Natural Gas - How Can I get It?

hmonk

Greetings,



I just purchased a home built in 1954 and I feel it needs some system upgrades.  Namely:  Heating and Cooling.



House has the original oil-fired boiler and radiant heat system.  I considered keeping this system, but want to replace the boiler and go with NG if I do keep it.



Here's my question:  Besides the gas company, how else can I bring in a NG hookup?  House is located about 240 feet from the gas line located on a main road.  Gas company (Columbia) told me in rough estimate that it would cost between $6-8000.  I said that's ridiculous, considering the fact that a heating system and appliances will all be running on NG.  They said the price may come down a little once they have assurance of this.



Are there any alternatives - contractors - who do this work for much less?



Thanks!

Tim McElwain

Having worked for a natural gas utility for many

years you are at their mercy for the installation of a service to you home. There is no other way to get natural gas but from the local supplier.



A suggestion that may cause them to lower the price is for you to contact neighbors who may be interested in putting in gas. This will tend to make it worth the utility lowering the installation cost.

Charlie from wmass

Stay with oil

Tell them you will switch for less or stay with oil. If they say nope say ok oil it is. And get propane for the kitchen stove.

kcopp

here in NH...

Stndard practice for Northern Utilities... not Unitil was 1st 75'was "free" andfeter that it was  x dollars per ft.. 240 is a ways but not impossible.... see what happens if you propose dig the trench. the other thing is timing. This time of year is a lot harder to get stuff done. Next May may be better.

Jean-David Beyer

Getting Natural Gas.

I guess it depends a lot on where you are. I live in New Jersey in an area supplied by New Jersey Natural Gas. There is a plastic gas line down my street. It was about a 40 foot run from their main to where my meter was to be put. I had the work done in mid-May of 2009, and they did it for free. I did have to pay the "street opening fee" to the town of $150. They did not dig a trench. They dug a hole in the street and tapped into the gas main. They dug a hole next to the wall of my house just under where the gas meter was to go. They then took a gtizmo they called a "mole" and hooked it to a compressed air hose and it just forced its way through the ground from one hole to the other. If I remember correctly, the compressed air hose was the plastic gas line that went from the streeet to the meter, but maybe they pulled the gas line through the ground using the compressed air hose to pull it. I do not know if the gas pipe can withstand the pressure used by the mole. I believe the gas pressure down the street is about 15 psi, but there is a regulator just before the meter that reduces it to whatever is in my house.



I have my doubts that a mole would go straight enough to come out where it was wanted over a length of 240 feet, though. The mole put my gas line about three feet below the ground.

hmonk

I Could Dig the Trench

...Like that idea.  Don't know if the company is willing to work with me on that.  How much could I potentially save with NG over Oil if I install a high efficiency system?  Is it worth paying something like $3-4000 for the hookup?  Incidentally, would install gas range and water heater.



Living in Richmond, VA area.

Tim McElwain

The answer as to paying

that much just to get the gas to you is don't do it. It would take a long time to redeem the cost of gas line install and then add to the the cost of install of the gas equipment. The savings between oil and what you would pay for gas is not enough to make it feasible.



Most utilites will not install services in the winter due to frost in the ground. The use of a "mole" with unrestricted soil typically mean only a couple of holes opened to get the gas to the dwelling.



I would recommend you stay with the oil. Then if later on you are able to get gas you can convert to a gas power burner. Have propane installed for other appliances.