Meter removals and disconnection

Remove my electric meter temporarily

If you have an electricity account with us, you may want to temporarily turn your power off to prevent electricity usage. This might be because electrical work is being carried out in your home and it needs to be made safe to allow the work to be completed.

This type of work is referred to as de-energization and re-energization and it can only be completed by a specialist meter operator. De-energising an electricity meter is where the meter operator removes the main fuse from an electricity meter preventing electricity usage. Re-energising of an electricity meter is when the meter operator will install a main fuse.

What are my options?

We understand your circumstances and the need to keep your supply off for as little time as possible.

We can give you options and let you know what we can do to help, such as fitting an isolator switch which would give you more flexibility if any further work is required in the future.

How do I book an engineer?

If you have an account with us, you can find all our contact information here.

If you are not with British Gas, please speak to your energy supplier directly.

Remove my meter permanently or disconnect it

There may be occasions where you may want to stop your gas or electric supply. These include:

On a temporary basis - for example, if you're having building work carried out at the property.

On a permanent basis - for example, if the property is being demolished. This can include removal of the service pipes (you'll need to liaise with your transporter in order to arrange).

Requesting your gas meter to be capped

If you have electric heating and cooking installed in your home, and have no existing or future use for gas supply to your home, your gas meter can be capped but you will still need to pay the standing charge. To arrange for your meter to be capped, follow the steps:

Contact us or the energy supplier for the property in question. Energy suppliers are responsible for gas meters and are required to cap the gas meter if requested.

Call our team on 0333 202 9802. We're available Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm.

You may be asked few additional questions about their circumstances, and whether you require a temporary pause in supply, or a permanent cap. We will also need to ask you the location of the meter to assess whether the supply can be capped at the meter, or if the supply between the street and the house needs to be removed completely (see Step 3).

The work will then be booked in with an engineer on the next available date.

In some cases, further work may be needed on the site to remove the gas supply from the street to the home, which requires digging up the connecting pipework. This can be for safety reasons, at the request of the customer if they intend to restructure the house, or in other circumstances.

If this work is required immediately, you will need to contact your local Gas Distribution Network Operator (GDNO) to arrange for the work to be carried out and discuss any charges (you can find your GDNO on Ofgem’s website. Charges will vary depending on the GDNO and the circumstances but note that these can be up to £2,000.

Around 12 months after the meter has been capped, the local GDNO is required to complete a follow-up assessment, they will assess the situation and may decide to remove the supply from the street to the home.

Tenants in private rented properties or social housing should speak to their landlord or managing agent regarding having the gas supply capped.