Gas Meter Replacement

2

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  • Gman0365
    Gman0365 Posts: 119
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    You have been offered an OFGEM meter accuracy test, this cost £120.

    The meter asset will be managed by a company such as National Grid Metering or OnStream. They will determine when the meter is to be changed and not the customer. As such if the customer requests that the meter is to be changed then it will have to be proven that it was faulty in some way this is why they have offered the accuracy test. If the test the meter and it is found to be faulty or inaccurate then you will have the £120 refunded. In my own experience the meter is very rarely found to be faulty.

    Accuracy tests are carried out anyway on the meter population when a meter is exchanged under the policy meter exchange program carried out by National Grid Metering. These are meters that have been changed due to age and a selection of them are chosen for testing so that OFGEM can gather data on the accuracy of the meters currently being used.

    The long and short of it is the meter will be changed in due course. I personally know of meters still being used that were fitted in the 60s. The reason they are not changed is that they are basically deemed to be everlasting. They are the ones that are fitted in many American homes and were manufactured by Singer.

    You may also find that even when your meter is exchanged, the new meter that is fitted could be reconditioned. Some of the reconditioned ones being fitted at the moment were manufactured in 2001.
  • KimYeovil
    KimYeovil Posts: 6,156
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    I'd like to get my 16 year old gas meter changed to a modern one.

    Why:confused:?

    Are you living in some strange parallel universe where industrial design and reliability has been improving rather than decreasing? Why on earth would you want a modern piece of tat?
  • SandC
    SandC Posts: 3,929
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    I was thinking that myself, mine may be ancient looking but I'm not sure that digital equipment is anywhere near as reliable.
  • No meter worker should replace an old imperial meter with another imperial meter. Digital meters at the moment are run by batteries, are un-economical to maintain and can be prone to battery failure, broken read-out digits and screen misting and will only be installed like for like if no other meter can be fitted in the space but their availability is severely restricted. My advice to everyone is to just wait for them to start bugging you to have it changed then it will be easier to have it done when it suits you not them. The only refurbished meters that should be installed are metric ones that have been changed usually on a credit to prepayment exchange. Bear in mind that no company will change all of its equipment unless it has to and take it from me a lot of meters are in dangerous positions or condition. Smart Metering is being introduced in 2010 so you will all have to go through this all over again
  • Meter change appointments tip- do it online, name the date, am/pm. The appointment will be made but probably not confirmed. On that morning phone them up early with access instructions ie; not before or after a certain time and because you have spoken to them the job is given priority
  • I have checked with Scotia Gas about the likelihood of a Smart meter being installed when my meter is changed next week and they say the Smart Meters are still being trialed and will not become available for a nunber of years yet. Since the meter is over 26 years old I have agreed to it being replaced. Of course it would have saved money had they waited until the trials were complete so that a Smart meter could have been installed. However, I am concerned that the new meter will be Metric and my next bill may not register the change in unit cost. What do I need to do to ensure this doesn't happen?
  • HappyMJ
    HappyMJ Posts: 21,115
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    The unit cost doesn't change.
    :footie:
    :p Regular savers earn 6% interest (HSBC, First Direct, M&S) :p Loans cost 2.9% per year (Nationwide) = FREE money. :p
  • mattcanary
    mattcanary Posts: 4,420 Forumite
    Joe_Kink wrote: »
    I have checked with Scotia Gas about the likelihood of a Smart meter being installed when my meter is changed next week and they say the Smart Meters are still being trialed and will not become available for a nunber of years yet. Since the meter is over 26 years old I have agreed to it being replaced. Of course it would have saved money had they waited until the trials were complete so that a Smart meter could have been installed. However, I am concerned that the new meter will be Metric and my next bill may not register the change in unit cost. What do I need to do to ensure this doesn't happen?


    Make sure the man who changes the meter fully fills out the sticker on the new meter giving details of the final reading on the old meter, the date it was changed and the starting reading on the new meter.

    That way, if the details are not updated correctly after the meter change, it can be resolved satisfactorily. The majority of meter changes are updated correctly on the records. We just don't hear about them - after all, that is what is expected.
  • bengasman
    bengasman Posts: 601 Forumite
    Babycakes wrote: »
    Does a gas supplier have to change your gas meter every few years to ensure that it is accurate?

    my supplier says that they only replace meters if they are faulty.
    Supplier is correct.
  • This is a baffling experience. I was written to by my gas supplier and agreed a day to have my meter changed because it was old apparently. No time could be fixed and when the guy arrived he seemed more interested in inspecting my central heating system than changing the meter. He was from an independent heating installing company based some 400 miles away and not from a gas supplier.

    He then went on to condemn my boiler flue system saying he could not inspect it properly and as such could not change the meter. He did offer to provide a quote for a whole new boiler system. I should add that my boiler was serviced and passed safe only a few weeks before by British Gas.
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