Unreadable Gas Meter - No Digital Readout

chutton

Hi all,

my 2nd post, hopefully someone can make a relevent comment or two about this one.

It's taken about a year ( August 2009 ) ( and arguably since April 2010 ) to get a large Energy to supplier to come out to the house to replace the Gas Meter, the reason the Gas Meter needs replaced, is because the battery backup has gone from the meter, thus, no Digital Readout is apparent.

It effectively means the last time i gave them a reading was a year ago, it was reported numerous times when i eventually did notice that I couldn't read the meter.

Now, the company is coming out to replace, but legally, what meter reading can they 'set' on it, i mean, this is a case of my word against theirs as to how much gas has been used.

My circumstances had also changed when my partner and child moved out in December last year, so no real need for heating much in the months, i mean, the heating was not on every day for example, even during winter months, so theorhetically, they can't base it on previous years estimates....

Hope this explains what i'm looking for..

regards


Colin...

Gman0365

Often, the battery can just be changed and when the screen comes back on the index is displayed. Though sometimes chnaging the battery is not successfull.

The gas supplier usually estimates the usage in the customers favour though I can see this would be a problem since your circumstances have changed.

chutton

Thanks gman! They didn't even want to try battery replacement, I did suggest it, it's happening on Wednesday at any rate. Then apparently I should await a call from disputes, I wonder if that phonecall will happen before I contact them ? Will keep the info received on this thread, might help others, and hopefully help myself too! Any more advice, appreciated!

Premier_2

They won't 'set' the meter. Whatever reading is on the new meter should be recorded and a card left.

They will estimate the usage on the old meter (which presumabaly they have been doing for the past year) up to the replacement date. You should disclose any reasons for a obvious change in usage over that time.

e.g. if the property was left vacant for several weeks. However, a partner & child moving out propbably doesn't affect gas usage too much (other than a reducyion in hot water possibly)

It still requires the same amount of gas to haet the property (arguabley a little more if there are less people around to warm it up with body heat) and the oven still uses the same amount to heat up whether it has a meal for 1 or a meal for 3 in it.

chutton

Premier, thanks for that, I will take it up with the Engineer and then the disputes office I guess. I'm actually one of these people who don't really have heating on generally. I would say a big impact actually as the heating was on a lot due to having a wee two year old around though.