Gas connections - residential

Vector will connect its gas service pipe to a meter on the side of your house or on the property boundary for commercial properties. You can find out here how close our gas network is to your property.

How do I apply?
You can submit an online request now or contact 0800 222 260

How much will it cost?
The cost to connect to natural gas connections will vary widely depending on your circumstances. We will provide you with a quote which will highlight specific circumstances that will contribute to the cost of your connection. These could include:

The distance between your property boundary and your gas meter position
The type of road the property is situated on
Construction method i.e. will an open trench be provided by you, if not and we cannot drill or thrust the service pipe we will cut a trench
Soil conditions – specifically whether rock is present. Rock may be struck anywhere but if your property is in a known rock area this will be reflected in your quote
Whether our gas network needs to be extended to provide you with your gas connection
Additional costs such as those imposed by councils for traffic management and road opening charges.

How long will it take?
To receive your quotation: 2 weeks

Once the quote has been accepted and payment received: generally 4-6 weeks but can take longer for gas mains extensions or if additional consents such as Traffic Service Agreements are required.

We will arrange permits/consents with Council and maps/plans from other utility companies, such as phone companies, who may have cables or pipes in the area. This can take several weeks to obtain before we can start the actual site planning for your installation.

Once all plans are in place, work can commence. We usually set a 2 week time period and will contact you to provide an estimated date at the first available time during that period.

What are my responsibilities when I connect to gas?

There are some things outside of our control which you will have to manage. These include:
Provide us with a signed right of way consent from all affected parties if we have to lay your gas service within a shared access route
Provide us with easements and a site plan if you do not own the land your gas connection has to cross
Provide us with an arborist report (and any required council consent) if there are protected tree root systems along the proposed connection route
Organising with your gasfitter the pipework from the gas meter to the gas appliances and the fitting of gas appliances
If you are building, you can provide an open trench which will enable you to coordinate the laying of all services during construction (for trench specifications click here or call 0800 222 260).

When confirming your gas requirements, the following points should be considered:

Determine a suitable location for the gas meter which meets our requirements (call 0800 222 260 for information about compliant positions for gas meters)
For new buildings, organise for the gas connection to be laid during construction when other services are being installed
Determine the positioning of your gas appliances, checking dimensions and required clearances
Organise the installation of appliances by a certified gasfitter
For new buildings, gas pipework should be run to the appliance positions when the framework for the building is up. This enables the pipe to be hidden within the walls of the building, before gib board is attached

Who do I contact to check the progress of my application?
If you have any questions regarding your application or would like to obtain a progress update please contact 0800 222 260 or email vectorgas@vector.co.nz.

You will need to have your reference number handy.

GAS CONNECTIONS PROCESS
Step	Process
1. Find out how close the gas network is to your property	Check that gas is available in your street
2. Choose your appliances and gas retailer	Once you know gas can be connected to your house, you can start planning and shopping for gas appliances. You will also need to choose a gas retailer.
3. Submit an application to Vector	Apply online or call 0800 222 260. When building a new property, you should submit your gas connection application 3 months prior to your move in date.
4. Vector will assess your application and provide a quotation	Once we have received your application, we will check that your property can be connected to gas, take measurements from our mapping system and establish if any contribution towards the connection cost is required from you. As your contribution is determined by your estimated gas consumption, after a few months, we might check to see that you are using what you said you would. A quote will be provided to you or your energy retailer within 2 weeks and include information about any foreseen easement and consents requirements. If unforeseen conditions are encountered during construction we may stop work, reassess the connection and discuss any further requirements with you. In the Auckland region our quote will be valid for 30 days. For the rest of the North Island your gas energy retailer will liaise with you about any costs associated with your connection, and they will provide acceptance and arrange payment on your behalf.
5. Arrange any easements and consents you are responsible for	If you are legally required to obtain easements and consents, we will need copies of these before construction can begin. Ideally, we should receive the easements and consents at the same time as the signed quotation but we can accept your application and put your job on hold if easements and consents are pending.
6. Sign quotation and provide payment	In Auckland we will need to receive the signed acceptance letter back within 30 days along with any payment. For the rest of the North Island your gas energy retailer will provide us with confirmation on whether to proceed with the application and will arrange payment on your behalf.
7. Vector will obtain maps and plans	We will obtain any maps, plans, permits and consents that are required except for easements and consents that you are responsible for. Vector is reliant on council and other utility processing times for this documentation which can take up to 4 weeks. If a Transit Service Agreement is required this may take longer than 4 weeks.
8. Vector will liaise with you regarding timeframes for the job and expected completion date	If you are building, we will liaise with you so that the laying of the gas connection fits with your construction schedule. If you are providing an open trench for services confirm the location of any existing underground services first at www.beforeudig.co.nz.
9. Provide your own trench	Dig the trench for services on your property. We need 2 days notice before we can lay your gas service in your trench. Click here for trench specifications.
10. Vector will connect you to its gas network	This involves laying and connecting the underground gas pipe from the street to your gas meter including: physical construction of the gas service testing, purging and livening the gas service to the gas network liaising with your gas retailer to arrange for the meter to be installed Once the maps and plans are received, construction will take about 10 days unless a mains extension is required which may take longer. Energising your connection will occur within 2 days following the completion of construction. Note: heavy rain can make soil conditions hard to work with and may delay the construction process.
11. Arrange installation of your internal gas pipes and appliances	Internal gas piping can now be completed by a registered craftsman gasfitter. When building this is usually done when the building framework is up, but before the internal walls are erected. Your gasfitter can also install your appliances and connection points.
12. Turn on the gas	Once everything is installed your registered craftsman gasfitter will turn on the gas and ensure that the installation is completely safe and legally compliant with all gas standards and codes. To confirm that your gas connection is compliant, you will receive a copy of the gas certification certificate and another copy will be sent to your gas energy retailer.