Gas meter - battery display

Squizz

I'm after some advice please folks.

Have been unable to read our gas meter for about a year (we've been in the house 2) as it's a battery powered display. Every time that I have seen the meter reader they assure me that they report it...but we never hear anything. Back in August I emailed our then current energy supplier about it and still nothing. We then changed supplier but we are still unable to give them a reading.

To make matters worse we had British Gas booked to do an annual boiler service (needed for the warranty, new boiler last October). He had to stick a 'use at risk' warning on it as was unable to complete the test as he said he couldn't check the flow rate due to the meter.

I got on to our new supplier straight away as I have 2 small children. An engineer is supposedly booked for some time in November at the earliest. I requested sooner but the man told me gas is a luxury and that was that. He also said the meter readers have no way to tell them and he didn't know why they would say they did?? Does anyone know which is right?

And a couple other questions.

1) I asked the service engineer whether I would have to pay to get him back again. He said no as he couldn't complete it...but I'm concerned that he may have falsely believed that it was a homeserve agreement. Will we be charged again?

2) I can't find anything about battery displays online. Will we be charged for that engineer's visit? or for the battery?

I'm really angry about it all but the new energy provider cs man just laughed at me.

Any advice on the matter or information on taking it further would be appreciated.

lemontart

is it a prepaid meter the sort you put a card in?

zaax

It think your going to have to complain a bit more - all the way if nessary

chanz4

1. Im guessing its a pre-pay, if so they get reads everytime you top up and the meters also have hard reads.
2.You wont be charged for the visit, ask your supplier to raise an eco job with ng metering. This is a lot quicker, and to be honest your gas safe engineer was just covering his but

[Deleted User]

Yes Squizz, I work for B.G. and they dont pay a blind bit of notice to anything I report about faulty meters, my bosses wont even give me a telephone number either to make a personal report. I always tell the customer to report it to customer services. EDF are just the same also who I also work for. In fact 3 months ago i reported a bypassed and dangerous electric prepay to them, when I revisited the property last week it was in exactly the same state, nothing had been done. The engineer had turned up ok, but because he failed to get into the property he just gave up on the job. I have blank screens on many meters which have remained like that for years.

Terrylw1

Yes, they can report it. The supplier then has to follow it up, which hadn't Bern happening in your case.

I think with gas meters, they still record readings which can be accessed on handling the fault.

What you have been told about the time delay on the engineer visit is complete garbage. Ofgem have Guaranteed Standards Of Service (GSOS) and its always been a visit within 10 working days if the customer requests it. Its obvious you spoke to a clown there!

Raise a complaint to get it moving.

I suggest you consider your switch readings. What did they look like? Were they Deemed? The readings they access off the meter could have an impact on this.

Squizz

Many thanks to those that have taken the trouble to respond. It is not a pre-pay meter it is an ordinary house meter inside the house.

The bit about readings does also bother me. Our fixed tariff ran out in March several months before switching so I am going to be interested to check...when it finally is fixed... as to whether an accurate percentage is at the old cheaper rate.

I said to the guy on the phone (at the new supplier) that if this invalidates my 7 year boiler warranty right at the very start, I'll be chasing someone for it. That's the point he laughed and said readers are just general and don't report anything.

Had we known it was not going to be reported or was a necessity for the boiler safety check we would have chased it prior to the service.

I think I'd best get back on the phone then.