Meter reader damaged box - E.On says tough

RobertinHerts

I've been happy with E.On until today.

They emailed to say not to bother with my regular self-reading of the meters for the online tariff as there would be a meter reader visiting. We were on holiday so he left a card regarding the Electricity meter indoors, which I read anyway, but he would have read the external gas meter. This would have necessited opening the box which I normally do with the key E.On supplied.

I've read the meter without problem for some years however since he visited the box no longer opens. E.On replied to my online communication by sending a new key. However it's the lock that's damaged.

Firstly they say meters and meter reading are nothing to do with them, it's National Grid then go on to say that that the box housing the meter belongs to the house and I should buy a new one.

Given that my contract is with E.On shouldn't they be taking some responsibility? What's the next step? Thanks in advance for any useful replies.

undaunted

The difficulty will be proving he damaged it.

If he did then even if you own it (I wasn't aware you did) it seems to me the meter reading company would be liable to pay for damage they had caused.

Try complaining to the co. who reads the meters

[Deleted User]

the central triangular bit easily shears off with use, just turning them in a normal unforced way will shear them if they have developed a little crack due to very cold weather, or a stiff lock which has had no maintainance ( a drop of oil ). this normally happens with just the gas meter box, as the electric meter boxes are made properly with aluminium ( as a lot of gas ones are ) or a sturdier type of plastic The meter box is your property so you have two options, pay out £3.55 inc postage and get one off ebay, or get EON to come out and replace it or post you a new lock. I know B.G. will get us to replace them, I always keep a few handy with me and replace them if one happens to shear. I assure you we are not being heavy handed with these locks, they are just rubbish construction, the new ones nowadays are quite often broken before anyones actually moved in.
Its a good idea to tape it shut meantime as a flapping door in the wind will annoy you and break the hinges which are difficult to mend.The hinge pins are also available online.You can get into the meter by using a pair of thin nosed pliers, and even lock it again

jalexa

RobertinHerts wrote: »

Given that my contract is with E.On shouldn't they be taking some responsibility?

You won't get better practical advice than sacsquacco's.

As an indirect answer to your question, you do not have a contract with the meter reader and therefore cannot know who to complain to.

While I agree with the other poster's point about proof, advisers do "speak for their company" but that does not mean what they say is correct. If you are not 100% satisfied with the outcome of an adviser contact you have recourse to the complaints procedure. If you do that there is every chance that the complaint handler will "speak for their company" differently.

chanz4

None starter, as their is 1% evidence that a meter reader did it and what it was like prior.

lemontart

As already mention he meter box is nothing to do with National Grid - it is the property of the owner of the building,

Terrylw1

The person who told its nothing to do with the supplier is completely incorrect.

The supplier has a contract for meter reading with the agent, the supplier has a contract with you and a duty of care.

So for any problems with their contracted agents, you have the right to contact your supplier, complain to them and they complain on your behalf.

The supplier has a contract management team, so does the agent, so supplier staff escalate it to this path as an agent complaint.

From there, the agent may talk to you direct but you still have your supplier and contract should that route fail.

chanz4

Terrylw1 wrote: »

The person who told its nothing to do with the supplier is completely incorrect.

The supplier has a contract for meter reading with the agent, the supplier has a contract with you and a duty of care.

So for any problems with their contracted agents, you have the right to contact your supplier, complain to them and they complain on your behalf.

The supplier has a contract management team, so does the agent, so supplier staff escalate it to this path as an agent complaint.

From there, the agent may talk to you direct but you still have your supplier and contract should that route fail.

What your forgetting is that the meter box is not in the suppliers contract of responsibility. Complaints can be raised, but as the op has no evidence will be a none starter

jalexa

chanz4 wrote: »

What your forgetting is that the meter box is not in the suppliers contract of responsibility. Complaints can be raised, but as the op has no evidence will be a none starter

I don't think Terrylw1 is forgetting anything. The complaint is not about the "meter box" it is about the alleged conduct of the meter reader. Sacsquacco posts there is a known weakness. If so that influences any complaint outcome based on "balance of probability". And there is a second issue here, the incompetent response of the E.ON rep who was bound to put the complaint forward to the meter reader company for consideration.

The "buy a new box" remark is particularly incompetent if the failed component is readily and inexpensively replaceable. The adviser hadn't seen the fault and should not have uttered a typical customer service evasion.

[Deleted User]

I think B.G. just replace the sheared locks just as a customer relations exercise to avoid infuriating customers into a possible switch. they only do locks and the occasional hinge pin, any thing bigger, no chance. we now get a handful of spare locks dished out to us at meetings so we can replace them quickly if one shears. Its always gas locks which shear, some just drop off at the slightest touch, so its out with the thin nosed pliers pressed into whats left of the triangle. they always open. Theres hundreds of thousands of gas box doors out there just taped up, blu- tacked etc.Some areas theres more taped up than properly locked. Always the gas boxes, rarely electric, so its down to cheap and weak locks for some reason which are fitted to the boxes. Poss it may be a health and safety thing why the locks break easily, because it may be needed to get into the box quickly to switch the gas off to avoid blowing the house up with a leak. Just a theory. Its definitely not all down to the gasman as we dont go round busting all the electric locks do we
If the OP pms me and sends me an S.A.E. I ll post one back free, so the cost is then down to approx £1.50

chanz4

jalexa wrote: »

I don't think Terrylw1 is forgetting anything. The complaint is not about the "meter box" it is about the alleged conduct of the meter reader. Sacsquacco posts there is a known weakness. If so that influences any complaint outcome based on "balance of probability". And there is a second issue here, the incompetent response of the E.ON rep who was bound to put the complaint forward to the meter reader company for consideration.

The "buy a new box" remark is particularly incompetent if the failed component is readily and inexpensively replaceable. The adviser hadn't seen the fault and should not have uttered a typical customer service evasion.

The supplier c/service wouldn't be trained up on boxes or if the locks are available, as its not the suppliers asset