Check your meter serial number!!

kazlau

We've just moved into a flat and got our gas bill in. I wanted to make sure that the reading was accurate so I went downstairs and looked at my gas meter. It was marked with our plot number and was later identified as ours by doing a burn test (identify your meter then turn everything off and see if it stops turning). Surprise surprise the meter number was different from the number on our bill.

After many calls to British Gas it has been established that the meter on my bill is for a property in the next block!!! We are now in the process of having this checked and remediated but it appears the whole block is affected and probably the one next to us as well. It looks like the installers installed the incorrect meters to properties without checking the serial numbers or changing the data base resulting in the database showing meters attached to different addresses.

When I came into work today I decided to look at the electricity bill and believe it or not the meter serial number is incorrect as well.

Worth a check people - it'll only take a couple of minutes.

mcmn18

you'd be surprised how often this happens, folks shouldn't worry too much about being billed for their usage incorrectly as it should just be the database that probably needs updating. A walkaround will be arranged where one person will go round each property obtaining meter no's plot details etc and everyone's will be corrected. This can get confusing if the meter mix up's are right beside each other and people read the wrong meter therefore are billed incorrectly

Henry_Hoover_2

I'm having the same problem. The electricity meter was correct, but the gas meter is incorrect.

It's caused a lot of problems - the main database (transco?) say that its not their problem and to go to the supplier (who they say is british gas), but BG say they aren't the supplier. I had a letter for the previous owner from Southern Electric, but they say they aren't the supplier... and round and round it goes!

5 months later, I still haven't sorted it, and haven't had a bill yet, despite doing all I can.

\I'm putting money away for when the inevitable bill turns up!

customer4419

Henry_Hoover wrote: »

I'm having the same problem. The electricity meter was correct, but the gas meter is incorrect.

It's caused a lot of problems - the main database (transco?) say that its not their problem and to go to the supplier (who they say is british gas), but BG say they aren't the supplier. I had a letter for the previous owner from Southern Electric, but they say they aren't the supplier... and round and round it goes!

5 months later, I still haven't sorted it, and haven't had a bill yet, despite doing all I can.

\I'm putting money away for when the inevitable bill turns up!

Call an gas company.... ask them to check xoserve to see who your supplier is. Give them your post code and property number or if you have the mpr number thats even better. npower have access to xoserve but every company should have.

If any one ever has a problem finding their leccy supplier call any leccy company and give your meter serial number post code and property number they can check ecoes. every company has access to ecoes

Vestra

Henry_Hoover wrote: »

I'm having the same problem. The electricity meter was correct, but the gas meter is incorrect.

It's caused a lot of problems - the main database (transco?) say that its not their problem and to go to the supplier (who they say is british gas), but BG say they aren't the supplier. I had a letter for the previous owner from Southern Electric, but they say they aren't the supplier... and round and round it goes!

5 months later, I still haven't sorted it, and haven't had a bill yet, despite doing all I can.

\I'm putting money away for when the inevitable bill turns up!

Best thing to do is contact Southern again who they lost the supply to, they may not tell you but ask them if it's an independent pipeline or national grid then you know who to contact to find out who is the supplier. As someone was supplying it, someone will still be.

lemontart

Henry_Hoover wrote: »

I'm having the same problem. The electricity meter was correct, but the gas meter is incorrect.

It's caused a lot of problems - the main database (transco?) say that its not their problem and to go to the supplier (who they say is british gas), but BG say they aren't the supplier. I had a letter for the previous owner from Southern Electric, but they say they aren't the supplier... and round and round it goes!

5 months later, I still haven't sorted it, and haven't had a bill yet, despite doing all I can.

\I'm putting money away for when the inevitable bill turns up!

right let me clear up the so call transco holding main database bit.

1. Transco no longer exists now National Grid
2. National Grid do not hold the main data base of supplier and meter details that is a company called xoserve
3. The information on the data base is supplied to it by the suppliers - basically when then install a meter they and register a supply they put details on the data base.
4. when you transfer to a new company the new company is supposed to send info t o data base
5. when meters are changed the new details should be put on there too.


Xoserve then supply a limited amount of info the the MNumber line at National Grid who runs the largest information service to find out who your current registered gas supplier is and your mprn number and xoserve also sends info the similar services run by the independant gast transporters who hold details for properties in their networks.

The only people who can amend, update or alter info on database are the gas suppliers as they are the ones supplying to it

And those at National Grid or other can only give you the information they have been supplied wth, if said info is incorrect that is not their fault so do not shoot the messenger.

Also there are cases when for whatever reason no information is held in which cases you are free to register with any supplier but must inform them that National grid or other hold no details. But saying that the suppliers do have access to the xoserve main database to search whereas National grid and other companies do not have this luxury.

customer4419

which energy company do you work for then. I was trying to give a brief explaination but only people who work in the industry would know that type of info lemon tart

Vestra

customer4419 wrote: »

which energy company do you work for then. I was trying to give a brief explaination but only people who work in the industry would know that type of info lemon tart

From previous posts it sounds like National Grid he works for.

lemontart

Rian1988 wrote: »

From previous posts it sounds like National Grid he works for.

he is a she and yes I work for National Grid and on a daily basis have had to explain that the info held by ng is supplied by the supplier and if incorrect the caller needs to speak to them about it to get it amended as we cannot do it, nor can we search using the serial number which a supplier can do. Nor do we hold dates, personal details etc, and if no registered supplier on the data base we will not have details of the mprn either

Better I explain so people are aware of process than just say the computer she say no and goodbye, that way the caller can make an informed decision on what to do next and avoid being palmed off by some of the agents working for gas suppliers.

Also despite some gas suppliers telliing customers to call us to get a mprn raised we do not do that either as again it is the gas suppliers responsibilty to do that too.

SwanJon

This is depressingly common, often down to things like plot 5 becoming house number 27.
I'll second all that lemontart says, but remember that while the supplier can update these details, the agents on the phone can only pass the information on to the relevant department.
Also, if you are on an independent gas network (MPR beings with a 7), these are smaller companies that seem to take longer to get anything done. These are quite often used for new builds as they are cheaper for the builder.

apurplemind

I used to work for Transco and one of the jobs I did was dealing with 'crossed meters'. I would get a request from a supplier to check some properties out. An engineer would visit give me the details and then I would correct the details. Sounds so much easier than now!

I now work for a company installing utilities for housing developments, and quite often we will arrange for meters to be installed and the developer will decide that as a plot has been sold, and not currently with a meter they move them to suit. Or the meter is reported as stolen (either by someone moving the meter to suit their needs) or by someone wanting a meter to fiddle their gas/elec bills.

Hope you get it sorted soon.