Dublin Gas Company prepares for a change to natural gas.
The natural gas pipeline from Cork is currently under construction and is expected to be in use next year.
Dublin Gas Company is the lynch pin of the change over to natural gas in the capital.
Jim Wanger, CEO of the Dublin Gas Company, outlines the scale of the changeover at a conference organised by the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards. He says the 15,000 miles of pipeline beneath the city is well up to safety standards and expects that the new natural gas supply will be cheaper for the consumer.
The price of natural gas will be less.
It is expected that there will be a government announcement on the switch over within weeks giving the Dublin Gas Company the green light.
The changeover is expected to cost the Dublin Gas Company £30 million spread over two to three years. The cost covers the construction of a feeder pipe to Ringsend Gasworks, metering, road works and the cost of converting consumer appliances.
There will also be a cost of conversion to the consumer. For appliances less than 15 years old, there will be no conversion charge.For older appliances, it is more complicated and the Gas Company will offer a swap for a reconditioned second hand appliance. If the consumer opts for a new appliance, they will have to pay some of the difference in value. There will be funding schemes to ease the burden on the consumer.
The gas pipeline from Cork is currently on target and on budget. The gas should be flowing by early 1983.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 20 May 1982.
