Meter reader/nPower say mandatory "Gas Safety Check" needed every 2 years

1356713

Comments

  • Again npower - seem to be the biggest but not the sole criminals on this.

    I received the customary intimidating letter - I was angry but a lot of elderly customers who live on their own would be very scared about the threat of some stranger breaking into their home. Plus it was addressed to the 'Occupier' - I don't know about anyone else, but in my book those sort of letters are classed as junk and often don't get opened.

    npower knows my name, they have my email, they have my mobile phone number (they even phoned me up last week when I was at work asking for a meter reading).

    I did call them and made an appointment for their operative to do the necessary - he didn't even manage to come despite it being a 6 hour timeslot. So obviously it wasn't as important as all that.

    Lowri Beck said he had claimed to have called but hadn't got an answer. A complete lie. But he did apparently say it was a blue front door (which it is). Being a cynic, I think he probably checked on Google Street View so it sounded plausible that he had actually called, and then just didn't bother.

    I'm going to write to the CEO of npower - I wonder how he'd like an elderly relative receiving threats that they were going to be broken into?
  • I recently did a uswitch to NPower and within a few months of being with them they are threatening to get a court order to knock down my door to do a Gas Meter Safety Check.

    Yes it is the Lowri Beck people again.

    It is strange that having had a gas meter for 9 years this is the first I've heard about the 'required by law' 2 year gas meter safety check.

    Another thing that !!!!es me off is I have to arrange an appointment WITH THEM! They should be arranging an appointment with me. Oh yes, and they can only give you a vague time of arriving like morning or afternoon. Yes I love hanging around half a day to wait for you.

    Well I've booked a saturday morning appointment, so I'll probably have to postpone my lie-in and get up at 7am just to make sure I'm around so they don't get the police to knock my door in and then charge me for the privilege.

    I can tell you as soon as this guy leaves I'm picking up the phone to tell npower that I'm going somewhere else.

    I'd rather pay another £50 a year then have to waste my life for bogus safety checks.
  • Looks like they're within their rights, but it's a bit grim to join nPower and then get threatening(ish) letters within the month. Hey ho, chalk another one up to their renowned customer services...

    Can't post a link as I'm a newbie, but google (or search engine of your choice) "rights of entry (gas and electricity boards) act 1954 section 2" and pick the your rights site.
  • spiro
    spiro Posts: 6,403
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Forumite
    All suppliers have to do the 2 year check, it looks like you previous supplier didnt comply with the rules so when they got your details they realised how overdue it was they have proactively arranged to come round.

    I agree that not having the key to your own garage would seem odd so they may have suspected you were up to something so may check your meter more often.
    IT Consultant in the utilities industry specialising in the retail electricity market.

    4 Credit Card and 1 Loan PPI claims settled for £26k, 1 rejected (Opus).
  • I am shocked this type of thing is still happening 4 years later. I also got a threatening letter from N Power last week even though I had already booked a gas meter inspection for Monday this week. They hadn't turned up for a previous time I had booked. N Power had booked it for a Saturday afternoon, and they didn't turn up, then, when I received the first threatening letter a few weeks ago I rang up to complain they hadn't turned up. I found out Meterplus, the contractors they use to inspect the meter didn't work on Saturday afternnons. When I then tried to re-arrange another appointment, they guy on the phone also tried to book me for a Saturday afternoon. I wonder why N Power try to book people for Saturday afternoons? Meterplus don't bother to inform you that they don't work Saturday afternoons and just expect you to wait around all day and also be the victim of harrassment from Npower putting threatening letters through your door, stating that if the meter isn't inspected by a date only a few weeks ahead, they will force entry, and expect you to pay the costs of replacing the locks. And now even after booking it for a week day a few weeks ago, still received a threatening letter through the letterbox. After I received the letter I rang N Power who fobbed us off saying the threatening letter should be ignored as I had another appointment booked. But even this Monday waited around for them, they didn't show up, and the court warrant date was only a few days away. On ringing NPower I was told they could not put me through to Meterplus, and all communication had to go through them, they could not re-arrange another appointment before the warrant date, and as you can imagine, due knowing I wouldn't be home on the warrant date was panicking. N Power had no sympathy that the contractor did not turn up, they said they had rang Meterplus, and was told the guy had turned up but got no answer. I knew this to be a lie, because I had not even put the radio on for fear of not hearing the doorbell. There was also no card put through the letter box. Then whilst on the phone to N Power I received a voicemail to my mobile telling me the meter guy would be late. He did eventually turn up at 1830 hrs, and being paid a higher rate more than likely due to working unsocial hours. When he did arrive he said he did not come earlier as N Power claimed. He said the only reason he was there was to check we hadn't tampered with the meter, by checking a seal above and below the meter. So all of this harrassment was for their own reason to make sure we hadn't fiddled the meter and robbed them of money. Not to check the safety of the meter as they claimed. This should be outlawed and I will be writing to Mr Cameron about this, and putting in a complaint to Ombudsman services. They have also lost a customer and will be changing energy providers as soon as possible.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Newbie
    edited 6 March 2012 at 7:34PM
    British Gas and EDF routinely break the 2 year inspection rule.We ve got one in my area who s pushed B.G. to the limit.No ones got in, in 8 years at least.He s called British Gases bluff and threatened to sue if they enter by warrant so they ve all give up on him.They think he s paying the correct ammount.Lately British Gas have gone soft on the law with all the online readings.My colleague who does pre-warrants and 2 year must reads gets the door slammed on him regulary.there is an avalanche of pre warrants buiding up due to onliners refusing access British Gas have given up on them.Just last week I was aggressively told to b####r off on a 2 year must inspect.I know B.G wont do anything as its too expensive to keep applying for all these warrants that the onliners are buiding up.Its a field day nowadays for your dedicated gas/lekky fiddler.Lots of gas meters being sold on ebay co-incidently( possibly used as substitute meters). just to calm the Npower victim down a bit,checking the meter for faults and tampers is classed as a visual safety check.People substituting gas meters are more likely to get a leak going as they have one-use washers on them. I can t understand why you cant let the gas man in every now and then.I take about 30 seconds to check the meters, instead of creating all this expense by the suppliers
  • Mr_Ted
    Mr_Ted Posts: 1,067 Forumite
    2912pwil wrote: »
    Meter reader when he came just checked the on/off tap/lever by the meter worked...

    If this is what the meter reader has done then he could have compromised safety!!!!!!!!!!

    If there had been a lit appliance in the property when he did this he could have turned the gas off which would have extinguished the flame and when he put it back on there would have been unlit gas exhuding from the appliance!!!!!!

    NOT ALL burners have flame failure safety devices!!!!!!!

    I hope if this practice is carried out as a matter of fact regularity, as it is an interuption to supply, a gas safety test on the installation should be carried out!!!!
    Signature removed
  • Terrylw1
    Terrylw1 Posts: 7,038 Forumite
    monkeymatt wrote: »
    I was contacted out of the blue by Npower with a letter saying they are making an "Application to Magistrates court for warrant" to gain access to my house on a date in 2 weeks time. This was to carry out a safety check and perform a meter reading.

    I called the number and arranged an appointment with Lowri Beck and a nice lady turned up today (a lot later than arranged) and all she did was look at the meter, took a reading and said all the pipes are connected and i can't smell gas so it is fine!!! Not exactly what I was expecting from a safety check.

    When I called Npower to ask why they did this they said that they had no record of a meter reading for the past 2 years!! I have had several meter readings done in that time but the lady said that they do not always use them and they do not instruct the third party to call they do it and then contact us and ask if we want the info.

    So all the people that call at your door saying they are here to take a reading are not sent by your supplier and in Npowers case they may not use the info anyway instead they send a letter telling you they are going to court and in 2 weeks they will kick your door down and charge you £150 for the privilege of reading your meter!!!

    Regardless of whether the supplier uses the reading, if it taken by the meter reader it is considered a valid check. The supplier then updates any systems that provide the reports on properties they need the MBR check on. Also, the should take reasonable efforts to contact and obtain your consent for a visit before they apply for a warrant which would mean a charge. It sounds like harsh letter perhaps to prompt you in response to a possible later warrant.
    :rotfl: It's better to live 1 year as a tiger than a lifetime as a worm...but then, whoever heard of a wormskin rug!!!:rotfl:
  • Terrylw1
    Terrylw1 Posts: 7,038 Forumite
    Cardew wrote: »
    It sounds like they believe that your meter is being tampered with; as you say you don't have the key or access to your own garage, that will raise suspicions.

    Its also very possible that any reading taken has been lost or sent to npower who haven't updated their systems which drive the reporting to send them out regardless of whether they have already been.
    :rotfl: It's better to live 1 year as a tiger than a lifetime as a worm...but then, whoever heard of a wormskin rug!!!:rotfl:
  • Terrylw1
    Terrylw1 Posts: 7,038 Forumite
    edited 6 March 2012 at 11:29PM
    Again npower - seem to be the biggest but not the sole criminals on this.

    I received the customary intimidating letter - I was angry but a lot of elderly customers who live on their own would be very scared about the threat of some stranger breaking into their home. Plus it was addressed to the 'Occupier' - I don't know about anyone else, but in my book those sort of letters are classed as junk and often don't get opened.

    npower knows my name, they have my email, they have my mobile phone number (they even phoned me up last week when I was at work asking for a meter reading).

    I did call them and made an appointment for their operative to do the necessary - he didn't even manage to come despite it being a 6 hour timeslot. So obviously it wasn't as important as all that.

    Lowri Beck said he had claimed to have called but hadn't got an answer. A complete lie. But he did apparently say it was a blue front door (which it is). Being a cynic, I think he probably checked on Google Street View so it sounded plausible that he had actually called, and then just didn't bother.

    I'm going to write to the CEO of npower - I wonder how he'd like an elderly relative receiving threats that they were going to be broken into?

    Since the letters are ent to all customers as part of a standard process they will have been through a change management process with sponsors up to a senior management level signing them off...hence npower are fine with them.

    In the gas industry the inspection date is static and transfers between suppliers to ensure someone does it or you constantly transfer and have no safety check for much longer. However, I think in your case perhaps the letter should be softer or you will be annoyed and leave.

    Perhaps its more for consideration of an industry body?
    :rotfl: It's better to live 1 year as a tiger than a lifetime as a worm...but then, whoever heard of a wormskin rug!!!:rotfl:
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.5K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards