Three gas companies penalised £8m for failing to attend emergencies on time
THREE gas companies have been penalised £8million for failing to attend emergencies on time, potentially leaving customers at risk.
Southern Gas Networks will pay £5.8million, Cadent £1.5million and Scotland Gas Networks £700,000.
Companies maintain the gas network and must attend reports of any suspected leaks within one or two hours, depending on the circumstances.
They must arrive in one hour for uncontrolled gas escapes and two hours for controlled leaks in at least 97 per cent of cases.
Southern Gas Networks was handed the largest penalty after it missed the 97 per cent target by 5.1 per cent.
Cadent was 1.8 per cent adrift, with Scotland Gas Networks 0.4 per cent.
Energy watchdog Ofgem looked at their failure to hit targets between 2022 and 2023.
The investigation covered Cadent's North London and North West regions, and the other distributors' Scottish and Southern areas.
Cathryn Scott, Ofgem's director of market oversight and enforcement, said: 'The potential risk to households and businesses if gas leaks aren't investigated quickly is significant.'
She said Ofgem won't hesitate to take action when companies fail to meet their obligations.
The companies voluntarily agreed to pay the penalties.
The cash will go into Ofgem's redress fund, which provides money for projects supporting vulnerable energy consumers.
1
HOME PLUNGE
HOUSE sales plunged last month as changes to stamp duty hit first-time buyers, figures show.
There were 64,680 sales in April — a third of the number in March.
The figure was also well down on April last year, according to HMRC.
From April 1, first-time buyers have paid stamp duty on homes above £300,000, down from £425,000.
PETROL'S FALL
AVERAGE petrol pump prices have fallen to their lowest level for almost four years, but experts predict they will not go lower.
They reached 132.3p a litre on Thursday, down from about 135.5p in early April, according to the AA.
But it said the impact of low oil prices remains 'disappointing and frustrating' for motorists.
GOOD WEEK: DEBBIE Crosbie, boss at Nationwide, after the building society reported a 30 per cent leap in profits to £2.3billion.
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