Gas connections - commercial & industrial

Any commercial and industrial customers need customised solutions to meet their energy needs. We have specialist engineers who can provide engineering and design assistance for new or upgraded connections, and for projects involving conversion to gas.

Find out here if our gas network is available to your property.

How do I apply?
You can complete a new application form or apply online.

How much will it cost?
All commercial and industrial connections are Price On Application (POA) and costs will vary depending on your specific circumstances. We will provide you with a quote which will highlight any specific circumstances that will contribute to the cost of your connection. These could include:

The distance between the property boundary and our gas main
The distance between the property boundary and the 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 the property is in a Vector-known rock area this will be reflected in your quote
Whether Vector’s 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.

Once all plans are in place, we will contact you to arrange a time to complete the work at your property. The work can normally happen within two weeks of getting all the plans, depending on weather and workloads.

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 connection within a shared access route
Provide us with easements and a site plan if you do not own the land your 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 service route
Organise with your gasfitter the internal pipework from the gas meter to the gas appliances and fitting of gas appliances within your property
You can provide an open trench for works that occur on your property which will enable you to coordinate all services that are laid during construction

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 628 427 for information about compliant positions for gas meters)
Determine the positioning of gas appliances, checking dimensions and required clearances
Organise the installation of appliances by a certified gasfitter.

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 628 427 – you will need to have your reference number handy.

GAS CONNECTION PROCESS
Step	Process
1. Find out if there is gas in your street.	Gas network search.
2. Choose your appliances and gas retailer.	Once you know gas can be connected to your property, you can start planning and purchasing gas appliances. You will also need to choose a gas retailer.
3. Submit an application to Vector.	You can complete a new application form or apply online.
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 the contribution required from you towards the connection cost. We will provide you or your energy retailer with a quote within 2 weeks and include information about any foreseen easement and consents requirements. In the Auckland region our quotation will be valid for 60 days. For the rest of North Island your gas retailer will liaise with you about any costs associated with your connection.
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 would 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.	Auckland: we will need to receive the signed acceptance letter and completed Permission to Install Meter form within 60 days along with payment. Rest of 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, but you will need to return to us the completed Permission to Install Meter form.
7. Vector will obtain maps and plans.	We will obtain any maps, plans, permits and consents that are required except those easements and consents you are responsible for. We are 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 service fits with your construction schedule. If you are providing an open trench for your services confirm the location of any existing underground services first at www.beforeudig.co.nz.
9. Provide your own trench.	Dig the trench for utility services on your property. We need 2 days notice before we can lay your gas service in your trench.
10. Vector will connect you to Vector's 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 energy 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 a new property 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 retailer.