Homes in the region don’t have mains gas supply

MORE than 80,000 homes in Greater Manchester are not connected to the gas network

Figures released by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy show that 82,289 homes in our area are without access to mains gas.

Of the 1,169,114 homes in Greater Manchester, 7 per cent are currently not connected. This is almost half the UK average. Nationally, 13 per cent of houses are not connected to the gas network, this amounts to an estimated 3.5 million in the UK.

The UK’s gas networks are split into regions which are managed by private companies, with Greater Manchester’s supply currently being managed by Cadent Gas.

The percentage of houses which are not connected to mains gas is far greater in rural areas.

A study by the citizens advice bureau in 2016 found that 34pc of rural homes in England use unmetered fuels, which includes things such as coal and wood.

The study also found that households without mains gas are more likely to be in fuel poverty.

This is when a household is spending more than 10pc of its income on maintaining satisfactory heating levels.

In England 26pc off of-gas households fall within this bracket, compared to just 10% of those with a mains gas supply.

Last year, the deaths in winter compared to the rest of the year were at their highest level for over 30 years, and the extreme weather experienced last year highlights the importance of being able to heat your home affordably.

Energy providers are able to connect houses to the gas mains, however it does require work, the cost of which, must be covered by the property owner.

Houses which are more than 23 metres from a gas main may also need further pipes to be laid which increases the costs even further.