I am looking to increase my gas flow volume at a residential property. We are just about to add a new extension and its looks as though I will need to increase the KW of our boiler to 60kw. I also have a 16kw gas fire and hob.
Is it a case of changing the meter or does the pipe need to be changed to the road? From what I can gather most standard gas meter can provide around 6 cubic metres and a larger boiler needing this alone without any of the other appliances. Any advice or help appreciated.
Best answer by Jess_OVO
Updated on 09/09/25 by Abby_OVO
Great question this one,
It sounds like you’ve already done some research as you’re nearly spot on in terms of the capacity of a standard gas supply. The standard gas meters (also known as G4/U6 meters) have a maximum output of 64.6 kWh, in order to confirm that your current supply will need an upgrade you’ll need a gas safe engineer to calculate your ‘Service Pipe Energy Value’ (SPEV) in kWh which covers the total amount of gas used by all appliances (or planned appliances) in your home. If the standard gas meter isn’t going to be able to supply enough to fire up all the planned appliances, you’ll need to upgrade to a G10/U16 gas meter. These ones have a maximum capacity of 172.3 kWh.
It’s a bit of a long process as we’re not the ones that need to be involved. To summarise, the process for upgrading to U16 is:
Hope this helps outline the steps which need to be taken. Have you already had the ‘SPEV’ confirmed?
My next question is - how would I know if my current pipe would take this larger meter / cubic delivery ?
This is something we’d have to check with your local gas transporter once you’ve had a gas safe engineer confirm your ‘Service Pipe Energy Value’ (SPEV).
If you’ve already got this figure calculated it’s worth contacting the Support Team who’ll guide you through the next steps of the upgrade process.
Let us know how it goes and if you’ve got any more queries along the way. 
+4Hey
I understand it’s been a while since they last logged in, so it might feel like a long shot, but never say never! We’ve had members come back to us years later with great updates, so there’s always hope!
Since I don’t know your current setup, I’ll need to make a few assumptions. A G4 gas meter is quite common and works well for most homes and even some small businesses. From what you’ve shared, it sounds like the installation of your larger boiler and stove has increased the gas demand in your home, and you’ve been dealing with an under-pressurized system for a while now.
It’s important to note that when your bigger boiler was put in, the installer or plumber should have tested the system to ensure it met regulations. If they had done this properly, they would likely have recommended upgrading your meter from a U6 to a U16 for a higher flow rate. When we do a meter replacement, we typically only switch to a higher-rated U16 if a customer specifically asks for it, as seems to be the case with you. If it wasn't specifically requested, we usually just replace it with something similar to what was already there.
I’m afraid we may not be able to cover the cost of an upgraded meter because, if the installer had recommended it to support the new appliances, it would have fallen to you to cover that expense at the time. We’ve been working with the information that was available, which now looks to be inaccurate, indicating that the meter is undersized.
It seems like SGN needs to step in and increase the gas flow to your home. Once that’s taken care of, your supplier, Octopus, can arrange for the correct meter to be installed and get your supply back up and running. They typically prefer to wait on the installation until SGN has done their work to avoid any complications.
If you or anyone in your household is vulnerable, please let Octopus know; they can put you on the Priority Services Register, which may help speed things along in case there’s any risk to your safety. In the meantime, consider using space heaters or electric blankets to stay warm while they sort things out!
I hope this helps clarify things! If you have any more questions or concerns, just let me know!
| Meter Type: Low Pressure (Diaphragm Meters) | Flow Rate kW (kilowatts | Capacity (SCMH) Standard cubic metres per | Capacity (SCFH) Standard cubic feet per hour |
| U6 | 0 – 65 kW | 6 m³/hr | 212 ft³/hr |
| U16 | 66 – 173 kW | 16 m³/hr | 565 ft³/hr |
yeah, dad’s called OVO for the third time, will see if the boiler installer guy was wrong or if OVO replaced our meter wrong and see if they have a record of what was there before they replaced it.
As boiler was installed before 2017, and gas meter was installed 2017, so was undersized then for sure. But your right, depends on what the meter before that was.
Already on the PSR, but not sure if they knew that when they quoted us 6 to 8 weeks, will have to see how it goes, thanks
+4Hey
I’m curious to know if they still have a record of the meter replacement and what happened during that time. If you can find out, I’d love to hear about it!
It might be a good idea for your dad to get in touch with them to check what they have on file for him regarding the Priority Services Register. If he has any health conditions, they might be able to prioritise his case, especially since he shouldn't be without heating for too long. Let me know how it goes as there's no harm asking again cancellations can happen.
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