Energy industry not flavour of the month with the populist press?

jalexa

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2223827/Now-energy-bully-boys-threaten-break-door-read-meter.html

We’ve tried several times to make arrangements to inspect your gas meter, but you haven’t contacted us or given us access to your meter.’
However, Miss Cookney said Npower had only contacted her once – less than a week earlier.

Somebody can't be telling the truth.

TIMMY85

I have had several calls about this in the lastt few weeks. My thinking is...

1) The letters are about the energy supplier fulfiling their legal obligations and therefore need to clearly state what may happen.
2) Letters could be worded much better worded to be less threatening.

With regards to the DM artice...

1) I love the way they refer to nPower as the 'German-owned supplier' becuase us Brits dont associate anything negative to anything German
2) I think is unfair that they refer mainly to nPower in the article but then show a pic of a BG bill

Often customers I speak to about these letters are those who supply readings online and then refuse entry to a meter reader as they supply the readings themselves. Each attempt to read the meter would class as an attempt to visually inspect the meter for safety. Any genuine meter reader would wait while the customer confirms their ID with their employer/the energy supplier.

Energy companies are unlikey to ever be 'flavour of the month' but would get a much worse press if they did not meet their legal obligations and a person was injured or worse due to an issue with a meter which was faulty/dangerous.

ihateyes

jalexa wrote: »

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2223827/Now-energy-bully-boys-threaten-break-door-read-meter.html

We’ve tried several times to make arrangements to inspect your gas meter, but you haven’t contacted us or given us access to your meter.’
However, Miss Cookney said Npower had only contacted her once – less than a week earlier.

Somebody can't be telling the truth.

You never know unless the mail is opened.... it isnt unusual for people to mistake junk mail which is genuine and important

jd87

TIMMY85 wrote: »

With regards to the DM artice...

1) I love the way they refer to nPower as the 'German-owned supplier' becuase us Brits dont associate anything negative to anything German.

First thing I noticed too! Clearly Daily Fail hacks are still stuck in the 60's.

TIMMY85

jd87 wrote: »

First thing I noticed too! Clearly Daily Fail hacks are still stuck in the 60's.

pesky foreigners....taking jobs....raising energy prices...its their fault for rising house prices too.....not to mention football scores! lol

[Deleted User]

Well spotted Jalexa, this article also appeared in todays ( saturdays ) Daily Mail under the heading "energy bullys threaten to break in to read your meter " with the riduculous claim of breaking down their front doors.
I usually have refusals to access meters from younger people who have no idea of the two year rule at all. I think this is a failure of the suppliers to inform people of this minor obligation. The older generation are well aware of it and they in general, find it perfectly reasonable to have us nipping in for a minute to glance at the meters. Nine times out of ten its the under thirtys who get shirty when I try and gain access. The suppliers are to blame, they want it both ways. On the one hand they want the public to provide free readings ( keeping their costs low) but dont do a thing about informing them of the obligations for a periodic inspection.
Miss Cookney could well be telling the truth, but I can tell you I have been sent packing countless times by certain people,some are abusive.

utility_csa

I don't see the issue, im sure every letter sent out for changing meters or inspecting them advises in regards to repeated failure to give access and warrants.

Wonder if this is in regards to J42 inspections though...

Wolf3

to be fair as well, the "nice" letter asking you to contact them to book an appointment can often find its way to the circular filing cabinet, the "nasty" we will break your door down letter will always get a response
Not 100% sure, but don't the energy suppliers get fined for not reading a meter for over 2 years. In that way the "nasty" letter does serve a purpose :eek:

[Deleted User]

utility_csa wrote: »

I don't see the issue, im sure every letter sent out for changing meters or inspecting them advises in regards to repeated failure to give access and warrants.

Wonder if this is in regards to J42 inspections though...

When people dont see the sense in any regulations they just dump the letters, My colleague ( who was doing regulator checks ) had many objections to the J42 regulator checks, there were countless warrants out for them in the end. National Grid dont mess about like the suppliers, they dont fear people switching
the suppliers certainly dont get fined for ignoring the two year rule for meter inspections, we ve got one coming up for 8 years refusing access now for BG. EDF dont seem bothered whatsoever also, I have been reading EDF meters now for at least four years and so far havent done one two year inspection