British Gas and Smart Meters

brovahelpa

My brova had a smart meter fitted a week ago by British Gas but the engineer wasn't able to commission as it kept dropping connection. Brova was told to ring BG to make an appointment for an engineer to visit to commission the meter.
Since then brova has made numerous calls, no one at BG admits to know what he's talking about. One chap was helpful but brova can't get hold of him again. Every time he rings despite it all being on his notes/computer he has to go through all security questions and he's just not getting anywhere.
The old resolution team has been dissolved, so now who do you go to to resolve these problems. Does anyone know of a phone number or email address to contact someone higher in management ?
Please, any advice.

System

Raise a Formal Complaint in writing (e-mail will do).

brovahelpa

Yes he plans to make a formal complaint. The latest is he's been given a date at the end of December and he thinks the person he spoke to has booked him for installation of a smart meter !!!
No wonder we pay so much. They have to pay a load of idiots after all.

System

Your Bruvvers meter presumably works ok as a normal meter registering the kwhs consumed so there is not much of a complaint to make. Seems like fuss and nonsense over a minor detail.Meter readers will come and read it or he can submit the reads in seconds online. I suppose your bro is looking for a few readies as compo for all the distress he has received .I think they may offer just the usual £25/£30
I am a meter reader and this week I have been doing quite a few business smart meters which are not communicating, so this sort of thing is quite common. There are flaws in all new technology

footyguy

brovahelpa wrote: »

My brova had a smart meter fitted a week ago by British Gas but the engineer wasn't able to commission as it kept dropping connection. Brova was told to ring BG to make an appointment for an engineer to visit to commission the meter.
Since then brova has made numerous calls, no one at BG admits to know what he's talking about. One chap was helpful but brova can't get hold of him again. Every time he rings despite it all being on his notes/computer he has to go through all security questions and he's just not getting anywhere.
The old resolution team has been dissolved, so now who do you go to to resolve these problems. Does anyone know of a phone number or email address to contact someone higher in management ?
Please, any advice.

http://www.britishgas.co.uk/help-and-advice/contactus-personal-details/complaints/gas-electricity.html

brovahelpa

House Martin
No he's not looking for "compo" as you so kindly put it.
It is me saying BG should pull itself together. The stress my brother felt was in not being able to talk to anyone who seemed to know anything.
To book him for an installation when he had repeatedly told them they had been fitted and just needed commissioning says it all.
You are the meter reader, from British Gas I ask !

C_Mababejive

Being cynical i suspect that the meter fitter bunged it in even though it wasnt fully operational, so that he could book it as job complete. Once he has done that,well,he doesnt care about your bruvvers connection.

Scatty

My meters haven't been commissioned either and the Smart Meter team themselves escalated it to a complaint as this has been going on since August 31st. I'm not in it for compo either, just want my smart meters commissioned and my in house display to arrive, be plugged in and work. We're on two visits and about 10 phone calls now. But I'm patient and BG are very nice to deal with. Brovahelpa, get your brother to ask for the Smart Metering team when he phones, if he hasn't already done so.

MeterMan

Jobs can't be fiddled during the installation to make sure they are 'complete' even though the meters haven't been commissioned.

I can't tell you why the commissioning jobs haven't been created though.

I don't have the correct phone number to hand, but if I remember when I get out of the van tomorrow, I shall pass one on.

C_Mababejive

MeterMan wrote: »

Jobs can't be fiddled during the installation to make sure they are 'complete' even though the meters haven't been commissioned.

I can't tell you why the commissioning jobs haven't been created though.

I don't have the correct phone number to hand, but if I remember when I get out of the van tomorrow, I shall pass one on.

Why cant they be fiddled? Surely its bung the meter in,record detials, update laptop or whatever?

MeterMan

If the job is 'completed' on the computer, They system still knows if its been commissioned or not and will give the 'completion code' to correspond with that. The commissioning happens after entering the new meter details.

The engineer could have purposely stopped the commissioning process for whatever reason, but it would only save 10/15 minutes.

There is a bonus to fitting meters, but no bonus associated with commissioning meters.