I'm sitting here in tears because of Scottish Power and Eon - I don't know where to turn.

Missko

Thanks Poppy and Robin for fighting my corner.
Yes, it's amazing how shouting a lot on here, Mumsnet, Twitter, Facebook AND emailing the CEO manages to do things that phoning the call centre doesn't...

Anyway, for those of you who are on the edge of your seat for an update:

Scottish Power seem to be the ones who have worked out what the issue is.

I've changed the actual digits but this is what has happened if you're interested:

The gas meter in my flat (5/6) has a serial number on the front: GK123 but that serial number is attributed to a neighbouring property (5/1) on the national database. It is Scottish Power's gas which is supplying that meter. Oddly it's not one of the 2 sets of neighbours who already have had an attempt by Eon to take over their supply (6/5 and 5/4) although perhaps Eon are just trying to take over everyone in the street...

The national database attributes a gas meter with a serial number 01123 as being in my property whereas actually that is some other unsuspecting person's meter. That meter IS supplied by Eon.

This is why both Eon and Scottish Power have been swearing until they are blue in the face that they supply my gas. SP have been looking at the gas meter number and Eon have been looking at the address.

What I am annoyed about though is that I TOLD Eon my gas meter serial number and they still insisted they were the suppliers. They didn't notice that GK123 was quite clearly not the 00123 on their records. And even today they didn't seem to understand that although I live in a flat, I have ONE meter inside my flat. They seemed to think there was a communal bank of meters eg in the basement. They were also telling me I was go switch off my gas supply and then turn it back on again and were going on about me following the gas pipes to my appliances. All sounded a bit of a pita and dangerous!

I feel better now that:
1) I know what went wrong
2) I have named people sorting it out.

Anyway, I suspect it is all still far from over as the whole of the past 6 months' bills have to be recalculated and I have to make sure I receive some sort of compensation for the phone calls, emails, aggravation and waste of time.

But meantime, thanks again for being there when I thought I was losing my mind!!

Missko

I swear to God I could now sit an exam on:

- smart meters and the pros and cons thereof
- meter serial numbers/barcodes (gas and electric and how different utility companies use letters/numbers)
- M numbers (gas)
- S numbers (electric)
- flat numbering - utility companies vs council vs post office
- communal meters
- how to switch off your supply and perform a "burn test"
- easy listening pop music used whilst you're on hold to different utility companies
- irritating passive-aggressive patronising phrases used by utility companies

Never again.