Gas Tanks

Occasionally rural properties have central heating and hot water run from bottled gas, which is cheaper when bought in bulk, hence the large tanks seen outside houses. In recent years it has become acceptable only to have these tanks buried so when viewing properties you need to be aware of where the gas is coming from and check the following facts with the vendor.

Existing tanks:

When the property for sale already has the gas tank installed it is important to establish whether it is owned by the vendor or rented from the gas company. If the vendor owns it, ask the question, is it included in the purchase price of the house? If this is the case, the vendor should write to the gas company to confirm that he is selling the tank with the house. On completion Dream Properties Dordogne can then arrange for the gas company to draw up a contract for gas for the client inmuch the same way as one does with EDF or the water company. If the tank is rented, a new agreement can be drawn up in the new owner’s name. The name of the previous user will be asked for and where there has been a tenant you will need to know his/her name before you ring the gas company. Prepare for this before you ring to save a wasted call.

New installations:

Clients wishing to have gas installed in their property will probably already be employing the services of a local plumber, in which case he will be able to organise the purchase or rental of the gas tank. . Whatever, the issues will be the same as above ie. a contract will have to be set up in the client’s name. The big difference with a new installation is that the client can influence where he wants the tank to be located (although there are many strict regulations about this)

Ordering gas:

A regular order can be set up for the client which he can then renew by filling in a form or making a telephone call. Other arrangements are that the driver of the gas tank company can be set up to call by on say a six monthly basis, and he will decide how much to refill the tank based on usuage in the previous six months. Remember though, there are variations depending on the geographical area and local (or national) gas company used. If you set this up properly in the first place you will save lots of bother in the future! Holiday home owners will probably not use as much gas as permanent residents and it is possible to order half tanks of gas. This costs slightly more pro rata but saves having a big expense to begin with.