasn't been a supply to the flat for more than 12 months, yet neither has there been to the other five flats who've got theirs now. The other tennants have just told me to keep battling. The housing assoc won't pay for new pipes, when they now they haven't had to for the other flats. I don't want to pay for unnecessary work to a flat that isn't even mine.

I'm getting dizzy going round in circles. Can anyone in the know tell me where to go from here?

Thanks.

[RachelTulloc]

we used to live in a flat that also had storage heaters and hadn't had a gas supply for about 30 yrs, i seem to remember transco had to check the pipe but we could use it and i think this service was free. however other flats in the block did have still have a gas supply. Also it shouldn't matter that none of the other houses have had to get pipes fitted you pay your rent the same as the rest of them so if the housing associaion don't pay for it are you going to get a reduction?

[squiggle]

Thanks Rachel. I'll see if they still do these free checks. Getting the Housing Assoc to pay for new pipes is a whole new battle which I don't want to get into if I can avoid it.