Letters regarding changing my Elec meter

Abbafan1972

About 4 years ago I got a letter from EON to say that my Electricity needed to be changed, an engineer came round and he was here about 30 seconds and said it couldn't be done. My meter is at the back of a kitchen cupboard right in the corner, so the units would need to come out.

After a while they contacted me again and said the same thing, it needed to be changed again. Cue another engineer, he came and said exactly the same thing, it couldn't be done. After I got another letter from them, I wrote them back a snotty letter stating that I wasn't prepared to dismantle the kitchen for them to get to the meter. I don't have the money to replace the units. They marked the request as "meter inaccessable" and I thought no more of it.

Fast forward to this week and I get a letter from "Meter Plus" saying that they've made an appointment for my electricity meter to be changed, I ring them straight away as the appointment isn't convenient anyway. I tell the lady on the phone all of the above and that the engineers refused to do it before as it's at the back of a kitchen unit. She tells me that it's up to us to remove the units and was I made aware of this when the engineer came? Err no! I am not leaving a gaping hole in the kitchen just to satisfy them.

She's put it on hold till Xmas, but what are my rights regarding this? I know that someone has come round as well while I have been at work (ages ago) and left a card saying "we called to change your meter", but leaving no contact details, so I've just chucked it away.

rogerblack

Abbafan1972 wrote: »

She's put it on hold till Xmas, but what are my rights regarding this? I know that someone has come round as well while I have been at work (ages ago) and left a card saying "we called to change your meter", but leaving no contact details, so I've just chucked it away.

In principle, as I understand it, they have the right to require you to make the meter accessible for change - or they can cut off your electricity. In the extreme case - if they need to get a warrant for entry, and use a locksmith to open your door - they can do this.
If they do this as a matter of policy is another question.

macman

The meter is their property, not yours, and as such they have a legal right to access it. Acordingly, it's your responsibility to make sure that access is not obstructed by building a kitchen around it.

Abbafan1972

macman wrote: »

The meter is their property, not yours, and as such they have a legal right to access it. Acordingly, it's your responsibility to make sure that access is not obstructed by building a kitchen around it.

In my defence, it was like that when we moved in. I think most of the houses in our road are the same. Someone we know in the next road, lives in the same sort of house as us and their Electricity meter is in exactly the same corner of the kitchen with cupboards round it. I know when we 1st got the letters, they got the same ones as well and got the same response that the engineer couldn't do it, so we're not the only ones!

rogerblack

Abbafan1972 wrote: »

In my defence, it was like that when we moved in.

Are you renting?

Abbafan1972

rogerblack wrote: »

Are you renting?

No. We're not renting.

Wail

You don't have any rights really.

Rogerblack has given you the extreme case. Sadly, it is likely that you will receive repeated letters, cold calls and phone calls. These types of contracts are let annually so expect a fresh set of this post Christmas.

Ultimately, my advice would be to look at the options and you may also want to ask the firm why your meter needs replacing (ask for this request to go to the contract/account management team who deal with National Grid/Energy Supplier.

Andy_WSM

Abbafan1972 wrote: »

In my defence, it was like that when we moved in.

Not what you want to hear, but you purchased the problem, so one way or another need to deal with it

Abbafan1972

Andy_WSM wrote: »

Not what you want to hear, but you purchased the problem, so one way or another need to deal with it

I am not trying to push the problem elsewhere. I only posted that it was like that when we moved here, as macman made it sound like we had built the units round it ourselves, but we didn't.

chanz4

Its for your own safety why meters should not be boxed in, and they can and possibly will get a joiner to cut your kitchen and bill you without putting it back

Richie-from-the-Boro

- eventually at some point you will be forced to let them access their meter
- either you make it accessible or they will, at that point someone will pay,
- if they do it 'under warrant' it will cost you much much more
- sorry my friend !