Electricity Meter Nightmare

jambokaos87

Good evening all,

I hope that the good posters of this forum will be able to advise me on how to resolve a problem that my neighbours and I are experiencing with the electricity meters for our flats.

Please bear with me while I give you the background to this problem.

In our apartment block (total of 9 flats, 3 on each floor) our meters are in a locked/coded room, with the management company's logo on the door.

On Monday 16th July 2018, I experienced several power outages. When I investigated further, I found an electrician working inside the locked room on behalf of one of my neighbours, who were having power issues of their own. He turned off the isolator fuse switch underneath the meter that was clearly labelled for flat 125 (my flat is 137). This cut the power to my flat completely.

Their electrician explained that the meter that is labelled to my flat is actually supplying electricity to flat 149. The meter that is labelled for flat 141 is actually supplying electricity to flat 125. My neighbour in flat 149 is unsure which meter should be theirs.

I first notified my management company (I am the lease holder of my flat) about this on 16/07. They were adamant that it was my energy provider's (nPower) responsibility and nothing to do with them.

nPower then confirmed that the MPAN for the meter labelled as 137 was registered to my flat, completely ignoring what I told them about it being physically incorrect.

Since then I've had two nPower meter people out. The first one was a complete waste of my time. The second basically replicated the issue and said that there was nothing more that he could do.

After a 3 hour phone call to nPower this morning the manager I spoke to (who was dealing with my complaint) said that the only way to resolve this would be to get an electrician in myself. I do not have the money to pay for the no doubt large 3 figure sum involved to put this right.

I've also confirmed with my neighbours that we are unwilling to pay for something that isn't our fault and has likely been the case since the apartments were built in 2006.

Chances are my neighbours and I have all been either dramatically overpaying for our electric or massively underpaying.

What would you recommend to do next? Really don't know how to proceed.

Thanks

Jamie

JC_Derby

You could speak to your DNO, they may be able to help you. Be aware though Some are better than others.

JC_Derby

Also the npower manager sounds like they haven't got a clue what they are talking about. Your electrician cannot 'fix' this issue.
I assume that npower think the electrician can just uncross the meter tails and make it right. THat would not solve the billing issue going forward.

I presume by saying that you are unwilling to pay for something that is not your fault you mean an electrician? If you are talking about your bill for electricity usage, then it is likely you would have 'a correction'. As would the neighbours involved.

D_M_E

WRITE - pen, paper, ink - to Npower and head your letter COMPLAINT in big bold letters.

Detail what you have discovered and ask them to investigate and bill each and every flat with the correct meter.

You already know which flats are supplied by some of the meters and it should be up to Npower to sort out the rest.

Also, since you are paying the bill I think the manco should give each flat a key to the meter cupboard so that you can read your own meter, it's not acceptable for you to have no access and it's not acceptable they have washed their hands of the issue.

Also refuse to pay any further bills until it's been sorted, cancel any DD's to stop them taking any more money and instead put the DD amount in a separate eg savings account so you have it ready to pay when it's all finally sorted.

Asw you say, be aware that some people will have underpaid and some will have overpaid and it needs sorting.

Don't bother phoning, write - the phone gets you nothing except a big phone bill and lots of grief.

jambokaos87

Thanks for your replies guys.

One thing that I didn't clarify further that I should have. The neighbour's meters are all for different companies. 125 and 141 are with British Gas, 149 is with Spark Energy.
Interestingly 149 have told me that Spark are adamant my meter (which nPower say is mine) is theirs... You literally could not make it up

spiro

You have what is called 'crossed meters'. In the end it will require all the parties suppliers to sort it out. The best bet is for more than one of you to write complaining ideally detailing who has your meter. Before you do that if you can get the management company to provide access switch off one meter at a time and see which apartment goes off and send the complete list to every supplier.

JC_Derby

One other thing...You and also the DNO should have 24hour unhindered access to the service position, you for reading meters, the DNO in case of a fault.

jambokaos87

After a lengthy phone call to the manco, I've now got the code to enter the room. This was after speaking to 3 different prats.

Do you think it would be beneficial getting the Energy Ombudsman involved?

spiro

jambokaos87 wrote: »

After a lengthy phone call to the manco, I've now got the code to enter the room. This was after speaking to 3 different prats.

Do you think it would be beneficial getting the Energy Ombudsman involved?

You cannot go to the ombudsman until you have raisled a formal complaint with your supplier and they have about 8 weeks to resolve.

D_M_E

Now that you have access to the meters would it be possible to go into the room, turn off the supply to each meter and see which flat loses power?

Note down which meter cuts off which flat - use meter serial numbers, not the numbers pasted on the meter - and write to each energy supplier sending each one a copy of your findings.

Better still if you can do it with the cooperation of all owners but, as you are aware some will be antagonised with bigger bills as a result so on reflection could be best done incognito.

[Deleted User]

D_M_E wrote: »

Now that you have access to the meters would it be possible to go into the room, turn off the supply to each meter and see which flat loses power?

Note down which meter cuts off which flat - use meter serial numbers, not the numbers pasted on the meter - and write to each energy supplier sending each one a copy of your findings.

Better still if you can do it with the cooperation of all owners but, as you are aware some will be antagonised with bigger bills as a result so on reflection could be best done incognito.

Don t do that (pull the main fuse to each flat ), but please label your meter with the correct matching flat number for both yours and the other crossed meters.Meter readers and the caretaker can then keep getting the correct flat for the correct meter.
Its not uncommon to have crossed meters in banks of meters in meter rooms.
Personally I think the occupiers should take enough care to check who s meter is whos. The management company will just be taking the flat numbers supplied by the builders who all use plot numbers to begin with.
Might be worth putting a note up to ask other tenants to do a "kettle test " on their meters.Also make the code well known to other tenants.You can t rely on some caretaker to take proper readings