Lots of woes with the way National Grid operatives deal with low pressure problems.

Story 1

Called them out a couple of weeks ago to a property with 16mb at meter as I am required to do. Go back two weeks later and still 16mb . Terribly sorry will have to call them out again I say. Explain on the phone that they were out 2 weeks ago. Anyway the operative arrives and I have a chat with him. I explain the issues and say that I have heard that when they insert a new gas pipe through the old steel pipe it gives pressure problems due to reduced diameter. He agrees it does but tells me that they are under instruction from their managers that as long as there is 16mb at the meter they do not need to take any action.

Now to me that is all fine and dandy but the customer is having to wait a couple of hours every time I call round, and if I call again I am meant to notify them again. So if this is the case why is there no notification attached to the meter saying do not call NG out if 16mbar as has already been investigated. In these days of energy efficiency and CO emissions why is everybody's time and petrol being so wasted as well as stress and grief to the customer.

Secondly if they know that inserting pipe through original steel pipe is inadequate why are they allowed to do it?

Story 2

This sort of thing has happened to me on more than one occasion

Called out NG to attend 14mb at meter with everything run on maximum. Operative arrives with trainee. He virtually ignores me and is instructing trainee. We run the appliances and he says 14mb OK . I argue with him and he says that he is allowed to leave it. I say no you are not, I would like to speak to your manager. He refuses. We again get in a discussion and I say that the cut off point is 15mb and that is only at peak times which it wasn't in the middle of the day.

He then says to his traineee run three rings on the cooker and announces triumphantly that look you have 20mb now - that is all that I need to do. Its your pipe-work (not that I installed it) . I say no its not, that it is the pipe-work in from the road given that he had changed the governor already . Another argument ensues about the need for the meter to supply 70KW nett at the right figure. I finally get him to ring his manager although I could not speak to him . He orders him to get a team out to upgrade road supply.

Its frightening that this bloke was training some-one and could have left issues all over the shop.

And they think these people can investigate CO!

 
I would like to add that some operatives are excellent and the operative in the first story was very knowledgable and apologetic and said he would see what he could do but knew his manager would not allow an upgrade from the road.

Just a PS: One thing I am grateful for - a very recent change, is that for low pressure they no longer have to read you the interminable "Do not pass Go do not collect £200 notice." (no naked flames, no light switches on or off door and windows open etc)