Page 9 - Gi_March2022

industry & government news

COUNCIL IN YORKSHIRE ‘HAS NOT PAID

FOR GAS FOR ABOUT 18 YEARS’

A LOCAL COUNCIL in East Riding,
Yorkshire hasn’t paid for its gas supply for
18 years, according to Energy Live News.
Beverley Town Council has launched
an investigation as to why it does not
have a gas supplier “despite using and
receiving gas since 2004”.
Northern Gas Networks has
confirmed that there “has never been a
registered gas supply”.
Councillor Denis Healy said: “In mid-
November 2021, the gas boiler situated
at the Town Council offices at 12 Well
Lane, Beverley stopped working, and
in attempting to resolve this technical
issue, it became clear to the Acting
Town Clerk that the council does not
have a gas supplier, despite using and
receiving gas since 2004.
“The Acting Town Clerk has been
in contact with the gas distribution
company, Northern Gas Networks
(NGN), which has confirmed that there
has never been a registered gas supply
to 12 Well Lane. The property lease for
12 Well Lane states that utility supplies
are the responsibility of the tenant.
“NGN has reminded the council that
it is a legal requirement to register a gas
supply in accordance with the Gas Act
1986 and that this legislation instructs
NGN to recover monies lost from
unregistered gas usage.
“NGN has confirmed that they will
use standard rates provided to them by
the gas regulator, Ofgem, to calculate
a back payment going back to 2004 for BEVERLY TOWN COUNCIL HAS NOT
unpaid for gas. PAID FOR ITS GAS FOR 18 YEARS
“NGN has also instructed the council
to take immediate steps to appoint a Services and Regulatory Compliance “When this process is complete, we
gas supplier, a process which the Acting for NGN, told Energy Live News: will continue to work with them to
Town Clerk has in hand and at the time “Beverley Town Council identified the reach an agreed mutual position on
of writing is awaiting correspondence issue with the property to us and the the final payment, which is calculated
from British Gas to resolve the matter.” council is in the process of registering according to standard industry charges
Joanna Ferguson, Head of Market the meter with a supplier. for a property of this type.”

The measure could future-proof the carbon emissions while ensuring
infrastructure and enable it to carry reliable supplies to consumers.
increased quantities of hydrogen, the “Graphene could be a key
company said. component in allowing us to repurpose
Antony Green, Hydrogen Director our transmission assets, minimising
at National Grid, said: “While gas will disruption to consumers and reducing
remain critical to underpinning the UK’s the overall costs of converting our
drive to net zero emissions, we will leave transmission network to hydrogen as
no stone unturned in terms of reducing we work towards net zero.”

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24/02/2022 10:36
News.indd 4
News.indd 4 24/02/2022 10:36