British Gas Smart Meter - Beware

silvercar

I'm in a similar situation. They are replacing the gas pipe in my road and had problems locating the gas pipe on my property. So they've dug a big hole This has involved disturbing the block brickwork driveway. They assured me two weeks ago that they would relay it within 5 working days - I'm still waiting.

Interestingly, they had to dig because their metal detectors couldn't find the pipe from the point where it had already been replaced with plastic. So in years to come, when their new plastic piping will be replaced, how will they find it.

C_Mababejive

silvercar wrote: »

I'm in a similar situation. They are replacing the gas pipe in my road and had problems locating the gas pipe on my property. So they've dug a big hole This has involved disturbing the block brickwork driveway. They assured me two weeks ago that they would relay it within 5 working days - I'm still waiting.

Interestingly, they had to dig because their metal detectors couldn't find the pipe from the point where it had already been replaced with plastic. So in years to come, when their new plastic piping will be replaced, how will they find it.

Its quite possible to trace plastic mains. All you do is introduce a transmitter into the main and track it with a receiver. Generally experienced engineers can make a very good guess as to pipelocations and bigger pipes are detailed on plans.

silvercar

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Its quite possible to trace plastic mains. All you do is introduce a transmitter into the main and track it with a receiver. Generally experienced engineers can make a very good guess as to pipelocations and bigger pipes are detailed on plans.

Tell that to the ones digging up my road. Only about a third of the holes have led to active supplies.

Tangible

As Victor Meldrew would say my travails with British Gas are unbelievable.

After all they've put me through with attemting to read my gas meter and replace the old pipes, they still can't leave me alone.

A very nice young man came today to check the carnage they left behind, and didn't do my BP much good by telling me what they should have done - advance notice and heating and cooking facilities to tide me over whilst they left me cut off for over a week. Reciting the 'Tales of Narnia' wasn't helping, and being the first time I'd dared to venture outside I wasn't helped to see that they'd bequearhed me the large barriers from their excavations.

Remarkably they still haven't got round to reading the thing that now resides outside the house, which I believe they hope will happen this year, though on past record, I can expect more cheques for missed appoinments, which I did receive.

The young man was very pleasant, but I wasn't going to 'sugar coat' my experience, which he wanted to know, and I pointed out that National Grid won't find it so easy in future in this area, as I am blessesd to be served off the pipe from the main road and they've barely touched the rest of the community. When they get to the leafy side roads, my neighbours, and the local council, are forewarned.

Telling me that this was perpetrated by sub-contractors didn't help, as they are wholly responsible for their actions and omissions, and tarnish their image and reputation accordingly.

This isn't over, and what I lack in bite I make up for in bark.

eurmalian

Tangible wrote: »

As Victor Meldrew would say my travails with British Gas are unbelievable.

As has been said various times above, this is National Grid who have done all of this. It is nothing to do with British Gas. The two companies are not linked and looking after and maintaining the gas pipeline network is all done by National Grid. It is not anything to do with any supplier.

Tangible

I appreciate that there are subtle differences that may go over my head in dealing with the supply of gas to my property, but feeling below par physically most of the time, every time I hear the word 'gas' I know disaster looms.

British Gas and National Grid are acting in harness or, at least I hope they are, and it was British Gas' initial failure to attend their appointment which led to me being hospitalised, and matters descended downhill rapidly thereafter with National Grid conincidentally ploughing up my property immediately upon my release from hospital.

There are developments now which transcend the realms of common sense and I may have to take legal steps to protect myself from continual harrassment. A process which was supposed to take less than a day has now dragged on for over a month with the applied threats of having my supply cut off, or my life being placed in immediate peril if I don't comply.

I'll attempt to describe the latest developments after I've taken a while to calm down. Threats of impending doom no longer concern me, and never have to be honest, but catastrophe is preferable to more National Grid interference. If they plan to spend Christmas with me they'll be severely disappointed if they think I eat food.

AppleMonkey

I'm surprised you can write all of this down without getting irate again and increasing you BP!

However it's all well and good slating British Gas all the time if anything all they are doing is putting a meter on the end of the pipe that has caused all your issues. And it is coincidence that your meter needs to be changed when the pipe needed to be updated - British Gas's information is probably based on that given to them by National Grid in the first place.

IF the meter was not due to be changed your pipe still would have been changed and your old meter put on the new pipe. Whilst its frustrating reading your comments on here just seem to be slagging off British Gas who have admitted there mistake and compensated you accordingly with there missed appointment.

Tangible

There are serious issues with British Gas apart from their inability to honour appointments, but I'll get to that later.

If I'm confused with whom I dealing, it's because both parties operate behind a mystery group of 'wandering minstrel' sub contractors that I know nothing about until they arrive unannounced to perform more mysterious work on my property.

I've never received a written communication whatsoever from National Grid and the only letter I received was from British Gas which proved to be worthless as regards their intentions.

Having been advised by a mysterious electrical contractor that, a month after National grid began work on my property, the only outstanding issue is incomplete safety work "that may prove dangerous to the user if not completed".

Am I being unreasonable in thinking that safety is probably, not only the primary concern in the installation of gas fixtures, but that it's the legal responsibility of National Grid to notify me, not some unknown party about whom I know nothing ?

I understand that I !!!!!ed about being without the ability to cook food and having no heating and hot water - but I'm utterly unreasonable. Clearly I could have been punished by being disconnected for a month until they got round to completing their work, but understand my concern at allowing them to have access to to my electricity supply as well.

If I felt peeved when a smart young lad mentioned that I should have been set up with heat and cooking facilities, I count it as representing something more than poor communication. It's arrogant customer abuse by an organisation without any capacity to operate in an organised fashion. Blaming their sub-contracors cuts no ice - ethically or legally.

In the circumstances I plan to lead them very painfully by the nose through the proper process, which is their legal and regulatory obligation to follow, which will begin with introducing me to this contractor formally and explaining why they failed to complete the safety installation before leaving me operating a system "dangerous to the user". Of course, after previous experiences, I will also require a number to call to obtain back up power in the event of being left without power again.

I'll also want a rather more descriptive explanation of what is planned for my property as I find pneumatic drills being used without agreement, warning, and on different days to those agreed, irritating.

I need to e-mail National grid to obtain their mail address as I don't intend to have any more dealings with anonymous self-appointed sub contractors who turn up out of the blue.

I'll deal with British Gas in my next post.

AppleMonkey

I imagine what they are referring to is Earth Bonding on the Gas and Water Pipes - However that is normally your responsibility not National Grids / British Gas.

Normally there notification consists of a card left in the meter box.

Tangible

Your psychic abilities are clearly superior to my own AppleMonkey but I will quote from this unknown contractor's letter to me.

Should the work not be carried out it may prove dangerous to the user

Presumably it wasn't dangerous prior to their gas insrallation otherwise it would have had similar priority to the other work that was undertaken to save me from peril.

Do you note that I live in a world where the threat of imminent death powers the never ending quest for the National Grid and British Gas to spend months re-modelling my property.

Let's not get over technical on the issue of earthing systems, and I'm sure it requires the 'earthing wizard' to perform a task of such life saving importance, but when I take my car for service I'd be somewhat amazed to receive a call later in the day, after having picked it up, to be told they'd bled the hydraulics and hadn't topped it back up 'cause the geezer what does it was indisposed, leaving me without brakes.

Perhaps in some part of the country earthing is a spontaneous self-initiating process, or maybe regulations are more lax in the North, but overall you'd believe it's not a wholly random matter that can't be prioritised into the overall work process.

After all, I'm using a National Grid appointed electrical contractor's own written words to determine the threat level.

Politely - I will also add that only on planet 'National Grid' would it be the consumers responsibility to earth one of their meters. I don't need an HNC in earthing straps to work that one out. If National Grid don't possess the expertise, qualifications or ability to earth their brand spanking new installations, then they shouldn't be undertaking the work, or perhaps they're installing them un-earthed and planning a 'catch up' strategy before the death toll gets out of hand.

I don't need any more letters from National Grid warning me of impending doom, as their capacity to leave me cut off from heating and hot food is life threatening enough. This is the last of many final straws, and now the time of reckoning is upon them.