Bulb refuse to repair/replace meter

MyDogMuppet

My electricity meter failed in May this year and I am unable to read the LCD display. A cheap AMPY unit about £11 on the internet.
It is some seven years old. No, it's a conventional; not a Smart Meter. The meter is Bulb's responsibility.
Bulb do not employ telephone support staff. They have an (idiot) autobot that repeatedly assumed, every time I contacted them, that I had a smart meter. 
All email/chat conversations were frustrating and futile.
I only eventually got Bulb's attention by posting a less than favourable supplier review on TrustPilot.
Bulb are refusing to either repair or replace the meter citing COVID 19 safety as an issue.
More surprisingly, they are, unlike airlines, holiday companies, all pubs or UK retailers unable or unwilling to provide a date on which they will resume normal business. Like repairing or replacing their defective meters.
(For the record, I want the meter man to replace the meter not breathe all over her\him)
The inability to render timely and accurate bills in no way affects Bulb's ability to collect money for 'expected 'electricity usage.
It's business as usual as they gouge their meterless customer base.
I'd cancel my DD but I'm still in credit. ( another Bulb story, unrefunded overpayments).
I suppose I'll be able to start the formal complaint procedure with The Energy Ombudsman in August but meanwhile...

Muppet The Wonder Dog

[Deleted User]

It sounds like it won't be long before they're out repairing meters again in that case.

Unless the DD has been amended to 'gouge' setting, it'll make very little difference.  

Never cancel a DD on a point of principle.

MWT

Is the meter located inside your home or is it outside?

Several energy companies have been telling their customers that the smart meter replacements will be resuming shortly so I'd expect that Bulb will similarly be able to restart soon.

I would anticipate that they are going to try and replace your meter with a smart meter as I don't think any of the suppliers are going to willingly fit anything else these days.

As for the complaint, make sure you have written to them formally and marked the letter on the outside as 'Complaint' so that you can clearly start their process running if you have not already done so, don't rely on emails or phone calls.

However, you are not likely to get much out of the complaint as the problem began at a point when they were prevented from doing the work required and so far none of the energy companies have resumed that sort of work, but they are likely to do so in the next couple of weeks.

Don't cancel your DD though as that could end up moving you onto an expensive deemed tariff as it is likely that a DD is a requirement for the tariff you are on.

Frustrating as it may be, I'm not sure any of the other suppliers would have done much better yet... it is how quickly they respond once the work begins again that really matters...

Browntoa

Bulb refused to replace my "end of life" electricity meter" as they claimed they had no stock ( although readily available online) 

Tried to force me to accept a smart meter , lied to me about there being a charge of £125 for replacement electricity meter , took months to get back to me . 

So I've given up and moved to octopus as they have their own teams installing meters and not contracting out 

Biscuit_Tin

Browntoa said:

Bulb refused to replace my "end of life" electricity meter" as they claimed they had no stock ( although readily available online) 

Tried to force me to accept a smart meter , lied to me about there being a charge of £125 for replacement electricity meter , took months to get back to me . 

So I've given up and moved to octopus as they have their own teams installing meters and not contracting out 

Suppliers are not permitted to charge for:
1. Installation of smart meters (at least 1st upgrades to smart meters)
2. Replacement of meters that are required due to existing one being at 'end of life'

Consumers are not obligated to accept smart meter upgrades.

Where a supplier is required to replace a meter, and the customer does not agree to smart metering (as is their right) then the supplier may if they have no stock availablility of traditional dumb meters, install a smart meter in dumb mode i.e. without any capability of transmitting it's readings.

No need to change to a more expensive supplier (or any supplier that is not your preferred supplier) . If your supplier attempts to do something that is not permitted, then raise a complaint and let the ombudsman deal with it if necessary. If the supplier has done something wrong and the ombudsman is required to act to instruct the supplier to make amends, then the ombudsman will usually add a bit of goodwill to be paid by the supplier to the consumer for the error(s) made.

MWT

Browntoa said:

So I've given up and moved to octopus as they have their own teams installing meters and not contracting out 

Just to avoid any surprises, Octopus both have their own team and they contract out.