Electrics and gas

What should you ask if the gas meter sits in a cupboard the survey could not examine properly?

Ask for the limit to be clear: meter seen or not seen, smell or no smell, and no test done. A cupboard full of coats is not an inspection. HSE expects gas work to be done by Gas Safe engineers. The surveyor is not testing for leaks and should not move the meter.

Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.

What is the fuller explanation?

Meters live under stairs, in external boxes, or in cellars. The surveyor notes damage, corrosion, a strong smell, or an inability to see. None of those is a tightness test. A smell of gas is a reason to stop and have the supplier or an engineer deal with it, not a reason to negotiate a small discount and move on.

If there was no smell and the meter was simply hidden, the sentence is a limit. You can still ask a Gas Safe engineer to inspect appliances before you rely on them. Do not confuse that visit with the survey fee. RICS does not include a gas test in the consumer description of a home survey.

What should you ask your surveyor?

Did you see the meter, the pipework, or neither?
Was there any smell or visible damage?
Which appliances were you unable to see?

What are the typical next steps?

If you smell gas, leave the testing to the supplier or an engineer. Do not strike matches to “check”.
If the note is only about access, ask the seller to clear the cupboard rather than pricing a new installation.
Book a Gas Safe inspection if you need appliances declared safe. The survey will not become one later.

Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.

Also asked about this

Does a locked meter box fail the survey?

It means not inspected. Ask for access. It is not a rating of the boiler.

Is the meter the same as the consumer unit?

No. One is gas. One is electrical. A cupboard can contain both. The trades are different.