My meter vanished! How switching can be messed up

arthur2

:mad:

I was with First:Utility (F:U) from 2012, their system worked fine. I paid monthly for the actual energy used. In March 2013 they upgraded my electricity meter to a Smart meter. I was then able to download my usage as reported daily by the meter. (I still have an old gas meter). Everything was fine and I looked forward to getting a gas Smart meter too.

In late 2013 the Big London Energy Switch recommended that I switch both fuels to Scottish Power, and confirmed that SP could handle my Smart electricity meter. I had used SP before, and they had been OK. (I also have quarterly solar PV FIT payments via Scottish Power).

In February the switch completed, and within a week it was clear that the electricity readings were wrong. 74kWh was charged twice (by BOTH companies), and SP said that I did not have a Smart meter - even though it is there on the wall and I sent them a photo of it! They persisted in using my previous electricity meter number (removed in March 2013).

Having failed to convince them of my meter details, I decided to reverse the switch, and go back to F:U. An agency meter reader called, and at our request notified SP of the actual meter details.

This switch back to F:U completed in May, on paper, though it is still a muddle. F:U allocated a new account number, and are billing the gas OK, and initially were billing the electricity from manual readings sent online. SP tried to charge me for more energy AFTER the switch completion, so I threatened SP with the Ombudsman and possible Court action. F:U said that they now had only my old meter number because SP had screwed up the national meter number database. Even though it was F:U who had upgraded my electricity meter to a Smart meter, they could not readily correct this error!! I kept sending both fuel readings online until September.

Numerous formal complaints to SP got nowhere, so I referred the matter to the Ombudsman.

F:U then appeared to be sorting things out. The electricity reading details vanished in September, and it said that a Smart meter would report direct. Gas remained OK. The electricity meter readings and history was all blank, implying that readings were not getting to F:U. One of their staff seemed to agree with this theory.

This morning F:U sent an email asking to send a technician to check the Smart meter. I have therefore replied today by email:

"It was suggested that the change of account number may be
why the readings are not being processed - maybe the computer is still receiving the readings, but not aware of which account they belong to.

Has anybody considered this?"

I await their response!

Today I found that the F:U online account is now not working. Says my details are invalid.

Arthur

[Deleted User]

As far as I am aware "smart switching " is nt yet available in the UK with any suppliers, so in Scottish Powers defence, they are right. In their eyes you dont have a smart meter, its just a plain old "dumb meter " .Its not sending any reads to Scot Power, nor to F. U. now. Its working exactly the same as my former BG smart meter is now, its a dumb meter with N.Power