Meter Safety Inspection - Application for Magistrates court warrant

VJH1978

This isn't really money saving but I'm wondering if anybody has any advice.

Npower have tried to access my house several times to do a safety inspection of my meters, each time I have been out at work or on holiday.

I have received a letter dated 8th February saying if I don't contact them before 22nd February they can apply to a Magistrates' Court for a warrant. However I went on holiday on 13th February, and the letter had not arrived by then. I got in tonight (21st Feb) and opened the letter.

The letter states that they can enter my home by force if I'm not there - this could have happened while I was on holiday, leaving my house at risk of burgulary.

I plan to phone NPower at 8am, but I'm wondering if anyone knows what my rights are given that I have been unable to contact them before the 22nd as I didn't receive the letter until 21st Feb?

I'm in tears worrying about this, and so scared that my house doors will be broken, and if that happens, I've no idea what I need to do to repair the damage.

Itsarandom

If you are lucky - there should be an email address on the letter as well. Sounds daft but I did the exact same thing - but if you ring them the first time you miss an appointment they will organise an evening one if you explain you cannot get time off work!

Ring them tomorrow they don't want to go to court about it. Email them if you can - then you also have something recorded!

I ended up doing both - the minute I got in contact they stopped all proceedings. Just explain you were on holidays and also say that due to work commitments you cannot get time off anytime soon. After that they will organise it all!

macman

Yes, they can legally force an entry to your property with a court order, but they would then have to re-secure it after the inspection. You should have not ignored the original letters but contacted them to arrange a suitable time.

VJH1978

Thanks Itsarandom - I have contacted them re appointments, and they haven't said they can do evening appointments, and for daytime they can't specify times which makes it very hard, so I will try again. There isn't an email address, but they have a postal address, so I will put a letter in the post also.

Macman - Thanks for the advice. I haven't ignored the letters, I have had 1 previously asking me to make an appointment which I did do, unfortunatley it happened to be one of the bad snow days so I had to allow more time to go to work. I did contact NPower on that occaision to say that I'd waited for x hours and would now be out. I have tried to arrange appointments but it's very difficult when they can't specify times

spiro

VJH1978 wrote: »

Thanks Itsarandom - I have contacted them re appointments, and they haven't said they can do evening appointments, and for daytime they can't specify times which makes it very hard, so I will try again.

You haven't said if this is for gas or elec but regarding appointments:

Elec - Make and keep timed appointments (metering) - Arrange appointments either, morning (up to 1pm), afternoon (from 12pm) or within a 2-hour timeband and keep them. - You get £20 if they fail.

Gas - Making and keeping timed appointments (metering) - Arrange appointments either, morning (up to 1pm), afternoon (from 12pm) or within a 2-hour timeband and keep them. - You get £20 if they fail.

This means if you phone them you can request a 2hr appointment, they try and avoid these but they are obligated to provide them under the Guaranteed Standards of Performance.

Owain_Moneysaver

Is there a neighbour you can leave a key with?

DVardysShadow

Write to them and give them an appointment - give them 14 days notice. Keep a copy and phone them to advise that the letter is on its way. They won't like it, but at the end of the day, they would be out of order to turn down such an appointment and then get a court order.