Broken Electric Meter. EDF don't care.

MrTickle23

Hi,

Long story short. My electricity meter is broken. I told EDF about this last November. I've been waiting since then for them to send someone out to check/replace the meter. Last week I finally raised a complaint. They said someone would call. No-one did so I called; they told me they didn't have anyone available and there was "nothing they could do". Seriously, that's exactly what the woman said.

So, where do I go from here? Presumably, I can't switch tariffs or suppliers, or even move home with a broken meter? Aren't they legally obliged to replace a broken meter?

I feel like they simply don't care at all, but I'd really like to get things sorted out for my own peace of mind. Any advice?

giraffe69

How are they billing you?
If they have declined to take action I would WRITE to them (and get a certificate of posting and keep a copy). I would head the letter COMPLAINT.

matelodave

You need to make sure that you've got proof of when you first reported it and you need to register a complaint as Giraffe suggests.

Just phoning and getting nowhere wont get it sorted - you cannot do anything until a complaint has been formally registered and then after eight weeks to can refer it to the ombudsman if it's not been fixed

In the meantime make sure that you are saving for the day when a bill does arrive unless you are paying a direct debit.

Carrot007

Before you all get out the pitchforks without thinking I have a very important question.

Are you on a non standard tarrif? (single rate or E7 are the only standard ones). If so then yes they will struggle to find you a meter.

How is it broken? If you are not being overcharged then they will wait until a meter is removed from another property or you can change to a standard meter at any time (obviously needing work on your side at your cost).

Oh thought of another one. Are you is a remopte place eg scottish hishlands. Again there metermen are few and far bewtween and it will take as long as it takes.

What I am saying is you have not provided enough information to know wheather they are not being reasonable yet. That is surely there is some reason, wheather it is enabled or not fitting a smart meter would get them another point in the pointless government quotas.

House_Martin

MrTickle23 wrote: »

Hi,

Long story short. My electricity meter is broken. I told EDF about this last November. I've been waiting since then for them to send someone out to check/replace the meter. Last week I finally raised a complaint. They said someone would call. No-one did so I called; they told me they didn't have anyone available and there was "nothing they could do". Seriously, that's exactly what the woman said.

So, where do I go from here? Presumably, I can't switch tariffs or suppliers, or even move home with a broken meter? Aren't they legally obliged to replace a broken meter?

I feel like they simply don't care at all, but I'd really like to get things sorted out for my own peace of mind. Any advice?

I read meters for EDF and I agree with you that EDF are not at bothered about a dud electric meter. I have people on my rounds who are EDF customers with a blank screen digital electric meter that have been like that for years. EDF and the others as well do not want to waste money employing too many people to exchange meters.
The occupiers are quite happy paying a fixed direct debit with an unmetered supply and do not want it to change.
They can use electric heaters in the winter which cuts down their gas bill, can stay hours in the shower, never peg out washing but use dryers all year etc etc.
Worse than the blank screen brigade are the people who have old analogue meters which run backwards when their solar panels are doing well on a sunny day deleting the units they racked up the previous night.
This would never have been allowed with the non privatised energy industry.
EDF are one of the worst suppliers at dealing with energy theft along with Npower, Scot Power and Eon. They all claim to have a Revenue Protection Unit but when its just two blokes in an office to deal with the whole of the UK then not much is ever done..
Foreign suppliers dont give a monkeys about electricity and gas leaching out free, its cheaper to allow it then to deal with it. The little suppliers are even worse.
Only British Gas and SSE make an effort.

MrTickle23

Hi,

Thanks for the responses. In answer to your queries :

1. I pay by direct debit currently. For both gas and electricity, both to EDF. The gas meter works. The electricity meter doesn't

2. It's an old analogue meter. It's broken in the sense that the reading has not moved for at least 5 months. I may be getting a good deal, or a bad one. No-one can tell.

3. I don't live somewhere remote. I live in Oxford. I'm not on any special kind of tariff.

I was offered a smart meter back in November and I agreed as I thought that would be quicker, but it seems they don't have enough people to install them. Now I'd settle for any kind of working meter. It just seems unfair that I'm paying a random amount.

I'll chase up my complaint, I imagined that they would be obliged to fix the meter in some reasonable timescale, but they seem totally unconcerned and have offered no indication as to when they might have someone available. Seems bizarre...

tacpot12

The EDF Shareholders might be interested to hear about your experience. Buy a share, and attend the next AGM and ask the board the question why your meter has not been fixed?

House_Martin

MrTickle23 wrote: »

Hi,

Thanks for the responses. In answer to your queries :

1. I pay by direct debit currently. For both gas and electricity, both to EDF. The gas meter works. The electricity meter doesn't

2. It's an old analogue meter. It's broken in the sense that the reading has not moved for at least 5 months. I may be getting a good deal, or a bad one. No-one can tell.

3. I don't live somewhere remote. I live in Oxford. I'm not on any special kind of tariff.

I was offered a smart meter back in November and I agreed as I thought that would be quicker, but it seems they don't have enough people to install them. Now I'd settle for any kind of working meter. It just seems unfair that I'm paying a random amount.

I'll chase up my complaint, I imagined that they would be obliged to fix the meter in some reasonable timescale, but they seem totally unconcerned and have offered no indication as to when they might have someone available. Seems bizarre...

If your meter is made by Sangamo Weston it will be the last digit showing a blank which has made the meter stop.
It normally does this for some reason if the two previous digits are 99..Once this meter drops this blank it will stick and stop. A good thump to the side will get it going again.
The last customers meter I saw with this type of stopped meter called me a "jobsworth "when I restarted his meter after he d been getting free electricity for a year.
just like with the people who love their blank screen meters many will also love a meter which has stopped recording.
.
Most of the meter readers do not know about this fault with this meter and record the blank 5 th digit as a zero and the suppliers are happy with their auto billing systems where the computer is happy where a human would be suspicious.
The meter is nt broken and does nt need changing. It may never stick again once it is restarted..

House_Martin

tacpot12 wrote: »

The EDF Shareholders might be interested to hear about your experience. Buy a share, and attend the next AGM and ask the board the question why your meter has not been fixed?

I don`t think they will be too bothered. 83% of EDF (Electricite De France) is owned by the French government.
Only 1.6 % are owned by private individuals who will be French citizens.
EDF do produce electricity and if they want to waste it that is their business . The wasted, leaked, stolen energy is simply passed on in higher prices.
Npower are even worse at protecting their energy they produce.
I was told by one of BG s top RPU men that Npower are the worst in the UK