Simple connection
Once we have assessed your new connection application, the connection process will be described as a ‘simple connection supply point’ if it only requires a quote, but not an easement, and can usually be completed in approximately 6-8 weeks from receipt of payment and any required paperwork.
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Connection pricing
Assessment fee
For all connections, you pay a $350 fee (including GST) to recover the cost we incur when preparing a detailed quote.
Civil work
Customers may prefer to undertake some of the civil work themselves that they would otherwise pay Vector for as part of their contribution. If that is the case, then we may allow customers to undertake the civil work using appropriately trained and qualified personnel who are familiar with our, and the relevant third parties’ (e.g. Auckland Transport, Watercare, etc.), standards and requirements. We will then install the new gas infrastructure. Examples of civil work include, trenching, reinstatement and laying of ducting.
Please let us know within your application if you prefer this option and we’ll provide more information on the applicable requirements.
Refunds
Sometimes we complete work faster than anticipated, for example, less traffic management days are needed. This may result in a partial refund of the contribution that you paid. Ordinarily we’ll process any refunds after the completion of the work when we know what work was (and was not) required.
Information required when you apply for a gas connection
- Installation address
- Preferred gas retailer
- Site plan of the property or new subdivision with preferred meter location marked up
- List of appliances to be connected to gas including type, quantity and mega joule rating per hour (MJ/hr)
- The outlet pressure
- The contact details of your gas fitter
The timeframes, process and costs may vary depending on:
- The length of the service connection
- The site conditions including the condition of the soil (e.g. rock) and the complexity of the construction
- Whether traffic management services are required (as these are managed by third parties)
- Whether you need an arborist report and resource consents
- Whether multiple meters are placed together (meter bank) and if we need to connect to a gas main made out of steel
- Other technical, legal, regulatory and administrative factors (including resource constraints)
Responsibilities
What we do:
- Design the new connection
- Obtain necessary permits and plans from local councils and other utility companies
- Complete the physical construction of the gas service pipes
- Liaise with your nominated gas retailer to organise for a gas meter to be installed
- If the gas service is laid near or around trees, we will get an arborist report/council consent.
What you do:
- Before we can proceed, sign the quote, pay for the work and send us all required information (see below)
- Organise a registered gasfitter to install the pipework from the meter to the gas appliances and then the fitting
- If you are providing an open trench or ducting this will need to be from the street boundary to the proposed gas meter position. Trench or ducting specifications should be provided with your quote or call 0800 222 260 to obtain a copy.
- If we have to lay your gas service within a shared driveway or on a cross lease section, you will need to provide us with evidence that you have rights for use of the land for this installation
- If you do not own the land your gas connection has to cross, you will need to provide easements and a site plan
- Obtain permission from the property owner
- Any other specific requirements identified in the quoting process.
Our process
Initiate | Contact us on 0800 22 22 60 and request a new simple gas connection. |
|---|---|
Assessment fee and payment | We'll usually email assessment fee letter and payment instruction within 5 working days. You must accept and pay within 20 working days before we can proceed to do any design works for you. |
Site assessment and design | We'll contact you to make arrangement for site assessment and discuss design requirements. |
Quote and payment | We'll usually supply a quote including terms and conditions within 10 working days. You can accept these and pay within 35 working days. |
Build | Once payment and the quote acceptance has been received it generally takes 40 working days to complete the job. |
Completion | We will reinstate the job site if we have done any excavation. Note: the meter installation by your retailer can take place later |
FAQs
As soon as you can. If you’re building then it’s best to start this process when you’re laying your foundations. Generally this gives us enough time to be ready to connect when you are. Please ensure you have discussed your requirements with a registered gasfitter before contacting Vector.
Please visit orders.vector.co.nz to request the electricity connection and call 0800 22 22 60 to request the gas connection. As these are different connections with different processes, you will need to request these separately.
Our gas main is located in Council property which means we need to liaise with them to obtain approval for working in this area. We also need to obtain plans from other utilities which may be in the street. We are dependent on their processing times for this approval and documentation.
Vector owns the gas service pipe up to and including the gas riser (which is the vertical pipe going into the gas meter). The meter can be owned by one of several companies including Vector. You usually own all pipes from the outlet of the gas meter to the appliances.
Residential properties are exclusively used for private living quarters. Commercial refers to any property used for business activities like shops, assembly plants, storage warehouses, shopping centers, office spaces, or any other business enterprise.
If you’ve accepted the quote and Vector has had to do work on your behalf, i.e. begun digging a trench, and you then decide to cancel, you’ll be refunded less reasonable costs incurred.
Our network equipment is generally installed on the corner boundary of a property by the driveway, in accordance with our network design standards. However, we are happy to discuss any specific requests you may have and will try to accommodate where possible.
Your gas connection should be unobstructed and easily accessible to us. Structures such as decks should allow for access to the gas connection without the need to cut into the decking structure. However, concrete work can be placed around the connection as we are able to drill the concrete for access to the gas connection if required and to reinstate it (as best we reasonably can) afterwards.
If we’ve identified that we’ll be working near or around trees, we’ll work to confirm the status of the tree. We’ll obtain an arborist report to determine what methodology we need to use when working near the tree. We will obtain tree owner approval from Auckland Council as part of this process. If you’d like to complete this process yourself this will be at your expense.
Please note that if an arborist requires a specific working methodology, then we may need to adjust our scope of Works to comply with that requirement and this could result in Additional Charges.
There are certain council standards which need to be adhered to for temporary traffic management on state highways and local roads. In these cases, we are required to provide council with a traffic management plan. To do this a site assessment is completed and a plan is designed and submitted to the council for approval, this plan also includes the signage and personnel required on the actual day.
Vector owns the pipes where the gas flows, but an energy retailer sells the gas to you as a customer. The retailer bills you for the gas you have used. A gas meter cannot be installed until you have signed up with an energy retailer. Once the gas meter has been installed you will start receiving charges from your energy retailer.
Some of our natural gas network is made out of steel. To be able to connect your service to the steel network, we require specialised equipment and personnel to weld steel fittings onto the live gas mains without interrupting gas supply.
If you have provided an open trench or ducting, you’re responsible for reinstatement.
If we have excavated or used thrusting or drilling techniques, then we will be responsible for reinstatement. We’ll temporarily reinstate any excavation with black asphalt and once this has settled, we’ll return (within 2 weeks) to complete the final reinstatement. We’ll make all reasonable endeavours to reinstate the land to its existing conditions and minimise any inconvenience
Yes you can. If we don't have natural gas in your street or outside your property, we can still provide you with a cost for extending our gas main.
The cost of the mains extension will vary depending on the distance. A mains extension requires us to complete more work in Council land therefore increasing our costs due to a larger amount of reinstatement being required. As a result, you will incur additional costs.
If natural gas is not a viable option, then we recommend bottled LPG as an alternative. You will need to arrange this yourself with bottled gas retailers