only one meter - supplier insisting there must be two..

piratefairy

Hi all,

Have just spent most of the morning on hold to elec company.

Basically, I live in a flat, elec only, no gas, and all the meters for the flats in the building are in a locked cupbd on the ground floor, but in the building so to read a resident would need to grant access..

Basically, having given a meter reading aty their request, I was written to and told they couldnt' add the reading onto my accoutn, and would be estimating the bill as they think there are two meters to the property. In the past I have given readings from this sole meter with no problems and bills have been calc'd from the reading I've given, hence how I didn't notice the problem earlier.

Having checked the cupbd, there is only one meter with my flat number, looks newer than most of the others, and most of the other numbers have two meters, i'm told this will be becuase the building is relatively old and was heated with storage heaters when they were built, so one would have been off peak, one peak.

When I got the letter initially, I called and arranged a meter reader to come to the property. He didn't arrive, I took a day off and waited, but nothing. However, the call centre says the visit was recorded as confirming that the meter details they hold are correct. WHich worries me somewhat as I wonder if they are using the wrong meters for my property.

I'm not sure what else to do, other than wait for them to advise when they can send someone else out. I will turn the meter which is marked as my flat's off completely when I return home this evening, and then check whether there is any power to the flat. Presumably if not, this can be the only source. Tehre is no meter in the flat itself.

Any suggestions?

piratefairy

Thanks spiro, I have had them do that this morning, with the two serial numbers they have on the bill, and she claims they are both registered to the address. But when I check the cupd this eve I shall get the serial no of the only meter which serves my address, and check to make sure it is one of the ones on the bill. Will send you the digits off the physical meter, after I have checked, as I don't know which of the numbers on the bill it is. If either.

specialsparky

Hi insist on a visit from your supplier. This sounds like a classic crossed meter scenairo and is very common in flats. There is also a likelyhood that the old meter has been removed and never removed from your account. Get them out or threaten Ofgem, dont wait as this will only get worse as they will continue to estimate on the "missing meter"
Good luck and hope it helps

undaunted

I agree tell them they need to get themselves out to the property and find it then! You could try the Ombudsman, Consumer Direct etc but I certainly wouldn't however hold my breath waiting for Ofgem to help you as a mere consumer - hopeless!

withabix

Is there another meter in the cupboard with a serial number matching the one on your bill?

If there is, turn it off and see what happens!

piratefairy

No, no other meter matching the serial numner on the bill, i've checked all the others in the cupbd.
And I have asked them to come out, but they seem to think they already sent an engineer to look, and have on the system that he went to the property and checked and confirmed their details are correct. At the moment I have asked for the energy company to contact the engineer, as the date of the alleged visit, I was not home to give access to the flat.

Because they are telling me someone has already come out to the property, they are refusing to send anyone again. Getting really frustrating now, I have contacted the Ombudsman, as Ofgem have been hopeless in a previous problem.