Excessive house visits from Eon

Laodan

Despite providing gas and electric readings online when prompted, I still receive a quarterly house visit from Eon (or a representative from Eon) to take actual readings. However, I have spoken to other people who have gone years without receiving an actual visit. Therefore, can I conclude that these visits are based on the energy users' postcode? Are certain postcodes therefore more likely to induce quartlerly visits despite our having never missed a payment and giving accurate readings online? Do all energy companies act in this manner?

In fact, the whole calling at the house to get readings debacle is pointless anyway since they leave a card when I'm out - I then fill it in and leave it on the doorstep for their collection. Therefore, I could still be making up the figures. These visits are also annoying and inconvenient.

I have contacted Eon but didn't receive a satisfactory explanation.

Mankysteve

How are they inconvenient?. Block knocks on door you open door he takes a quick look at your meter 5 min of your time max. Come on really!!!!


It proberly because someone in your area is stealing eleci they can tell how much is going into a area and what there being paid for. So there trying to find the culprit.

Laodan

How are they inconvenient?.

1. They usually call around dinner time
2. We have a young family
3. The electric meter is in an inconvenient position which requires standing on a chair to read it
4. I have better things to do than waste five minutes on a pointless exercise

Tony5101

Unfortunately - you choose to buy your electricity from a particular supplier - and this supplier wants regular readings. 5 minutes every 3 months is hardly a trauma is it?

Cardew

It is ironic that this thread was started today:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2723259

I paid a great deal of money to have my meter removed to an outside wall so that British Gas could read it at any time without having to enter the property. You are now sending me a request for a meter reading so that I do not receive an estimated bill. I was not aware that we had entered into an agreement for this to happen, and was hoping you might advise what remuneration or discount I will receive for relieving you of the staff cost of sending someone out to take that reading, in consideration of the outlay I have already had in removing my meter to a more convenient location.

So you complaining your meter is read too much, this person complaining it is not read often enough.!

davidgmmafan

You could always not answer the door, I mean come on you must have a fair idea if you are expecting someone?

In answer to your question about the frequency of your readings it would go something like this. If you are in your suppliers home region ie where they were the default supplier in the past then they will probably have loads of meter readers so you will get more frequent readings. If you are out of thier area then you might not get many meter readings at all save for the ones they are legally obliged to do which is once every 2 years.

If you are not in thier home area then I've no idea why its happening but, as other have said, you simply wouldn't believe how many people moan if they get even one quarter without a meter reading. At least this way you'll never get one of those 'friendly' Gas or electricity meter saftey inspection letters.

undaunted

Not all companies do so no. However that is the more usual cause of complaint & billing problems. Personally I'd be pleased if all suppliers were to make the same effort to accurately read their meters & bill their accounts

E.ON_Company_Representative

Hello Laodan,

The first thing to mention is that E.ON meter readers are not the same company as E.ON Retail (the guys who send out energy bills). The meter reader’s work in certain areas but the frequency of getting your meter read is not post code specific. You may have seen this map before but I thought I’d add it. It’s the different distribution areas in England, Scotland and Wales. The E.ON distribution area is East Midlands, however the E.ON meter readers also work in other areas. The areas noted below are not perfectly matched to post codes.





You may have two or three meter readers working in one particular area and, the people who read the meter may change if you change supplier. This is down to the fact that the meter reading industry opened up around five years ago.

One thing to take note of is that, even though you manage your account online, this will not affect the amount of visits you get. The meter readers don’t know how you manage your account therefore the finer account details have no bearing on the frequency of the visits.

They are obliged to read the meter on a regular basis with most still coming around every three months. As well as taking readings, they will also report any faults. If you are busy or if you don’t want them to come in you’re within your rights to refuse them access.

Thanks

Brian

Terrylw1

Meter reading schedules are contractual between a Supplier and the Data Collector.

They appoint the Meter Reading agent or (Data Collector) when you change to supplier or when they change contracts to another agent for regions.

They can choose to be quarterley, six monthly etc and it depends on whether your bill is quarterly or 6 monthly.

If you are in a town, you will get more access to meter readings as opposed to rural. Given Stafford is an easily accessible main town, it won't be classed as a rural.

They can change your reads cycle if they want, so you could ask but it's not something that a customer would be requesting...since more visits mean more accurate bills. Less visits are a well proven contributor to poor extimates.

Times have changed and Suppliers have moved more to customer contact and reads to cust costs but they still have to resolve these schedules which are often part of contracts they have paid for...so in time, these things change.

Their policy might be that in certain regions, they insist in quarterley visits.

They have to gain access every 2 years...but if you can't get in, the only way to do it is via a warrant and it's whether the supplier has agreed that policy since this area of the industry is not well regulated anyway!

Cardew

peter_percent wrote: »

the meter reading system has been a thorn in my side for years and I don't know why no one in authority has twigged on to the vast waste of energy and unannounced intrusion it is, not to mention the frightened elderly, the nervous single female,nursing mothers etc, these days it is often a person in a car who has driven to my house alone with no appointment or phone call to see if I'm at home, sometimes they call several times my security camera records them, I work so the odds of finding me in between 7am>7pm during the week are about 300 to one against, the companies then have the cheek to send me save the planet energy saving tips like quick kebab recipes while they waste gallons of fuel driving to empty houses, this must cost all of us a good few pounds each time added to our bills, last year I recorded 24 visits on my security camera, none of which found me at home, I give exact readings on-line, but remember the old days, a bloke trudged round on foot, called at every house even though he knew most were at work,he would leave a card to fill in and post, or phone or even leave it in a window and he might call back,these days there are no contact details to provide a reading to, just the leave it in a window option,not a good security idea, the simple truth is they get a commission for every reading collected, but not from me, my meter is situated in a basement and even if I were at home it is not convenient to just drop everything at 10 seconds notice and ask a total stranger to remove their shoes, lock my dogs away, lead them through my house down a trap door, and down a ladder, while telling them to mind their head, watch you don't slip etc.

Who else would send someone out of the blue to try and enter your home without an appointment? this crazy waste continues while the government ban 100w light bulbs but not 3000w outdoor heaters!
roll on the meter that can send in it's own reading, all we will need then is an occasional safety check, I bet they wont call without an appointment then, but who knows you might be asked to check it yourself and leave a card in your window,
Mad Britain

They want to check up that you haven't by-passed the meter and are growing cannabis.;)

Also some people would deliberately misread the meter and when they move have a huge bill - which they don't pay.

shikoku

Four times you've posted that rant now Peter and each time you get the same answer furnished to you.

Give it a rest!