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Written question asked by Barry Sheerman (Labour) on Thursday, 13 July 2017, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 17 July 2017. It was answered by Lord Harrington of Watford (Conservative) on Friday, 21 July 2017 on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

High Rise Flats: Natural Gas

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether gas pipes in high-rise blocks similar to Grenfell Tower are routinely checked for safety during the process of installing smart meters.

Answer

Safety is the primary concern of the smart metering programme. Energy suppliers are responsible for installing smart meters and are required to comply with a number of regulations and other requirements that relate to the safety of installations and appliances. These include the Gas Safety (Installations and Use) Regulations (1998), the Meter Asset Managers’ Code of Practice (MAMCoP) and the Meter Operators Code of Practice Agreement (MOCOPA) which set out the roles, responsibilities and expectations of meter installers when safety issues are identified during meter installation visits. The Government have also put in place additional requirements through the Smart Metering Installation Code of Practice (SMICoP) which require energy suppliers to ensure that installers are appropriately trained.

Smart metering is also providing an opportunity to detect pre-existing safety issues that would have otherwise taken longer to identify. Gas and Electricity Network Operators have an important role to play in resolving such issues. They are working closely with suppliers to support a safe installation process.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
4826
Session
2017-19
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Energy Natural gas Meters Pipelines Safety High rise flats
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk