New business gas connection
A new commercial gas supply is a project, not a phone call. The regional gas transporter (or an independent gas transporter on a development) confirms capacity and the route, lays the service pipe, and issues your MPRN. Most of the build is contestable, so it can be self-laid by an accredited contractor in competition with the transporter. The single biggest driver of both cost and time is how far your boundary sits from the existing gas main. This page walks the process, the players and the timings, then puts the supply contract in place at the end.
What a new gas connection actually involves
A gas connection joins your premises to the local gas network with a service pipe, and where the main does not yet reach your frontage, with an extension of that main. The work splits into a contestable part (the digging, laying and reinstatement that an accredited contractor can compete for) and a non-contestable part (the transporter confirming the connection point and making the live connection). The economics turn on distance: the further the main, the more pipe, civils and consents you pay for. Electricity follows a parallel structure, covered on our new electricity connection guide, and the full picture for both sits on the new energy connections hub.
Gas is one of several non-commodity layers that sit alongside the wholesale unit you eventually pay for. If you are planning a new site, it is worth reading how non-commodity costs are built into your bill before you commit, so the connection budget and the ongoing supply cost are scoped together rather than in isolation.
The gas connection process, step by step
Five stages take a site from a load estimate to a metered, contracted supply. The order matters: feasibility before application, tender before build, and the supply contract lined up before the meter goes live.
- 01
Confirm the load and feasibility
Establish the peak gas load (in kW or m3/h) and how far the existing gas main is from your boundary. Distance to the main is the single biggest driver of both cost and time; where a connection is uneconomic, LPG can be the fallback.
- 02
Apply to the gas transporter
Submit the enquiry to the regional gas distribution network (Cadent, NGN, SGN or Wales & West), or an IGT on a development. The transporter confirms capacity, the route and a quotation for the service pipe and any main extension.
- 03
Tender the contestable works
Most of the construction is contestable and can be self-laid by a GIRS-accredited UIP in competition with the transporter. Compare the transporter price against UIP quotes, and consider IGT adoption where the asset value reduces the net cost.
- 04
Lay, commission and register
The service pipe and any main extension are laid and commissioned, the transporter makes the live connection, and an MPRN is issued. The meter is then fitted to match the load (an IGT-connected site has an MPRN beginning 74 to 77).
- 05
Place the supply contract
As with electricity, line up the gas supply contract before energisation so the new MPRN does not sit on a deemed rate. We tender it across the supplier panel and place it to start the moment the meter goes live.
Gas transporters versus IGTs
Two kinds of network can own the pipe that reaches your site. Which one applies decides who you apply to, who issues your MPRN and what the long-run transportation charge looks like. You can confirm the operator for any postcode with our network operator lookup tool.
Gas Distribution Network (GDN)
The regulated regional monopoly that owns the local gas pipes, sets the gas point of connection and required reinforcement, and adopts and operates new gas mains. Four companies run the eight GDNs.
Who they are: Cadent, Northern Gas Networks, SGN, Wales & West Utilities.
Independent Gas Transporter (IGT)
The gas equivalent of an IDNO: an Ofgem-licensed operator that owns and runs smaller, newer gas networks, usually on new developments. An IGT-connected site has an MPRN that begins 74, 75, 76 or 77.
Who they are: GTC Pipelines, ESP Pipelines, Energy Assets Pipelines, Last Mile Gas, Fulcrum Pipelines.
The quick tell: an IGT-connected site has an MPRN beginning 74, 75, 76 or 77. If yours does, the day-to-day operator of your pipe is an independent gas transporter, not one of the four regional networks. Every adopting IGT and IDNO we list in our directory of UK connection providers can be checked against the Ofgem public register before you appoint.
What drives the cost and the time
A gas connection is a stack of separately governed charges, not a single number, and one factor dominates the rest. The full, line-by-line breakdown sits on our guide to new connection costs; the gas headlines are below.
Distance to the main
The single biggest driver of both cost and time. A main on your frontage is a short service pipe. A main streets away means a metered run of new pipe, more civils, road-opening permits and potentially wayleaves across land you do not own.
The contestable build
Trenching, laying and reinstatement can be self-laid by a GIRS-accredited contractor in competition with the transporter. The non-contestable part (connection-point determination and the live connection) is fixed whoever you appoint, so only the contestable lines move on price.
When LPG is the fallback
Where the main is far enough away that a mains connection is uneconomic, bottled or bulk LPG can be the pragmatic answer. We will say so honestly rather than push a connection that does not pay back, and we scope both before you decide.
Indicative gas connection timelines
These are indicative industry ranges, not Purely quotes. Every connection is individually scoped from a site survey, and the acceptance window on a transporter quote is often up to 90 days, so applying early protects your programme.
New commercial gas connection
Around 3 to 5 months with the main close by; 5 to 9 months for a longer main extension
Connection needing wider reinforcement / large development
6+ months on top of the base connection; the largest schemes can run 1 to 3 years
How we manage the connection for you
A connection involves the transporter, the contractor and the supplier, and they do not coordinate themselves. We run the whole thing as one project, then place the supply contract at the end. The margin we add for managing it is shown as a separate line on the quote, never buried in the transporter charge or a contractor price, and we are paid on the ongoing supply contract too, stated and separated so you can see it.
- 01
Scope the capacity and the connection
We start with the load, decide single or three phase, flag where a substation is likely, and submit the enquiry to your DNO or gas transporter to confirm the point of connection. Getting capacity right here prevents an undersized supply or paying for headroom you never use.
- 02
Tender the contestable works
We take the network quote and run a competitive ICP or UIP tender against it, comparing on price and programme. Where it benefits you, we structure an IDNO or IGT adoption so the asset value offsets the build cost. You see every underlying quote, and the margin we add for managing the connection is shown as a separate line, never buried inside a construction price.
- 03
Coordinate the network, the ICP and siteworks
This is the project-management phase, and the one most likely to slip. We sequence the trenching, ducting and substation works against your build programme, arrange a temporary builders supply where needed, and hold the parties to one timeline with a single point of contact.
- 04
Energise the meter and confirm the MPAN or MPRN
Once the works are complete, the network energises the connection and the supply is registered. We arrange the meter (smart or half-hourly as the load requires) and confirm the technical detail the supplier needs.
- 05
Put the supply contract in place
We tender the new MPAN and MPRN across our 30+ supplier panel and place a contract from the moment it energises, so you start on the right rate. The team that connected you is the team that contracts you, with our commission or fee disclosed.
Once the meter is live, the new MPRN is tendered across our supplier panel exactly like an existing site. If you want to understand the ongoing rate side first, start with our business gas procurement service.
New gas connection: FAQs
- What is the difference between a gas transporter and an independent gas transporter (IGT)?
- Four regional gas transporters own the main network: Cadent, Northern Gas Networks, SGN and Wales & West Utilities. Independent gas transporters (IGTs) own smaller networks, usually on newer developments. The transporter approves capacity, lays the pipe to your property and issues your MPRN. An IGT-connected site has an MPRN beginning 74, 75, 76 or 77.
- How long does a new gas connection take?
- Usually around 3 to 5 months end to end where the gas main is close to your boundary, and 5 to 9 months where a longer main extension is needed. The acceptance window after a quote is often up to 90 days, and distance to the main is the dominant driver of both time and cost.
More answers across electricity and gas sit on our new connections FAQ page.
Get a new gas connection scoped and tendered
Tell us the site, the load and your build programme. We confirm feasibility with the transporter, tender the contestable works, run the project to your timeline, and place the gas supply contract from the moment the meter goes live.