Smart Gas meter not displaying - supplier won't replace it

LeRaven

We're in a rental property since September of last year. When we moved in we contacted the existing supplier who said we had smart meters for gas and electricity and they got the readings from them. 

We changed supplier and were told by the old supplier that they'd give them the readings from the smart meter on the day we changed supplier.

Over the months, we kept getting estimated readings from the new supplier and they were asking for readings from both the electricity and gas meters.

I can read the electricity meter fine. It works perfectly.

The gas meter however has a completely blank screen. No amount of pressing or holding buttons will display anything. I can find any other display unit in the house that's taking anything from the meters.

On our suppliers site it says if you have a broken display, take a picture and send it to them, which I did a couple of months ago and got zero response.

Last week I went on their web chat to chase it up and was told I had to take a video of the broken meter and send it to them🙄

Got a reply to that email saying it was an old smart meter and due to their ongoing negotiations with OFCOM, they're unable to replace any meters.

The added complication is we'll be moving out in about 8 weeks and we'll need to have a final reading then.

Absolutely no clue how to resolve this so any suggestions welcome.

niktheguru

It helps if you state who the companies are! Why do people always miss that detail out!

Did the gas meter work with your previous supplier? (not the smart readings, but the actual display?) Did you move suppliers with a faulty display?
Did you check if your meter is SMETS1 or SMETS2? Does your new supplier accept SMETS2 meters for smart use or insist on manual readings?
Did you check the opening reading on your new providers first bill was the correct one.

If you changed supplier to a cheap supplier when your meter display was faulty already, then you've made your problem a very difficult one.

How many times have you told the supplier that your meter isn't working?
Which provider is this that are having ongoing negotiations with ofgem. You need to log a complaint urgently that you need the meter changed or inspected as the display isn't working. You've left it quite late if you are moving out in 8 weeks. As if you have to go to the ombudsman this is going to take time.

First start with a written email/post complaint - stating your meter is not working and they are relying on estimated bills, and despite mentioning this to them nothing has been done about it for months.

LeRaven

New supplier is Bulb

previous supplier was Scottish Power who were the supplier when we moved in. 

This was our first experience of smart meters and when we contacted Scottish Power they told us don't worry about meter readings, the smart meter will send us the results directly. We therefore looked at the meters. It was only when I saw consistent estimates on the bills that I checked the meters.

Looking back at my first Bulb bill, the electricity reading is there but the gas is an estimate.

Current meter is SMETS 1 (Landis GYR)

Have now told them 3 times that the meter isn't displaying.

LeRaven

Sorry, should say we didn't look at the meters when we moved in. Actually took us ages to even find the gas meter

niktheguru

oh dear, looks like you've made all the cardinal mistakes. Its going to make it very difficult for you to have anything but estimates.

Bulb have been known to be not sending out engineers to sort out meters during the pandemic.
The problem you face is that you dont seem to have a single meter read for your gas from when you moved in. So there will be nothing to base readings from as you have no historical usage, other than randomly choosing figures based upon "size of your house" - which may or may not go in your favour.

What was the final bill from scottish power saying? was the gas also estimated there? If that was the case they clearly lied to you with a faulty/non communicating meter. In truth you should have sorted out a broken meter with the original supplier....it always becomes an absolute mess when people switch when their meter doesn't work or readings haven't been given. 

In truth it doesn't matter if you had a smart meter or not, in a rental property you need to ALWAYS check the readings manually when you move in. Perhaps speak to the lettings agent, they may have an initial reading for you. Its usually done on the check in/check out process.

Didn't bulb ask you for readings when you switched? as the smets1 would have gone dumb.
Scottish power told you not to worry about readings, but only when you stayed with them. As soon as you switch suppliers with a smet1 it goes dumb, unless you go to a supplier that used the same brand of meters during their smets1 roll out. Bulb should have told you this on sign up (and will be in the terms and conditions, that most people dont read)

You need to log a complaint with BULB ASAP regarding this. You need to try and get someone out to assess and change the meter. Sometimes they can connect to the meter and may be able to extract a reading....but usually that doesnt work. Otherwise you will resort to having to just pay the estimates.

Gerry1

Given that you already complained to Bulb a couple of months ago, refer it to the Ombudsman today so that you don't lose any more time before you move out.

It may be possible for a technician to download gas usage info via the optical port. i.e. without a meter change, so ask Bulb to do this PDQ.  If the meter is outside then there's no problem with social distancing.

Also have a good look around for the IHD.