Responsibility for Faulty Gas Meters: Tenant vs. Landlord

Natural gas consumption in the UK is around 2,543,775 mcf (million cubic feet), the eleventh highest in the world. With 56% of the consumption stemming from the residential sector, it is clear how important natural gas is for residential users. 

Natural gas is affordable and convenient as an energy source. Most consumers prefer gas for cooking and heating. Naturally, as with any utility, natural gas usage is regulated by the government as it is a fossil fuel that can potentially be dangerous. Proper precautions are necessary along with individual vigilance to avoid any gas-related accidents or incidents. 

Gas Safety Regulations in the UK

Natural gas installation and usage is governed by the Gas Safety Regulations 1998. The legislation provides a comprehensive guide to natural gas safety in residential and commercial settings. The main safety features of the regulation include the following key points:

• Hiring gas safety experts to install gas pipes, fittings, appliances, and other related equipment is necessary. 
• Property owners, most likely landlords, are required to keep gas appliances in good working condition. They must be maintained and repaired regularly. 
• Landlords and commercial natural gas users are required to acquire annual gas safety certificates. These can only be issued by a registered gas safety engineer. 
• Additionally, landlords must provide a copy of the gas safety certificate to the tenants within 28 days of the certificate being issued or whenever a new rental agreement is signed.
• Gas appliances or defects with gas pipes or valves must be repaired without any delays. The tenants are responsible for reporting the issue while the landlord is responsible for arranging for the repairs. 
• Proper ventilation should be maintained. This includes cleaning the flues and valves and ensuring there are enough sources of fresh air. 

Aside from these mandatory measures, end users, be they commercial or residential must be aware of the risks associated with gas-related incidents along with what signs to look out for and the corrective measures that must be undertaken. 

Measuring Gas Consumption

Once the safety measures are out of the way, it is critical to understand how gas billing works. Gas is a utility and it is billed based on the usage. Gas is supplied from the mains gas supply and every property is connected to the national gas supply network via gas meters.

Gas meters do not simply measure the amount of gas being consumed, they also ensure that the flow of gas is constant. A volatile flow is dangerous and can cause problems. The gas meter receives the gas from an inlet located on the left side and outputs the gas to the right side. The right side is connected to an entire web of pipes that run throughout the house supplying gas. 

Gas meters can be divided into different types through payment methods, credit payments, or pre-paid meters. With credit meters, the gas bill is calculated and consumers must pay for the amount of gas used at the end of the billing period. 

In contrast, pre-paid gas meters are billed in advance. Consumers generally purchase credit before utilization and this credit is deducted based on gas utilization. 

There are different meter types based on the technology they use to measure gas usage. The main categories are; digital meters, dial meters, and smart meters. Digital meters display gas consumption in the form of numbers and are easy to read. Dial meters indicate gas usage on a dial, like an analog clock. Smart meters show the exact gas reading at that exact moment in time and can be linked to another smart device, like a mobile phone. 

The reading on a gas meter determines the consumption and the cost of gas borne by the users. The gas meter must be functioning correctly to give an accurate reading. This, however, is not always the case. A faulty gas meter may mean that your gas bill does not reflect your gas utilization accurately. This is a serious problem since you may be being overcharged or undercharged.

Causes and Consequences of Faulty Gas Meters

A gas meter is a device and, much like any other device, it can become faulty and in need of repairs. Before we discuss the faulty gas meter, who is responsible? It is helpful to know how you can spot a faulty meter and how this can affect the users. 

Reasons Behind Faulty Meters

Gas meters usually work fine and faulty meters are a rare occurrence. Still, these are devices that can always malfunction and a common cause is battery failure. The lithium battery in gas meters can last anywhere from 10 to 15 years. Still, there is no guarantee that the battery may become damaged. 

They may also become faulty due to any accident or damage caused to the device. Another reason is the improper installation of the meter. Professionals should always install gas meters, otherwise, you may end up with incorrect readings in each billing period.

Sometimes, the fault may be due to intentional sabotage. Tenants, in particular, are responsible for this kind of damage as they may try to make the reading on the meter appear less than the actual consumed amount, 

Consequences and Ways of Detection

The most serious consequence of a faulty meter is the complete shutdown of the gas supply to your property. Alternatively, your gas costs may rise exorbitantly. In both cases, the outcome is not good, and getting the fault correct is a major inconvenience. 

Investigating whether your gas meter is faulty is easy. All you need to do is closely monitor your gas usage and be aware of any changes in the price of gas charged by the authorities. If you notice discrepancies, like getting a higher bill than previously, even though you may be using the same amount of gas and the price per unit also remains the same, it may be caused by a faulty meter. 

Strange sounds coming from the gas meter are also a sign of fault. A perfectly functioning meter does not produce any sound. 

Who is Responsible, Tenants or Landlords?

It is necessary to now examine the burden of responsibility when it comes to identifying a faulty meter and getting the issue resolved. The onus of a faulty meter is on both parties, tenants and landlords. It is a complex issue with no straightforward answer. In a way, both tenants and landlords must be ready to deal with gas-related problems at any time.

Here are the responsibilities of each of these groups:

Obligations Borne by the Landlords

As mentioned previously, landlords are accountable for gas safety measures as well as maintenance of the gas system. They must acquire gas safety certificates each year to prove that the gas connection on their property is complying with safety regulations as mandated by the government. 

Part of ensuring safety includes promptly seeking help for any repair work that may be needed. Faulty pipes, appliances, or meters need to be fixed immediately by calling in an expert. The financial burden of such repairs must be borne by the landlords since they own the property and any improvements made to the property directly benefit the landlord in the form of increased value of the property.

Landlords must also make sure they are complying with all the legal obligations. This includes, but is not limited to, gas safety measures. 

Tenants’ Obligations 

Tenants are not completely devoid of responsibilities either. While tenants are not supposed to bear the financial cost of the repairs, they do need to report any issues that may require repair work. This makes sense since it is the tenants who reside at the property and can detect any issues, like a faulty gas meter. In most cases, the landlord is not on site and only occasionally visits the property. 

The tenants are responsible for monitoring and alerting landlords if an issue is present. They must be able to identify any potential problem and raise an alarm, which will, in turn, force the landlords to act. The tenants are also responsible for making sure that the landlord is following legislative procedures. For example, they must ask for a copy of the landlord's annual gas safety certificate.

Both parties play a key role, as a result, in ensuring proper safety. It is difficult for a landlord to detect a faulty meter since meters are located at the site of the property. identifying a faulty meter is mostly the job of the tenants, though it may be detected when a gas safety check is being conducted. Taking steps to resolve the issue is the responsibility of the landlords.

Teaming up for Safety

Ensuring complete safety involves teamwork. A faulty meter is detected and reported by the tenants and landlords are required to get it repaired by contacting the utility company. Both parties must pitch in and do their respective part if safety is to be prioritized. 

A failure to report or act ends up hurting both the tenants and the landlords. Tenants because they have to pay the utility bills and a faulty gas meter may mean they are being overcharged. Similarly, a faulty meter may result in a depreciation in the property's value unless the issue is fixed, which is a cost borne by the landlords. 

Ultimately, both the landlords and tenants must work together towards a common goal of ensuring safety. Even if one side does not fulfill their obligations, both will suffer. So, realizing that safety necessitates action from both sides is important.