'we need to change your electricity meter' scam? HELP!!

cybergibbons

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

But I phoned scottish power and they confirmed that E-on maintain the meters. They don't notify SP when they are going to change a meter, so SP know nothing about it until afterwards, when they get the meter readings from E-on.

It is a complete shambles.

Why is it a complete shambles? Your meter was replaced, Eon find out about it, your bill is accurate, where's the issue?

mikey72

The meters are changed by a third party.
They have been sending us letters for months, are ours are too old alledgedly.
They can give us a day, and now half a day, Mon to Fri.
Not a lot of use if we work.
We've also had two notes pushed through, saying they have missed us.
So it's probably for real.

zzzLazyDaisy

cybergibbons wrote: »

Why is it a complete shambles? Your meter was replaced, Eon find out about it, your bill is accurate, where's the issue?

It is a shambles because over the past three years I have had three letters telling me that someone will come to change the meter on a given date, but no-one turned up.

I then had someone knock on the door to tell me that they were unable to change the meter as arranged - except that I'd had no letter on that occasion and knew nothing about it anyway.

Then I heard nothing for over a year, when someone knocked on the door out of the blue, asking to come into my house and change the meter. I'd had no letter and no warning, and refused to let him in as I am disabled and on my own. I insisted on being given an appointment so that I can arrange to have someone with me (especially as, at that point, there was no evidence that this person was who he said he was)

The following day I received a letter telling me that someone will be in the area over the next few weeks and will want access to the house to change the meter - no date or time given.

Elderly and frail people are being expected to let strangers into their homes to change a meter, with no date or time or advanced warning, so they are unable to arrange to be accompanied - and this puts them at risk of bogus people who may know that people are getting these letters.

In my view that's a shambles!

Pincher

Access is a nightmare for everybody.

There are personal assistants that you can hire to wait for you.

If social services actually gave a damn, they should be able to supply a helper in circumstances like this. But of course, what will happen is the helper will ring up and say, "Sorry I can't come over, I am still waiting at somebody else's house waiting for an engineer who hasn't turned up."

MrsTinks

If anyone from a utility company calls at your door always ask for their ID which should have their details and registration number on it - it shoudl also have a phone number but I would always google the company and call the number you find yourself before verifying that the person is infact the right person and does work for the utility company. Leave them stood on the door step whilst you close the front door and go to make the phone call. If they are genuine they will have no problem with this if a teeny bit irritated If they are not genuine they would object to letting you have their ID and you going off with it to call the company...

Unless you have checked their ID.... NEEEEEEEVEEEEEEEER let them in!!!!

cybergibbons

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

It is a shambles because over the past three years I have had three letters telling me that someone will come to change the meter on a given date, but no-one turned up.

I then had someone knock on the door to tell me that they were unable to change the meter as arranged - except that I'd had no letter on that occasion and knew nothing about it anyway.

Then I heard nothing for over a year, when someone knocked on the door out of the blue, asking to come into my house and change the meter. I'd had no letter and no warning, and refused to let him in as I am disabled and on my own. I insisted on being given an appointment so that I can arrange to have someone with me (especially as, at that point, there was no evidence that this person was who he said he was)

The following day I received a letter telling me that someone will be in the area over the next few weeks and will want access to the house to change the meter - no date or time given.

Elderly and frail people are being expected to let strangers into their homes to change a meter, with no date or time or advanced warning, so they are unable to arrange to be accompanied - and this puts them at risk of bogus people who may know that people are getting these letters.

In my view that's a shambles!

You neglected to tell most of that story the first time round.

zzzLazyDaisy

cybergibbons wrote: »

You neglected to tell most of that story the first time round.

Youy asked, I answered.

Get a life - it is an internet forum! :cool:

seafarers_wife

Ive had this as well, but from a different angle.

I work for a utility company and Ive had a couple of calls the past week where the customer calls me up wanting to know when the engineer was going to change their meter as they had received a call from them to say they were coming out on Friday afternoon or whatever date as the meter was old and needed replacing.

There was no job booked on their account, no job booked with the meter operator (who maintains/replaces meters on the company behalf) and no job booked with the distributor for the area.

My advice to the customer was to not let anyone in to change the meter and if an engineer did come to the door to take his badge id information and call the supplier so we could confirm if he was genuine before the customer let him into the property. The other option with most suppliers is to put a password onto the account that all engineers/meter readers need to quote so that the customer knows the engineer is genuine.

cybergibbons

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

Youy asked, I answered.

Get a life - it is an internet forum! :cool:

Ah, the brilliant argument of "get a life".

So many posts on here have people complaining of things being a disgrace/disgusting/shambles/outrage, and it turns out that it is far from the case.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

I am with Scottish Power, but just yesterday I had someone claiming to be from EON turn up on my doorstep unannounced to change my meter. My meter is inside the house and no way was I going to let a stranger just walk into the house, so I have made an appointment for a day when someone can be at home with me. Today I get a letter from E-on just saying that someone will be in the area some time over the next few weeks to change the meter.

But I phoned scottish power and they confirmed that E-on maintain the meters. They don't notify SP when they are going to change a meter, so SP know nothing about it until afterwards, when they get the meter readings from E-on.

It is a complete shambles.

Hi LazyDaisy

I'm really sorry you have had so many problems with us regarding a meter change.

As we are the meter operator for your area, it is our responsibility to make sure your meter is safe and accurate. Consequently, every few years we will upgrade the meter at your property.

However, we shouldn't just turn up at your door unannounced.

When the meter is due to be changed, a letter is sent asking the customer to contact us in order to arrange an appointment for this work to be done. There is a phone number at the bottom of the letter which goes directly to the department handling these changes.

I absolutely agree about the care needed in allowing access to your home. All our engineers carry identification which should be shown to the customer as soon as they arrive.

For further re-assurance, you can call us to check the engineer is genuinely calling on our behalf.

As seafarers_wife says, there is also the facility to have a password added to your details which all engineers/meter readers must quote on arrival.

If you are still having problems arranging this update, I would call the number on the letters and explain what has happened. Ask for a specific appointment to suit your circumstances.

Again, I'm sorry you have experienced so many problems but hope this helps explain what should happen in these cases. Give me a shout if you need any more info as will be happy to help.

Malc