How Often Does My Supplier Havd to Read my Meters?

Legacy_user

The 2 year (5 year for BG) obligation that suppliers have to inspect your gas and electricity meters has been quietly dropped by OFGEM as being uncompetitive and outwith HSE guidelines. It has been replaced by a Supply Licence obligation:

21B.3 The licensee must take all reasonable steps to obtain a meter reading for each of its Customers (including any meter reading transmitted electronically from a meter to the licensee or provided by the Customer and accepted by the licensee) at least once every year.
This paragraph does not apply in relation to any Customer with a Prepayment Meter;

It follows that if you are a frequent switcher or your supplier is not minded to read your meter more than once a year, then providing your supplier with frequent actual meter readings may be required to ensure accurate bills.

[Deleted User]

So the supplier never has to send a meter reader round, they can just accept the customers readings That will help them increase their profits now. :-)

Cardew

So I will never have the inconvenience of having to remove the meter bypass and can concentrate on cultivation.

joeblack9

This was good news for customers and suppliers as the gas suppliers were forced due to their licence agreements to apply for warrants of entry if they were unable to inspect your meter once every two years.
Now this legislation has been removed warrants of entry can not be obtained to read and inspect your gas meters, unless you are suspected of tampering your meter.

spiro

I don't know about other suppliers but BG for one state in their T&Cs that you must submit 2 meter readings per fuel per year.

System

Warrants of entry are mostly taken out to replace a credit meter with a prepayment meter for customers who owe a substantial amount of money and have not agreed or kept up a repayment plan. Of course these warrants will continue to be taken out and implemented. Some customers refuse to accept the prepayment meter and won t repay what they owe. Usually these sums are over £1000 and upwards. Locksmiths costs are added to this and a typical cost of warrant/locksmith is £250 which is paid for by the debtor.
What else can suppliers do when its a case of can t pay wont pay ? They don t want to do this but are left with no choice.

worried_jim

Cardew wrote: »

So I will never have the inconvenience of having to remove the meter bypass and can concentrate on cultivation.

My Vietnamese staff will have the first crop ready in no time!

System

spiro wrote: »

I don't know about other suppliers but BG for one state in their T&Cs that you must submit 2 meter readings per fuel per year.

Most suppliers do likewise, but we all know what happens when people cannot be bothered to send in meter readings.