SSE prepayment problem

ali666_2

I got a prepayment meter installed in sept 2011 this was due to my ex partner running up bills and i couldn't afford to meet their requested payments to clear the debt.

The problem is everytime that the meter runs out of credit i get call help error message. Spoke to SSE and they said that the meter was faulty and needed to be replaced.
Waited in all day for the engineer to come out and he stated that the meter was breaking the gas regulations as its too close to the electric junction box and he wouldn't swop the meter.
SSE state that its my landlord's problem to get the meter moved a few inches and then they will swop the meter. My landlord wont do this.
But what i dont get is that they changed the meter from a credit to a prepayment meter and the engineer done that with no problems but they wont replace a faulty meter
Anyone know what i should do about this coz am calling the engineers out once every fortnight to reset the meter

thanks

Terrylw1

The key issue here is whether the engineer who told you this is correct and if so, they shouldn't have even put that PPM in so was that engineer dodgy, inexperienced or helping the supplier by breaking regulations.

Moving a meter a few inches in terms of elec is free as long as it requires no additional work i.e. there is enough cabling to reach. For gas I'm not sure.

A meter move would need to be booked by a supplier if the above applied (not sure on gas) but if its a more complicated job it would need the distributor to move the supply and connect the meter unless they requested you get the supplier to book the meter engineers out that they use.

I would first ask the supplier to contact their contracted meter agents asking what's happened. They could easily arrange to send out a supervisor or more experienced engineer to assess it but their decision would be final. They may only apologise if the previous engineer failed to notice this.

In terms of the landlord, he/she is just concerned about cost.they will also be winding why they need to act when the engineers have failed safety regulations since the landlord would be less aware of them. At worst, the landlord will have to correct it and may wish to complain about it but is it their fault? If the elec junction box belongs to the distributor then the gas or elec distributors are at fault or it could be a change in regulation which came later.

Another option might be that the previous credit meter didn't breach regulations...if so, the supplier should put that back in. They won't want to but would need to be reminded that they too are responsible for a breach in regulations since they have a duty of care to you to ensure your safety.

[Deleted User]

I hear this complaint often,all of a sudden,after 25 years of the gas meter sitting happily alongside the electric meter its become unsafe.The latest batch of meter exchangers are always quoting this new example of elfnsafetyitus. I reckon half the time they are just getting out of doing the job, sometimes its because theres lead pipes involved to the gas meter and they are not qualified to work on lead, so its a convenient excuse to get out of the house

ali666_2

The thing is when they changed the meter from a credit to a prepayment, the engineers manager signed off the meter.

Think i will send a nice email to sse

Terrylw1

How do you know the engineers manager signed it off? He would be the one ti come out on an escalation or another "super".

When suppliers book jobs like this, they send a data flow indicating the required work which is vetted by a team at the meter operators who them book it to an engineer (or team, who's super would allocate it). No manager would normally be involved in this since its a regular type of job.

Was it fit via a warrant? If so, the other guy might have been a warrant officer and he cant breach regulation either. An engineer may also call in to ask advice where he would consult his super, whereas a warrant officer may call your supplier who is not qualified to make that decision.

jalexa

ali666 wrote: »

Think i will send a nice email to sse

I'm fairly certain I'm right to say that current regs are not relevant if the installation complied with the then regs at original installation. A "like for like" replacement does not trigger applicability to current regs.

By all means send a nice email but be ready with a formal complaint.

As a matter of interest what is the distance between the meter and the "electric junction box"? Can you post a photograph?

Terrylw1

I agree with Jalexa. One example I can give is prepayment meters where the meter position is above new regulation height. They abort all of these visits,but they will fit a like-for-like on a recertification as far was I know.

You've got an issue with poor engineers here.

spiro

One of the codes a meter worker can use when not completing a meter exchange is "unacceptable close proximity to gas service".

jalexa

spiro wrote: »

One of the codes a meter worker can use when not completing a meter exchange is "unacceptable close proximity to gas service".

Well if that is literally what it says (and you have "quoted" it) it is no wonder that there is confusion (or is it incompetence?).

From the wording I cannot say if it refers to gas service having "unacceptable" close proximity (to the electricity meter) or to there being (in this case) an "electric junction box" in unacceptable close proximity (to the gas meter position).

And anyway it just puts the "meter exchange codes" in the frame. Do you have any comment on my "originally compliant" argument? Or was that it?

I believe the current position is that having made a supply available, and swapped out an earlier installation without adverse comment, this issue is at the supplier's risk, that is SSE.

ali666_2

just received an email from SSE and they are willing to get the meter moved by 3ft so that its not going next to the junction box
it has just took me months of phone calls to get this sorted
Give SSE credit i sent that email at 10pm last night and received a reply at 9am

jalexa

ali666 wrote: »

just received an email from SSE and they are willing to get the meter moved by 3ft so that its not going next to the junction box

given that the meter would only need to be 6" (150mm) away that is indeed a very generous move:D.

And BTW, the regulations refer to "pipes" not meters. Are they proposing to move the pipe?