do i have the right to access my electricity meter?

chip85

Hi,

I own the leasehold to a flat. At the moment the management company takes all the electricity and water readings and relays them to the tenants when requested. But the last reading they gave me suggested I used 10,000 kWh in 3 months between 1am and 8am as opposed to 700 kWh for the previous 4 months!

I would like to be able to read my own meters but repeated requests for a key to the electricity meter cupboard in the communal hallway are going unanswered.

Do I have the right to access my own meter? If there is, is there a law I can quote in my next correspondence?

Thanks

spiro

Because its a 'communual' area then any right of access will be in your lease. In terms of meter readings suggest that you try and arrange to be present when they take the readings.

Cardew

It is quite usual for meters in blocks of flats to be in areas where there is restricted access for any number of reasons - safety etc.

The normal position is to arrange with the management company to be present to check your own meter.

lucylou32

Hi
I am now having the same problem. Any solutions?

Johannac

I live in a flat and we all have our meter outside our front door in a little cupboard. Our management company do not have anything to do with our own meters, they only deal with the communal electric such as lighting.

N Power locked my meter cupboard the last time they came to do a meter reading, I just went down to B&Q and asked for a meter box key , they have a triange hole at the end (does you meter boz have a funny looking joint like a triangle shape? If so, you can buy meter box keys from B&Q for about £1.50) I also asked N Power and they said it was find for me to have my own key.

Yolina

Lucylou I take it you don't have a porter or similar in your block? The development I'm in has a locked cupboard (with a proper lock, not the little triangle thingies) in a communal area on each floor with the gas & electricity meters but we can ask the porter for the key when we want to check readings. I enquired nicely if I could have a key for it and it was no problem - we do own the freehold if it makes any difference.

lucylou32

After months of arguing, the owners of the building found they had no legal right to deign us access to the cupboard with the Gas/Electricity meters. We only found this out because one of the flat owners has a pre-payment meter and threatened to call the owner out at 1am because she needed to put more electricity on !:rotfl:

[Deleted User]

As a meter reader its not uncommon to find communal meter cupboards in flats etc where the management company keeps the only key,none of the tenants have access to their own meters without a lot of time and effort to track down the only key and return it.Thanks Lucylou32 I will pass that info on.In these days of online monthly readings etc people need to get at their meters without any hinderance. Sometimes there is a sign on door " firedoor must be kept locked" would have thought" must be kept shut " would be just as safe

Ich_2

A customer has the right to read their own meter, well that's the view of the DNO. I'd have to dig but it might be in The Electricity Act

brendan79

Ich wrote: »

A customer has the right to read their own meter, well that's the view of the DNO. I'd have to dig but it might be in The Electricity Act

NPower have today confirmed to me that the council (or any other landlord) cannot prevent me accessing my own meter under the Gas and Electricity act stating that whilst it may be the landlords building, I am the account holder paying bills for that merer and I should be able to access my meter any time I like.

Can anyone confirm this and if possible quote the actual legislation perhaps? The guy pointed out that what would I do if I needed to access the meter in an emegency such as power cut/power failiure etc.

If I need to get meter readings taken I have to request this from the council who send the building caretaker to read the meter and push the readings through my letter box which for me discredits the accuracy of the readings as taken by a third party. This also prevents me from monitoring and recording readings daily if required. Im having odd bills issued which seem excessivlely high based on the electricals that are being used in my property. As far as im concerned this has discredited the original readings that I provided to my supplier.

[Deleted User]

If Npower have said it I would accept that as a fact. Can you get it in writing to show to the Council . They have got to stop messing you about, there is no logical reason to stop you entering communal cupboards, there are no health and safety issues at all in these cupboards whether theres 1 or 51 meters together. I go into lots of them. If theres any hazards I would be the first to know