Tampered gas meter at rental property

boo_star

People fiddle with the gas supply?

That seems like a recipe for disaster...

Bigphil1474

OP, the landlord has to have the gas system (from the meter into the house) examined annually by a Gas Safe Registered engineer. That wouldn't include the gas meter and the pipework on the other side. As you knew the gas supply was 'free' you've really put yourself at risk, as it would never be free, so something was obviously dodgy. Can't see any need for compensation. If it was me, I'd be glad the gas supplier wasn't going to charge me for the last 6 weeks of gas I've used. Probably wouldn't have moved in in the first place tbh.

Streaky_Bacon

I must say that I feel the comments towards the OP about moving in and therefore being at fault are somewhat harsh, given that we know nothing about their situation, least of all what their options for accommodation, with a baby, would have been if they hadn't moved in.

If the agent/landlord was aware that the meter had been tampered with, and didn't take steps to get it resolved, then they should bear the all of the blame.

Aside from regulations regarding gas checks there is also an overriding obligation on the landlord to only let a safe property.

Shaming the OP for finding themselves at risk because a landlord has not fulfilled their obligations seems very unfair. They could, and should, have dealt with this matter rather than passing the buck to the OP.

I would again encourage the OP to make sure that there is a least valid gas certificate in place, issued in the last 12 months.

[Deleted User]

Streaky_Bacon wrote: »

I must say that I feel the comments towards the OP about moving in and therefore being at fault are somewhat harsh, given that we know nothing about their situation, least of all what their options for accommodation, with a baby, would have been if they hadn't moved in.

If the agent/landlord was aware that the meter had been tampered with, and didn't take steps to get it resolved, then they should bear the all of the blame.

Aside from regulations regarding gas checks there is also an overriding obligation on the landlord to only let a safe property.

Shaming the OP for finding themselves at risk because a landlord has not fulfilled their obligations seems very unfair. They could, and should, have dealt with this matter rather than passing the buck to the OP.

I would again encourage the OP to make sure that there is a least valid gas certificate in place, issued in the last 12 months.

The landlord/letting agent would have let a safe property until a thieving tenant started helping himself to free energy.
This tenant could have denied access to both meter readers to inspect the meter and the landlord as well .
Even if the landlord got a gas safe qualified man into do safety checks they may well have had no idea that the meter was tampered. I have met plenty of them who do not know the signs of a tampered gas meter unless it was obvious with a bypass pipe connected. He would have had to press the red button a couple of times to look at the data on the meter and there would be no reason for him to do that.
Substituting the meter could have happened so no one would be aware other than the occupier that the serial number of the meter did nt match the proper one.
.l/l would nt know, a gas meter is nt much different from any others
Sometimes you could only tell from an initial press of the red button on the meter that standing charges had built up because no one had credited the meter. I have seen standing charges of £300 + owed from an occupied property which equates to over three years of bypassing and this is not uncommon .

Streaky_Bacon

Houbara wrote: »

The landlord/letting agent would have let a safe property until a thieving tenant started helping himself to free energy.

This tenant could have denied access to both meter readers to inspect the meter and the landlord as well .

Even if the landlord got a gas safe qualified man into do safety checks they may well have had no idea that the meter was tampered.

Yes it was probably in safe state when let to the tenant before the OP, but if the OP is correct, then the letting agent knew about the tampered meter before the OP became a tenant, and told the OP that it was their responsibility to resolve it.

There is no doubt that it is not the agent/landlord's fault that the meter was originally tampered with.

However, once the agent/landlord knew that the meter had been tampered with, they should have had it checked before re-letting. They certainly should not have tried to matter the issue to the tenant.

C_Mababejive

The rest of us will pay for the stolen gas

twhitehousescat

C_Mababejive wrote: »

The rest of us will pay for the stolen gas

why?

the price us set on costs , cost for raw materials , and a figure for distribution

not costs incurred by business or bad business practice , ie not reading / checking meters

Owain_Moneysaver

Houbara wrote: »

He would have had to press the red button a couple of times to look at the data on the meter and there would be no reason for him to do that.

I don't know if this is covered in a Landlord's check but wouldn't the engineer check gas consumption on the meter when setting/checking the boiler gas input?

twhitehousescat

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

I don't know if this is covered in a Landlord's check but wouldn't the engineer check gas consumption on the meter when setting/checking the boiler gas input?

gas pressure , small plug on meter output

[Deleted User]

twhitehousescat wrote: »

why?

the price us set on costs , cost for raw materials , and a figure for distribution

not costs incurred by business or bad business practice , ie not reading / checking meters

Of course we do !.British Gas head of Revenue Protection is on record on BBC TV saying theft of energy costs us all approx £30 a year, and rising fast ! In the same way that shop lifting adds costs .
This case has nothing to do with reading/checking meters, gas safe checks or IMO landlord actually knowing about the fiddled meter. Its straight theft by a former tenant/s ..Extremely common in the UK s broken energy market.
Nothing at all will be done about it neither. I doubt very much that anyone will search out the tenant in the property at the time that they stopped crediting the meter..Just pass it on for the group to absorb the loss.
I can t accept that a landlord would have knowledge and allow a tampered/faulty meter in his property. Any gas explosions due to a meter tamper would nt be covered by the house insurance
.There is nothing in it for him to allow the tenant free gas UNLESS the rent he charges is all inclusive.
I have found many landlords tampering both meters but only when its an all inclusive of utility bills in the rent.