British gas and the meter change saga!

dodgy_damo · 1 October 2007 at 4:32PM

What a nightmare I've had with British Gas over the past few weeks!
I had an old meter that had been disconnected, and a new meter box had been set up o/s my property. A new meter was to be installed, but because the property I have obtained was empty for 18 months this was never done!
Anyhow, I rang up BG 4 weeks ago, and got an evening appointment for the next week. Now picture me sitting in said property at 5pm to 8pm, guess what no-one turned up. They had made an appointment with Siemens for me!
I rang the next day and got the story about how it had been rescheduled...hey, nice of them to let me know. Next appointment availbale was a week later...I said fine, but stipulated that it needs to be another evening appointment!
Next week rolls around, I get to the property at 4.30, for 5pm to 8pm appointment. Guess what? Siemens had been and gone at 12:15! I rang BG, they said that it was an all day appointment! What? I said cant they get the engineer to pop back and I can wait until 8pm...No was the answer, Siemens dont answer the phone after 4pm! What a nightmare.
Anyhow, I've had a combi boiler put in and piped up to where the new meter should go by now...so I'm just waiting for the meter. I decided to take a morning appointment for the next week, then if Siemens were a no-show i could chase it up before 4pm.
Anyhow last Weds, Siemens turned up, the chap tried to make out he couldnt do the job as it was a new install, not an exchange??? I convinced him and 15mins later was the owner of a new meter. My combi man has been in and finished up...happy days!
My new dilemma now is getting a new board for holding my electricity meter, as the old one is rotten (wood worm). I've had a letter through from Siemens to do a safety check, I plan to ring them tomorrow, and hopefully get some action on that...was previously advised to say that it is insecure and is making a buzzing sound! Would Siemens be able to deal with this or is it back to BG switchboard for more confusion?

dodgy_damo · 2 October 2007 at 12:56PM

TTT
My new dilemma now is getting a new board for holding my electricity meter, as the old one is rotten (wood worm). I've had a letter through from Siemens to do a safety check, I plan to ring them tomorrow, and hopefully get some action on that...was previously advised to say that it is insecure and is making a buzzing sound! Would Siemens be able to deal with this or is it back to BG switchboard for more confusion?

dodgy_damo · 12 October 2007 at 1:38AM

Siemens said they would only do a visual check!
Rang BG last week and got an appointment for Fri 12th Oct, rang back on Thur 11th to Double check the appointment (especially after the Gas meter saga). Guess what? The appointment had been cancelled! Now who'd have guessed!
The usual apologies followed. Then after being put on hold, I was told I need to ring EDF my distributor to sort out an appointment to get the rotten board changed.
So onto EDF (0800 num, which eased some pain), they said it was BG who need to sort this, but offered an emergency no for M-path or M-plan (I forget).
Another 0800 call, and now I'm told that the engineer will ring me within 10 working days to make an appointment...so last week an appintment was made then not honoured...now I have to wait a week to probably have to wait another week to get an appointment...what a pain! Lets see if i get called back now?

dodgy_damo · 24 October 2007 at 10:14PM

Still nothing off the "engineer" that Mpath said would call me. 2 phones calls later, one on monday (out of hours) and the operator added something to the computer. next before 5pm on tues and the operator added more to the computer, saying someone would ring me immediately! yesterday and today, nothing! V. frustrating, I'll never get the rewire done at this rate! Wasnt able to chase up today due to being on the late/night shift, and being unable to get near a phone before 5pm. I'll try tom! does anyone think its worth chasing up the seimens visual check, could this speed things along?

Terrylw1 · 24 October 2007 at 10:15PM

Here's the MD you requested the CEO on another thread:

Phil Bentley
Managing Director
British Gas
Millstream
Maidenhead Road
Windsor
Berkshire SL4 5GD

Terrylw1 · 24 October 2007 at 11:42PM

Hi Dammo,

A lot of the issues mentioned in here are nothing to do with BGas (per your request for a CEO contact) and they will wash their hands off it.

The meter board issue, is for the Distributor who are nothing to do with BGas.

If it's classed as dangerous, they have to come out and sort it as an emergency call out whether occupied of not. So, just a rotten meter board won't apply to that unless the meter is likely to drop off it.

The issue over visits - what a pain. Now, if the Supplier, Meter Operator (Siemens) agree direct with you and don't show, you are entitled to compensation under Ofgem's GSOS - check this thread I posted:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=571937

If the informed you off a change of visit at least 24 hours before though, no compensation is required.

Distributor visits are for different things, however some of the jobs are covered under GSOS so you could probably use that to force them into a date if the GSOS gives them a maximum amount of days to come out.

Sounds to me like you had a new supply fitted becaue the old one was capped off. So, the meter should have been arranged as a new supply.

This is where things change a bit. If the MPAN supplied BGas was for that capped off supply, and you have been given a new supply - you have a new MPAN. This also means that in order to request this, you or whoever owned the property will have registered with another Supplier. So, if there is another Supplier, you may be able to scrap BGas altogether. Suggest you check that with MPAS at EDF.

The engineer was right, he shouldn't have fitted it.

If you do any work, make sure you have a contractors completion certificate or the engineer can refuse to do any work.

Good luck

Nile · 25 October 2007 at 8:53AM

Hello dodgy_damo

As you requested (by private message), I'll move your thread to 'The (Consumer) Vent' board.

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

Regards

Nile

baldelectrician · 25 October 2007 at 7:20PM

This is a common ocurrance now (industry fragmentation)

If the meter were to become loose (and you called reporting a dangerous situation) they would send someone out pretty quickly.

If you just happened to have a new board there it may be handy

dodgy_damo · 25 October 2007 at 10:30PM

BE:
The board is proper rotten! Its practically sawdust. In my opinion and that of a couple of sparkies, its dangerous! M-path said its not classed as an emergency, and the best they'll do is send someone out to "pull the fuse". The meter looks ready to drop, with a knock or a tug.
Terry:
I now understand that BG are not directly responsible for this issue. But they made the appointment with Siemens, and whomever this contractor will be to deal with the electricity meter, and it was cancelled w/o me being informed.
Is BG responsible here? As you said if I made the appointment directly with Siemens then I would have held them directly accountable. So compensation looks out the window. In fact BG never told me who changed the last appointment.
the gas meter was arranged as a new supply, he argused that it wasnt an exchange like you explained...but this chap would have had to come back in a week or 2 and do that very job, in which he was equipped to do in the first place. As a consumer an exchange, or new supply means pretty much that I'm getting a new meter regardless.
BG tells me they are my supplier, but not my distributor? Looking at the meter it has eastern electricty tags from 1971 still attached, i assumed they'd still be the distributor, not EDF as infromed by BG.
As for work being done, I'll do the rewire once this board has been done, so I shouldnt need those certs.
Thanks for your info

hopingforahouse · 30 October 2007 at 8:56PM

Sounds like you're having a bit of a nightmare.

All the gas or ele suppliers do now is bill you. Someone else is responsible for your meter, and then someone else for your actual supply (the distributor) - i.e - providing the energy to your property. BG or whoever can only send requests to the other people asking them for work to be done. So in this instance its Siemens (meter operator), and EDF (your distributor) who need to come. If you were not informed of change of appointments however, ring British Gas, as it will be their responsibility to request compensation - as it needs to be paid to your energy account. This is a standard £20 per missed appoinement, as long as evidence can be found that the original appointment is on the system.

Siemens are sort of responsible for your back board, as they are the meter operator. However the original engineer shouldn't have fitted the meter to a backboard as you describe it, and should have told you to change it before they would fit the meter - the backboard is part of your property, so really you should have arranged to get this changed before meter fitting. Just like a joiner wouldn't fit a new front door if the frame was rotten. Although without a strange ability to see the future, you wouldn't have known this. It really depends on how Siemens feel on what they'll do. They may well ask you to arrange to get the back board changed out of your own pocket.

Good luck, and hopefully you get it sorted without too much pain! Just a wee hint - always aim for a daytime appointment with Siemens - less likely to cancel.

Lakeuk · 30 October 2007 at 11:32PM

Our gas company has been wanting to change our (10yr+) meter but they've failed to failed to turn up to two and on another arrived 5mins before clocking of time and reconned they didn't have the right meter which is a right royal pain as you have to wait from 8am to early evening.

Now if they want it changed they will do it on our terms at a specified time or not at all - they've messed us about too much

British gas and the meter change saga!

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