New electricity meter - reset?

thacky

Hi All

When a new electricity meter is fitted on behalf of British Gas, can the new meter be set with the reading of the old one? Or would it always start off at zero?

espresso

Fitters can't reset meters and new meters often don't read zero as they have test units registered on them - the reading is simply a number and is irrelevant to billing.

thacky

Thanks espresso.

I had a new meter in Aug 2010. In Sept 2010 when my reading was due it read 16800 and BG sent a bill using this figure. Then a month later - Oct 2010 - they issued a revised bill showing an estimated figure of 16000 ish at the date of the fitting and then a 0 for the date of the fitting and an estimate from then up to October.

I am very puzzled about why this should have been so and how on earth I could have sent an accurate reading of 16800 units a month afterwards when BG are now saying that the reading was zero in August.

Am just starting to try to get this sorted with them.

spiro

Check your meter, there should be a card attached showing meter exchange date plus final reading from old meter and initial reading from new meter. Confirm with your supplier that they have used these readings.

thacky

Thanks spiro - but no, no card in meter box. If I use my current reading - 19400 ish - and work it all out I reckon that the meter didn't read 0 at any stage. Either that or I've used a hell of a lot of electricity in the last 17 months!

macman

Do you have no record of the reading(s) when the new meter was fitted?

thacky

Hi Macman

No. Reading June 2010 was 16405, then Sept 2010 was 16862 (both my readings) and a bill was issued by BG using these readings, but then a month later a new bill was issued with their estimate at 15 Aug at 16678, then 0 at Aug 16th with an estimate 0f 170 at 21/9. The August date presumably being when the new meter was fitted.

Wish I'd realised all this at the time. BG has asked me to ring their MAST team but I am dreading this in case I get someone who cannot understand what I am getting at. Easier to put it all in writing. In three emails I have asked them to explain the above but it just doesn't happen.

However, I know that I owe THEM money and not the other way round so it may get sorted yet!

macman

If they have no closing and opening readings, the usage will be estimated.

amusedbystander

thacky every time an engineer completes a meter reading or any thing like that they send a message back to therelevent supplier with readings and things like thst so bg will have a exact read from the meter change

molerat

amusedbystander wrote: »

thacky every time an engineer completes a meter reading or any thing like that they send a message back to therelevent supplier with readings and things like thst so bg will have a exact read from the meter change

If only that were true

thacky

@ amused bystander thanks but if this really did happen then I have used a HUGE amount of electricity since August 2010. I haven't.