For most people in the UK, this guide covers a topic that will never affect them. Independent gas transporters (IGTs). For the few people in the rural parts of the UK that know what I’m talking about – this guide will hopefully explain what IGTs are, why they exist, and what it means for you.
Why do Independent Gas Transporters Exist?
Honestly… there is no good answer to this question. So, we’ll tackle it by looking at the gas market as a whole.
Most people in the UK will be supplied gas from the National Grid or a gas distribution network (GDN) – but for anybody living in an ‘off-grid’ area, the process is a little different. There are millions of pipes running underground that move our gas from one area to another, living off-grid refers to the people that live in an area that does not have access to this network of pipes.
At a very general view – gas arrives in the UK network from offshore fields or by pipeline from mainland Europe. The National Grid owns and operates all of the gas transmission infrastructure in the UK. Gas is initially checked for quality before being injected into the national transmission system. The gas will then leave the transmission system at 49 set locations around the UK, where it is then transferred to the distribution networks mentioned earlier.
These small group of GDNs are owned and managed by just four companies:
| Name | Area of Operation |
| National Grid Gas plc | East Midlands, West Midlands, North-West England, East of England |
| Northern Gas Networks Ltd | North-East England |
| Wales & West Utilities Limited | Wales and South-West England |
| SGN | Scotland and Southern England |
However, these four companies don’t reach every single house in the UK. There are some areas of new development, areas too rural, and areas that just aren’t connected for whatever reason. Who is the middle-man that gets the gas to these homes that need it? You guessed it –
Independent Gas Transporters. IGTs work by extending the national gas network to homes that otherwise would not have access to a gas supply. IGTs currently provide almost 1 million homes with gas. As well as operating individual local networks, IGTs also work with developers to create infrastructure within new projects and lay pipelines in new homes. Once properties have been finished, IGTs will then be responsible for providing the gas and maintaining pipes.
Sound great right? Well, maybe hold your horses for just now.
Who are the IGTs?
| IGT Name | Registered Number | Registered Address |
| Leep Gas Networks Limited | 10924298 | The Greenhouse 111 Broadway SALFORD, M50 2EQ United Kingdom |
| Squire Energy Limited | 04786330 | 25-29 High Street Leatherhead Surrey KT22 8AB |
| Last Mile Gas Limited | SC303150 | Fenwick House Lister Way Hamilton International Technology Park Glasgow, South Lanarkshire G72 0FT |
| Energy Assets Pipelines Limited | 3822878 | Ship Canal House 98, King Street, Manchester M2 4WU |
| ES Pipelines Limited | 3234745 | Bluebird House Mole Business Park Leatherhead Surrey KT22 7BA |
| ESP Connections Limited | 2865198 | Bluebird House Mole Business Park Leatherhead Surrey KT22 7BA |
| ESP Pipelines Limited | 3405272 | Bluebird House Mole Business Park Leatherhead Surrey KT22 7BA |
| Fulcrum Pipelines Limited | 06006362 | 2 Europa View Sheffield Business Park Sheffield S9 1XH |
| GTC Pipelines Limited | 3104203 | Energy House Woolpit Business Park Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP30 9UP |
| Independent Pipelines Limited | 2828692 | Energy House Woolpit Business Park Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP30 9UP |
| Quadrant Pipelines Limited | 2528816 | Energy House Woolpit Business Park Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP30 9UP |
| Indigo Pipelines Limited | 2742721 | 15 Diddenham Court Lambwood Hill Grazeley Reading RG7 1JG |
| Harlaxton Gas Networks | 9805332 | Toll Bar Road Marston Grantham Lincs NG32 2HT |
| Murphy Gas Networks | 10622244 | Hiview House Highgate Road London NW5 1TN |
How does IGT affect me?
If you are one of the 1 million households that are currently supplied by an IGT – I may be the bearer of bad news.
Ofgem regulate the amount that UGTs can charge their customers for using their networks through ‘Relative Price Control’ (RPC). This requires independent gas transporters charges to be capped for all new customers at a level consistent with the Gas Distribution Network equivalent price. For any sites that pre-date RPC – IGTs are free to charge under the agreements already in place until they fully migrate to RPC.
So, what this means is that Ofgem do regulate IGTs to provide their services at a price that is broadly in-keeping with what other customers will be paying for GDN gas.
Problem sorted? Not really. In the real world, you will be stuck paying more for gas for as long as you remain within the property. Some gas suppliers simply do not offer service to some residents serviced by IGTs, leaving you with a narrow range of options to choose from. Often this forced shortlist does not contain your original ‘best option’. Further to this, suppliers will now only offer a ‘bespoke’ contract that will contain higher prices than usual.
- How to tell if you are serviced by an IGT?
- What is an IGT?
- Is an IGT different to the GDN?
- How do I tell if my gas is from an IGT?
- Are IGTs bad?
- I am paying more for my gas with an IGT, why?