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[alley cat]

Hi 

A plumber has tracked down a gas leak to the gas meter that is located inside our kitchen cupboard. Is this an owners responsibility or owners corporation to pay for this repair. The strata manager is saying that because the meter is located inside our apartment then it is an owners responsibility. We would really appreciate your expert input on this one.

Many thanks

Alley cat

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[isydowner]

If it’s inside your kitchen cupboard, I reckon it’s between you and your gas company.

The OC shouldn’t be considered a ‘bank’ provided the damage was not done by their actions but it sounds like you’re very quick to ask them to pay rather than your gas company!

The provision of gas to your apartment is usually the responsibility of your gas company… Have you asked them to fix ‘their’ equipment being the gas meter?

Surely your OC aren’t measuring your gas usage and billing you for it every quarter?

sorry, not trying to be harsh but it I was a member of your OC I would not be happy your asking me to pay, through levies, for something I cannot control!

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[Whale]

alleycat – I agree with much of what isy has posted, but in order to better respond, can you confirm that the leakage of gas is prior to/upstream of your meter, and whether it’s in fact a “check meter”; in other words a recording device (perhaps remotely accessed by the gas supplier’s meter reader) that’s located after a primary supply meter located elsewhere that records the total supply to the Building or to your section of it?

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[alley cat]

HI Whale 

The leak is actually a ‘cap’ that is part of the meter itself. Looks like this is the gas companies problem. Next problem – how do you get the gas provider to deal with their equipment??

It is a check meter for measuring gas supplied, my understanding is that if the gas leak was between there and the stove top – obviously the owners responsibility, no question. A leak leading up to the meter I understand is an OC responsibility?? and looks like the meter is the gas provider. 

Many thanks

Alley cat

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[Whale]

alley cat – just like the electrical sub-board inside your Lot, the gas sub-meter that’s installed inside (the kitchen cupboard) of that Lot would have been installed there as a compliance condition at the time of your building’s construction, and as such it’s downstream of the prime meter and your responsibility.

So I think that your Strata Manager’s advice is correct, but for confirmation try contacting the gas supplier as opposed to the retailer who sends your accounts; so far as I’m aware that’s the successor to part of the former Australian Gas Light Company that now goes by the name of Jemena in NSW.

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[isydowner]

Hi Alleycat, I believe your Strata Manager should know from the OCs records who the supplier rather than the retailer is an may have a contact number / email.  

Alternatively, your retailer should be able to tell you and your local council will also be able to do this as well… I had to contact them for a similar purpose and they gave me the correct contact details!

If your having trouble with them, Fair Trading will definitely help but they usually fix this kind of stuff quickly through independent contractors!

I hope this issue gets fixed quickly for you, and your SM provides you assistance to get it done all the quicker. Your feedback should also be well received by your OC in case other owners need to do the same, which I am sure they will have to at some stage.

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