What’s involved in upgrading your gas meter?

Reasons for Upgrading Your Gas Meter

Several reasons may prompt homeowners to consider a gas meter upgrade:

• Installing high-consumption appliances such as tankless water heaters requires a meter capable of delivering increased gas flow, necessitating an upgrade.
• Smart gas meters facilitate automatic wireless meter readings, eliminating the need for you to be home, thus saving time and inconvenience.
• Upgrading to a new gas meter, especially at or near its end of life, can prevent disruptive emergency repairs in the future.
• Improved safety features like automatic gas shutoff in smart metres can prevent accidents due to leaks or damage.

Although meter installations have initial costs, the long-term savings from improved accuracy can offset these expenses. Additional benefits like remote access, automated readings, and safety features also make the upgrade worth considering for many.

Initiating a Gas Meter Upgrade Request

To initiate a gas meter upgrade, contact your local distributor, such as Mortdale Plumbing on 1300 349 338.

• Your name, address, and contact details
• Your existing gas metre serial number
• Preferred upgrade type - smart/digital or basic mechanical

The gas company will review your upgrade options, timeframes, costs, and your home’s specific requirements. Once approved for the meter installation, you may need to sign service agreements and paperwork authorising the work.

On installation day, during the meter change, technicians will turn off gas supply, remove the old metre, then conduct checks and relight your appliances. You or an authorised adult over 18 generally need home when providing site access.

The full upgrade process typically takes 1-3 weeks from initial request to completion. Timelines depend on technician availability, equipment supply, and work scheduling.

Preparing Your Home for Installation

Homeowners have several important responsibilities to ensure a smooth gas meter installation:

• Clear a 1 metre workspace around the existing gas metre and meter box, removing obstructions that block access.
• Inform the technician about any safety or life support equipment issues like asbestos materials, chemical storage, aggressive pets, etc. on your property.
• Have an authorised adult over age 18 present for the duration of work to provide site access and assist as needed.
• Before gas shutoff, make note of any pilot lights that will require relighting on gas appliances post-installation.
• Remove or protect delicate plants, landscaping, vehicles and other possessions near work areas from potential damage.
• For safety, make sure to keep small children and pets away from the work site during gas service upgrades.
• Post proper signage if work encroaches on public areas beyond your property.

Homeowners can facilitate efficient upgrades and protect their property and technicians by handling these preparations and ensuring clear, unobstructed meter access.

What to Expect During Installation

The gas meter installation process consists of several crucial steps:

1. The technician shuts off your gas supply at the metre and nearby valves for safety.
2. They disconnect and remove your old meter equipment.
3. The new digital or mechanical electricity meter gets mounted and connected to gas supply lines.
4. Before restoring gas flow, technicians perform pressure tests and safety checks on the new meter.
5. With the homeowner present, technicians relight your gas systems like hot water systems and stoves, ensuring proper functionality.
6. The technicians walk through the new metre, provide manuals/documentation, and highlight smart metre features if upgrading to a digital metre.

During installation, technicians are responsible for preparing the site, safely removing old equipment, installing the new meter gear, restoring supply, relighting appliances, and informing the customer.

The homeowner should inform technicians about all gas appliances requiring relighting, be present for relights/safety checks, ask questions, and provide any necessary access to complete work. By understanding these responsibilities, homeowners can expect streamlined, safe installations.

Time Frames for Completion

After the gas meter upgrade request is submitted and approved, the typical end-to-end timeline is between one to three weeks. However, exact durations can vary due to:

• Technician availability and scheduling
• Specific metre equipment lead times
• Inspection requirements
• Workload volume and seasonal demands

Following your initial request for an upgrade, expect the following timeline:

1. 1-5 business days for application processing and work order creation
2. 3-10 business days for equipment procurement and work scheduling
3. 1 business day for onsite metre installation
4. Allow for an additional day if a metre reinspection is necessary

Keep in mind public holidays, service disruptions from weather or supply issues, or other unforeseen circumstances could also delay timelines by a few additional days. For clarity on your specific upgrade timeline, consult your gas distributor.

Although service standards strive for a quick turnaround, jobs requiring substantial gas infrastructure upgrades may exceed these rough estimates. Technicians strive to complete upgrades quickly to reduce any inconvenience.

Costs Involved

Upgrading to a new gas metre incurs costs for homeowners, which can include:

• Installation fees - Expect to pay $200-500 for basic mechanical metres or $500-1500+ for advanced digital smart metres and additional work.
• Site preparation/modifications - If gas pipes, valves, or supply lines need bringing up to code, expect added costs of $200-2000+ depending on complexity.
• Appliance relighting - Most providers include basic relighting services, but complex jobs may incur fees of $50-150 per appliance.
• Inspections/rework - In the uncommon event of safety check failures, reinspection and repair could add $100-300 to the costs.

Exact upgrade costs vary significantly based on:

• Type of replacement metre
• Additional site work/modifications needed
• Make/model/number of appliances requiring relighting
• Compliance inspections performance

Upon initiating an upgrade, your distributor will offer a precise quote based on your home’s requirements.

Addressing Post-Installation Issues

While gas metre upgrades are usually completed without issues, occasional post-installation problems can arise. If you experience issues like continued gas leaks, appliance pilot lights failing to stay lit, metre display or remote access malfunctions, or erroneous bill charges, immediately call your gas distributor on 1300 349 338 for troubleshooting assistance.

Technicians can diagnose issues via phone or with a follow-up home visit if necessary. Common post-installation problems include:

• Loose fittings or couplings causing minor gas leaks - Often swiftly rectified by securing connections.
• Appliance pilot outages - Corrupted air intake lines during work can disrupt freshly relit pilots, requiring a Venturi air realignment by a technician to address.
• Remote metre interface glitches - Reprogramming wireless equipment or firmware resets often resolve these problems.
• Incorrect gas usage recording - Miscalibrated smart metre sensors, outdated read cycles, or mixed-up customer details result in inaccurate billing, fixed by sensor recalibrations and data syncs.

For issues occurring immediately or soon after upgrades, we’ll prioritise sending your original installation technicians to troubleshoot. But even long after installations, Gas distributors remain responsible for addressing any ongoing system issues.

Promptly reporting post-installation issues allows Mortdale Plumbing’s specialist teams to quickly rectify any problems, ensuring your new gas service functions optimally.

Benefits of Smart Gas Meters

Upgrading to a smart digital gas metre provides several notable benefits for homeowners:

• Smart meters offer detailed usage insights, helping consumers identify patterns and potential savings.
• Enhanced control features like vacation shutoffs add security during extended absences.
• Seamless integration with smart home ecosystems allows for innovative automation capabilities.

While smart gas metres may cost more upfront, homeowners can often recoup these costs through safety protections, usage awareness, remote access convenience, and potential bill savings from analysing consumption trends in detail.

Relighting Gas Appliances

After a gas metre upgrade or interruption, appliances like hot water systems, ovens and cooktops will require relighting before use. Follow these safe steps to relight each gas appliance:

1. Open the gas valves near the appliance to allow gas to flow.
2. Set appliance controls/dials/switches to the off position.
3. Locate the igniter button or switch to initiate electronic ignition. Common terms used are "ignite", "light" or "spark".
4. Press the igniter button/switch while turning the main dial/control to high or the 'on’ preset.
5. Hold igniter for 5+ seconds until pilot flame lights and remains stable after releasing.
6. If the pilot goes out, repeat immediately. If appliance fails to light after 3 attempts, call a technician.
7. Once lit, turn controls to the on or operating position.

Should you encounter difficulties relighting appliances, contact your gas distributor at 1300 349 338 for professional help.

Ensuring Appliance Compatibility

It’s essential to confirm the compatibility and safe functioning of all gas appliances when upgrading your meter. Appliances using natural gas rely on specific gas metre pressure and flow rates to operate normally.

If the upgraded meter significantly alters these parameters, incompatible appliances may exhibit reduced performance, burner malfunctions, or ignition failures. At worst, gas leaks or explosions become possible risks.

Warning signs of appliance incompatibility include:

• Pilot lights failing to stay lit
• Burner flames appearing abnormal (too small/large)
• Soot buildup on appliances
• Unusual smells from appliances
• Appliances repeatedly shutting off unexpectedly

If you notice these or any questionable changes in appliances after a metre upgrade, discontinue use and contact Mortdale Plumbing immediately on 1300 349 338. We’ll despatch qualified gas technicians to inspect for compatibility issues and undertake repairs or adjustments so appliances function normally again.

We proactively assess compatibility factors such as appliance types, BTU ratings, venting, piping, and their current condition during the upgrade process. Most upgrades proceed without issue. But for appliances at risk of incompatibility, we’ll recommend service adjustments as needed, or discuss replacement options if at end of service life.

Our experienced teams conduct all necessary checks and actions to ensure your appliances run safely and efficiently throughout meter upgrades and beyond.