Smell gas? It does not matter that you are on an IGT
Call 0800 111 999
The National Gas Emergency Service, free and 24 hours, is the same number across Great Britain whether your pipes belong to an IGT or a big network. Leave the building, do not touch electrical switches, and call from outside.
GB homes on IGT networks
around 3 million
New housing gas networks built by IGTs
around 80%
MPRN prefix that means IGT
74, 75, 76 or 77
Gas emergency line
0800 111 999
Regulator
Ofgem
Charge cap
Relative Price Control
Sources: Ofgem, the Association of Independent Gas Transporters and the Independent Networks Association. Connection totals are approximate and rising.
The belief to drop: "an IGT means I am stuck and overpaying"
When people spot "IGT" on a new-build gas bill, two fears follow: that they cannot switch, and that they are being charged more than everyone else. Both are largely myths, and the second is capped by regulation.
An IGT simply owns the pipe on your estate instead of one of the four big Gas Distribution Networks. It is licensed by the same regulator, Ofgem, follows the same safety rules, and answers to the same emergency number. The friction that created the "stuck" myth was historical: years ago a few suppliers were slow to quote for IGT addresses. That is no longer the norm.
Quick check: are you on an IGT network?
Find your gas meter number (the MPRN) on your bill and look at the first two digits. The check below tells you instantly, and what it means for you.
What does your gas meter number (MPRN) start with?
Pick an option to see your answer.
IGT meter numbers (MPRNs) begin 74, 75, 76 or 77. Source: industry MPRN ranges. Some bills also print "IGT" on the first page.
In plain text: if your gas MPRN starts 74 to 77, you are on an Independent Gas Transporter network; any other prefix is usually one of the four big Gas Distribution Networks. Homes built since about 2006 are very likely on an IGT. Either way you can switch supplier, and a gas leak always goes to 0800 111 999.
What an IGT does, and what it does not
An IGT DOES
- +Own and maintain the gas pipes on your development;
- +Connect new homes and businesses to the main gas grid;
- +Charge your supplier a transport fee, passed through on your bill;
- +Work under Ofgem rules and the national gas emergency service.
An IGT does NOT
- −Sell you gas or send your bill (your supplier does);
- −Set your tariff or unit rate;
- −Stop you switching to another supplier;
- −Charge more, by rule, than the big network it connects to.
The main IGTs in Great Britain, represented by the AIGT trade body, include GTC Pipelines, Energetics, ES Pipelines, Energy Assets Pipelines, Fulcrum Pipelines, Independent Pipelines and Indigo Pipelines. GTC was the first company licensed as an IGT.
Does an IGT cost you more? The honest answer
Here is the insight most new-build buyers never hear. Ofgem applies a Relative Price Control to IGTs: the domestic transport charge an IGT can levy is capped at what the connected Gas Distribution Network would charge for the same job. So the network portion of your bill should not be higher just because an IGT owns the pipe.
What actually moved people's bills in the past was not the pipe, it was the market: fewer suppliers competed hard for IGT addresses, so households on new estates sometimes ended up on pricier default deals, not because the IGT charged more, but because they did not shop around. The fix is the same as for any home: compare and switch your supplier. The pipe is fixed; the supplier is not.
Who to call for what
| If your issue is... | Who to contact |
|---|---|
| You smell gas or suspect a leak | National Gas Emergency Service, 0800 111 999 |
| A new gas connection on a development | The IGT (often arranged via the developer) |
| Bill, tariff, meter or switching | Your gas supplier |
| Confirm who transports your gas | Check your MPRN (74 to 77 = IGT) or ask your supplier |
On an IGT estate? You can still switch supplier
An Independent Gas Transporter owns the pipe, not your contract. Any gas supplier can take over your meter, so being on an IGT does not lock you in. Check your MPRN (it starts 74 to 77 on an IGT), then choose a supplier and switch whenever a better deal comes along. The pipe never changes; the supplier is yours to pick.
Independent Gas Transporters: FAQ
An IGT is a company licensed and regulated by Ofgem that owns and operates a gas pipe network connected to, but separate from, the four large Gas Distribution Networks. IGTs design, build and maintain the pipes that link new housing developments and other sites to the main grid. They are not suppliers: they charge your energy supplier a transport fee, which appears, bundled in, on your bill.
Two quick checks. Look at your gas meter number (the MPRN) on your bill: if it begins with 74, 75, 76 or 77, you are on an IGT network. Some bills also print the letters "IGT" on the first page. As a rule of thumb, homes built since around 2006 are very likely on an IGT, because most new developments now are.
Yes. Being on an IGT network does not stop you switching gas supplier; the process is the same as any other home. Years ago some suppliers were slow to quote for IGT-connected properties, which is where the "you are stuck" myth comes from, but you can compare and switch normally today.
By rule, they should not be. Under Ofgem's Relative Price Control, an IGT's domestic transport charge cannot exceed what the connected Gas Distribution Network would charge for the equivalent connection. So being on an IGT should not, in itself, make your gas dearer. What matters far more for your bill is the supplier and tariff you choose, which you control.
The same national number as everyone in Great Britain: the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999, free and 24 hours. It handles the emergency and liaises with your IGT or Gas Distribution Network as needed. If you smell gas, leave the building, do not use electrical switches, and call from outside.