Octopus Energy refusing to fix my gas meter

MWT

I'd say the engineer has a point...

Why on earth would you box in your gas meter like that and make it near impossible to work on?

Scotty187570

MWT said:

I'd say the engineer has a point...

Why on earth would you box in your gas meter like that and make it near impossible to work on?

You’d need to ask the previous owner. 
Are you a gas engineer MWT?

MWT

Scotty187570 said:

MWT said:

I'd say the engineer has a point...

Why on earth would you box in your gas meter like that and make it near impossible to work on?

You’d need to ask the previous owner. 
Are you a gas engineer MWT?

No, but you've already had the opinion of a gas engineer from the ones Octopus sent to you...

The photos seem to have gone now but if the only access to the meter prevents them from actually getting in front of it at all and would require them to work sideways through a narrow gap between the wall and a fitted cupboard it isn't hard to see why they were reluctant to attempt a replacement.

[Deleted User]

MWT said:

Scotty187570 said:

MWT said:

I'd say the engineer has a point...

Why on earth would you box in your gas meter like that and make it near impossible to work on?

You’d need to ask the previous owner. 
Are you a gas engineer MWT?

No, but you've already had the opinion of a gas engineer from the ones Octopus sent to you...

The photos seem to have gone now but if the only access to the meter prevents them from actually getting in front of it at all and would require them to word sideways through a narrow gap between the wall and a fitted cupboard it isn't hard to see why they were reluctant to attempt a replacement.

When SMETS2 meters are installed they also install a new gas regulator and an electricity isolation switch (even if one is fitted already).

jefaz07

You won’t get batteries replaced on an E6 meter. We used to carry batteries for the pre pay U6 meters and re set them with a GIS card. The meter is the suppliers property not Transco (or equivalent) 
I have t seen any photos on this thread to comment on but if the asset is built over then you need to provide access to it. 

It it just behind cupboards? 

jefaz07

ess0two said:

Surely the meter is Transco or equivalent property?

It isn’t. 

Scotty187570

jefaz07 said:

You won’t get batteries replaced on an E6 meter. We used to carry batteries for the pre pay U6 meters and re set them with a GIS card. The meter is the suppliers property not Transco (or equivalent) 
I have t seen any photos on this thread to comment on but if the asset is built over then you need to provide access to it. 

It it just behind cupboards? 

Brilliant - that’s all I wanted to establish jefaz07. Thanks. 

It’s in a recess next to a larder cupboard - I take it the previous owners assumed there was still sufficient access. The fitter was decent so no complaint there. 

Just wanted to establish if a battery could be replaced by someone / a different supplier before I have to go down the meter relocation route so your reply answers that - cheers.

That being the case I’ll need to dismantle the larder cupboard and the adjacent unit (built in fridge freezer).
The gas pipe appears higher up the wall and runs into the ceiling (I live in a middle flat in a 3-storey tenement) so hoping that a smart meter could maybe be relocated above the kitchen pelmet. I recontact SGN to request a relocation work when I have the funds. 

Scotty187570

...SGN replied to me suggesting that if I can still access the ECV (which I can) then relocation isn’t mandatory and I should consider recontacting my supplier as they should be able to replace batteries / get the existing meter working - hence being in limbo and it appearing Octopus might just be trying to push a smart meter when a battery replacement could have been an option.

Now I’ve established that battery replacement isn’t actually an option - I can plan / budget for kitchen dismantling and meter relocation.

Thanks for your suggestions folks 👍🏻

jefaz07

Scotty187570 said:

jefaz07 said:

You won’t get batteries replaced on an E6 meter. We used to carry batteries for the pre pay U6 meters and re set them with a GIS card. The meter is the suppliers property not Transco (or equivalent) 
I have t seen any photos on this thread to comment on but if the asset is built over then you need to provide access to it. 

It it just behind cupboards? 

Brilliant - that’s all I wanted to establish jefaz07. Thanks. 

It’s in a recess next to a larder cupboard - I take it the previous owners assumed there was still sufficient access. The fitter was decent so no complaint there. 

Just wanted to establish if a battery could be replaced by someone / a different supplier before I have to go down the meter relocation route so your reply answers that - cheers.

That being the case I’ll need to dismantle the larder cupboard and the adjacent unit (built in fridge freezer).
The gas pipe appears higher up the wall and runs into the ceiling (I live in a middle flat in a 3-storey tenement) so hoping that a smart meter could maybe be relocated above the kitchen pelmet. I recontact SGN to request a relocation work when I have the funds. 

If you live in a middle flat then the most likely outcome would be a meter box outside at ground level and you would have to pay for the pipe up into your property. This may require scaffolding and the costs could mount up! A new service wouldn’t be ran into your building now. So the meter goes outside. Sometimes you can get a WASK system and enter the property on a house  entry tee but this would need to be an outside wall with room! This is all an estimate as I can’t see your layout. 

SGN are correct, if you can access the primary ECV then that’s absolutely fine. Looking at your pics, If you removed that cupboard there doesn’t appear to be a reason why you couldn’t fit a new meter. I’ve exchanged meters in worse places! Bear in mind, there are a lot of unskilled meter fitters who just want nothing to do with it. They have been quickly trained and have no engineering experience...I’m not tarring them all with the same brush BTW just a fact. 

MWT

Just so you are prepared for a possible related problem, how far away is the electricity meter, and is that already 'smart' or were they going to fit that at the same time?

If they intend to fit a smart gas meter it will need to connect to the comms module on a smart electricity meter and depending on how far away and what is in-between, there may be problems with that connection...