A Simple Guide to Meters, Cables, Pipes and Your Home
Your gas and electricity pass through equipment owned or maintained by different organisations.
As a result, it can sometimes be difficult to know who to contact when something goes wrong.
Should you contact your:
- Energy supplier?
- Electricity network operator?
- Gas network?
- Landlord?
- Electrician?
- Gas Safe registered engineer?
The answer usually depends on where the problem is.
Therefore, understanding where one organisation’s responsibility ends and another begins can help you contact the right people more quickly.
The Simple Answer
For most homes, responsibility can be thought of like this:
Electricity
Network → Meter → Your Home
Electricity network operator
Responsible for the incoming electricity network, including the service cable and cut-out.
Energy supplier
Responsible for your electricity meter and metering arrangements.
Property owner or landlord
Responsible for the consumer unit and electrical wiring inside the property.
In addition, the meter box or cabinet itself is usually the property owner’s responsibility.
Gas
Network → Meter → Your Home
Gas network operator
Responsible for the gas network and incoming supply pipe.
Energy supplier
Responsible for the gas meter and metering arrangements.
Property owner or landlord
Responsible for internal gas pipework and appliances after the meter.
Again, the meter box itself is usually the property owner’s responsibility.
Although the exact arrangement can vary, this is a useful starting point.
Electricity — Who Owns What?
Electricity reaches your home through your local distribution network.
However, the equipment bringing electricity into your property does not all belong to the same organisation.
Instead, responsibility changes as electricity moves from the network into your home’s electrical installation.
Your Electricity Network Operator
Your local Distribution Network Operator (DNO) owns and operates the electricity distribution network in your area.
It is normally responsible for:
- Electricity cables supplying your property
- The service cable entering the property
- The service head or cut-out
- The main fuse inside the cut-out
Importantly, your DNO is not the same company as your electricity supplier.
You can choose and change your electricity supplier.
However, you cannot choose your DNO because it operates the electricity network for your geographical area.
Therefore, if there is a problem with the incoming network rather than your bill or meter, your DNO will normally be the organisation you need.
Your Electricity Supplier
Your electricity supplier is the company that sells electricity to you and sends you your bill.
In contrast to the DNO, your supplier deals with your energy account and metering arrangements.
Contact your supplier about:
- A faulty electricity meter
- Smart-meter problems
- Incorrect meter readings
- Billing problems
- Your tariff
- Problems with your energy account
Therefore, if the problem concerns the meter, bill or tariff, your supplier is usually the best place to start.
If you don’t know which company supplies your electricity, see:
Find Your Energy Supplier →
Who Is Responsible for the Meter Box?
This is an important distinction.
The meter and the box containing the meter are not necessarily the responsibility of the same organisation.
The electricity meter is normally dealt with through your energy supplier.
However, where the meter box or cabinet forms part of the property, the property owner is usually responsible for maintaining the box itself.
For example, this could include:
- A broken meter-box door
- Broken hinges
- A damaged cover
- A damaged cabinet
Therefore, if the meter itself is working but its external box is damaged, the responsibility may rest with the property owner rather than the supplier.
If you rent your home, this would normally be something to report to your landlord or letting agent.
However, do not interfere with the meter, seals, main fuse or network equipment inside the box.
If you are unsure which part is damaged, check before arranging any work.
What About the Consumer Unit?
After the meter, electricity enters your home’s electrical installation.
The consumer unit, sometimes called the fuse box, forms part of that installation.
Therefore, it is normally the responsibility of the property owner or landlord.
The same generally applies to the electrical wiring throughout the property.
This includes:
- Electrical circuits
- Sockets
- Light switches
- Fixed wiring
- Consumer unit
- Wiring to fixed electrical equipment
As a result, problems with these parts of the installation should normally be investigated by a suitably qualified electrician rather than your energy supplier.
Electricity — At a Glance
| Part | Usually Responsible |
|---|---|
| Electricity network | Network operator / DNO |
| Service cable to property | Network operator / DNO |
| Cut-out and main fuse | Network operator / DNO |
| Electricity meter | Energy supplier / metering arrangements |
| Meter box or cabinet | Property owner |
| Consumer unit | Property owner / landlord |
| Internal electrical wiring | Property owner / landlord |
| Sockets and switches | Property owner / landlord |
Although this table covers the usual arrangement, some properties can have different setups.
Therefore, if you are unsure who owns a particular piece of equipment, check before arranging work.
What If You Have a Power Cut?
First, try to establish whether the problem is inside your home or on the electricity network.
For example, check whether:
- Your consumer unit has tripped
- Your neighbours have also lost electricity
- Street lights are off
- Your electricity meter appears to have power
If other properties are also affected, the problem is more likely to be on the electricity network.
In that case, contact your electricity network operator.
Call 105
In Great Britain, 105 is the free number for electricity power cuts and network emergencies.
However, if the problem appears to be your electricity meter rather than the network, contact your energy supplier instead.
Therefore, identifying where the fault appears to be can save you from contacting the wrong organisation.
Gas — Who Owns What?
Gas follows a similar principle.
Again, think of it as:
Gas network → Gas meter → Your home’s gas installation
However, different organisations are responsible for each stage.
Understanding those boundaries can make it much easier to know who to contact.
Your Gas Network Operator
Your local gas network operator manages the pipes that bring gas to your property.
It is normally responsible for the gas distribution network and incoming service pipe up to the supply boundary around the meter installation.
Importantly, this is separate from your gas supplier.
Therefore, the company maintaining the gas pipes in your area may be completely different from the company sending you your gas bill.
Your Gas Supplier
Your gas supplier is the company that sells gas to you and sends you the bill.
It is also responsible for your gas meter and metering arrangements.
Therefore, contact your supplier about:
- A faulty gas meter
- Smart-meter problems
- Meter readings
- Billing
- Your tariff
- Your gas account
However, if you smell gas or suspect a gas leak, do not simply contact your supplier. That should be treated as a gas emergency, which we cover below.
Who Is Responsible for the Gas Meter Box?
Again, it is important not to confuse the meter with the box containing it.
The gas meter is dealt with through your supplier and the relevant metering arrangements.
However, where the meter box forms part of the property, the property owner is usually responsible for maintaining the box itself.
For example, this could include:
- Broken doors
- Broken hinges
- Damaged covers
- General damage to the enclosure
Therefore, if you rent your home, report this type of damage to your landlord or letting agent.
However, do not interfere with the gas meter or pipework while repairing or inspecting a meter box.
If there is any doubt, get advice before arranging the work.
Who Is Responsible After the Gas Meter?
After the meter, the pipework carrying gas through the property is normally the responsibility of the property owner or landlord.
The same generally applies to gas appliances such as:
- Boilers
- Gas cookers
- Gas fires
Therefore, problems with the internal gas installation are different from problems with the gas network or meter.
Where gas work legally requires a registered engineer, it must be carried out by an appropriately qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.
Gas — At a Glance
| Part | Usually Responsible |
|---|---|
| Gas distribution network | Gas network operator |
| Incoming gas service pipe | Gas network operator |
| Gas meter | Energy supplier / metering arrangements |
| Gas meter box | Property owner |
| Internal gas pipework | Property owner / landlord |
| Boiler and other gas appliances | Property owner / landlord |
Again, unusual installations can have different arrangements.
Therefore, if you are uncertain about the responsibility boundary, check before arranging work.
What If You Smell Gas?
If you smell gas or suspect a gas leak, the situation is different.
Do not spend time trying to work out whether the problem belongs to the supplier, network operator or property owner.
Instead, treat it as an emergency.
Call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999
Then follow the emergency advice you are given.
What If You Rent Your Home?
If you rent your home, the same responsibility boundaries generally still apply.
However, where this guide refers to the property owner, that will normally mean your landlord.
In simple terms:
Network equipment → Network operator
Meters and metering → Energy supplier / metering arrangements
Property wiring, pipework and fixed installations → Landlord
Therefore, problems with the property’s fixed electrical or gas installation should normally be reported to your landlord or letting agent.
Meanwhile, your energy supplier remains the contact for problems involving your meter, tariff, bill or energy account.
What If You Want to Move Your Meter?
Never try to move a gas or electricity meter yourself.
Instead, start by contacting your energy supplier.
Depending on the work required, the network operator may also need to become involved.
For example, moving an electricity meter may require changes to the incoming electricity cable or cut-out.
Similarly, moving a gas meter could require alterations to network equipment or pipework.
Therefore, contact your supplier first and establish which organisations need to be involved before arranging the work.
Who Should I Contact?
If you’re still unsure, use this as a quick guide.
Problem with your bill or tariff?
Contact your energy supplier.
Problem with your gas or electricity meter?
Contact your energy supplier.
Power cut affecting the local area?
Call 105.
Problem with the incoming electricity cable or cut-out?
Contact your electricity network operator.
Broken meter box or cabinet?
Usually the property owner or landlord.
Problem with your consumer unit, sockets or internal wiring?
Property owner or landlord — use a suitably qualified electrician.
Problem with internal gas pipework or a gas appliance?
Property owner or landlord — use an appropriately qualified Gas Safe registered engineer where required.
Smell gas or suspect a gas leak?
Call 0800 111 999.
Don’t Tamper With Energy Equipment
Finally, remember that equipment can be physically attached to your property without actually belonging to you.
Therefore, do not interfere with:
- Electricity meters
- Gas meters
- Meter seals
- Electricity cut-outs
- Main network fuses
- Incoming electricity cables
- Incoming gas pipes
Instead, if you don’t know who owns a particular piece of equipment, ask before carrying out work.
In Short
Several organisations can be responsible for getting energy into one home.
However, the basic division is fairly simple.
Electricity
Before the meter → mainly the electricity network operator
Meter → energy supplier / metering arrangements
After the meter → mainly the property owner
Gas
Before the meter → mainly the gas network operator
Meter → energy supplier / metering arrangements
After the meter → mainly the property owner
However, remember one important exception:
The meter box itself is usually part of the property, even though the meter inside it is not.
There can be exceptions depending on the installation. Therefore, check if you are unsure.
Most importantly, when something goes wrong, start by asking:
Where is the problem?
Once you know that, it becomes much easier to work out who is responsible and who you need to contact.
Energility
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