Smart meters

Katykat

I used to be with Greenstar, who installed our smart meters. When MSE energy contacted me to say that we were not on the best rates, it swopped  us over to SSE. Too late, I discovered that SSE have not got around to fitting smart meters in our area ( NW). They told me I have to read the meters myself as they can’t read them remotely. I am disabled ( so can’t get under the stairs ) & shielding ( so can’t ask anyone else to do it. Apart from that, it’s very difficult to understand how to read them, not like the old meters. The contract is up in June, I’m looking for recommendations to who to change to. Which companies could read our smart meters. 

AnnieGunn

I had the same issue when I just moved house - my meters were in someone else's property and I am shielded so wasn't willing to go through the hassles of making my neighbours leave their own home just so I could read my meter safely (plus they were utter idiots with loud music banging, screaming kid and dogs barking all day, mess and their washing all over the communal areas) and so it was unnerving to even ask them in the first place).  It wasn't possible to fit smart meters to the flats as there was very limited mobile signal there and it wouldn't read the meter, poor fitter was there for an hour in disbelief that Salisbury Plain hardly has mobile in places.

Back then SSE specifically told me they were no longer reading anyone's meters and refused to read mine when I requested it for my sale as it was no longer SSE policy.  Then I get to my new place, as I decided the stay with SSE until I was at least settled.  Both the seller and me give readings that matched and then 3 weeks later a Morrisons Data Services guy under orders from SSE to read my meter on house move turns up on my doorstep, no mask or anything and in the middle of a lockdown (plus we have one of the highest rising rates in the south).

So SSE are talking rubbish that they cannot read meters or get someone to read them if they can request Morrisons to do it - I am not sure how you would get your meter read by Morrisons sadly. 

The reader told me pretty much all SSEs meter readers had now moved over to Morrisons when he was trying to gain access, and that they were required to inspect meters for signs of tampering at least once a year.  I was refusing to let him in on the grounds he had no mask and as a single clinically vulnerable female on their Priority Services List I hadn't been given any notice of him coming at all.  I let him take the readings in the end as I didn't want to be a !!!!!! to him just doing his job and make him wait 40 minutes while I was on hold with SSE to confirm. 

Him turning up on my doorstep told me SSE can read your meter when they choose to, lockdown or no lockdown.

Robin9

Katykat said:

I used to be with Greenstar, who installed our smart meters. When MSE energy contacted me to say that we were not on the best rates, it swopped  us over to SSE. Too late, I discovered that SSE have not got around to fitting smart meters in our area ( NW). They told me I have to read the meters myself as they can’t read them remotely. I am disabled ( so can’t get under the stairs ) & shielding ( so can’t ask anyone else to do it. Apart from that, it’s very difficult to understand how to read them, not like the old meters. The contract is up in June, I’m looking for recommendations to who to change to. Which companies could read our smart meters. 

Are you on their Priority Register |?   Once you are you can ask SSE to do a Must Read ?  

When you swop do the same again  -  one day the Smart Meter programme will drop into place but until then ................

Katykat

Are you on their Priority Register |?   Once you are you can ask SSE to do a Must Read ?  

When you swop do the same again  -  one day the Smart Meter programme will drop into place but until then ................

Yes, I’m on the priority list. When I pointed this out to them, they told me that was just to ensure I got priority to restore any interruptions in energy supply. I’m not thrilled with SSE & won’t be staying with them. 

Gerry1

Katykat said:

Are you on their Priority Register |?   Once you are you can ask SSE to do a Must Read ?  

When you swop do the same again  -  one day the Smart Meter programme will drop into place but until then ................

I’m not thrilled with SSE & won’t be staying with them. 

Their customer service reputation is so bad that they agreed that customers could go to the ombudsman after six weeks instead of the usual eight...