I had it done free of charge in the 1980s. We bought a house with a gas supply, but no meter, and wanted the 6 foot pipe that stuck up from the floor in the utility room (Totally unsupported and very rusty!) removed. The Gas people were very unwilling, until I asked them what they would do when my 3 year old swung on it again and broke it? Strangely they were quite keen to come and take it out and so disconnect me from the mains at the property edge. Can't think why???
They did predict severe difficulties and humongous costs 'when' I wanted it reconnecting, along with comets, shooting stars, earthquakes and the world ending but came out and did the work three days later! We had night storage heaters fitted and used the existing open fire and coke boiler so never had the gas reconnected.
My present house, in a small village had no gas when I bought it in 1990, there was no supply to the village. When gas was available the cost and shear embugeration factors offered by the gas people (Something like 7 visits plus deliveries that I HAD to be in for and likely mess from several different sets of workmen in the house.) led me to install night storage heaters and again use the existing open fire. (The storage heaters including a night time immersion heater were installed one Saturday morning with virtually no mess and me taking no time off work to 'wait in for deliveries'.) I have never regretted the choice I made and have loads of fun when offered a dual fuel deal by a salesman in asking how much a ton they charge. The perplexed looks are worth the effort of winding them up!