Is Lowri Beck Services affiliated with Avro?

mrsmsebastian

I received a note from this company saying they called to read our electrical meter on behalf of Avro. I am confused as I send my reading directly to Avro every month, is this something that is mandatory and should I allow them to my house? 
your help will be greatly appreciated.

Gerry1

Yes, Lowri Beck do read meters for energy companies.  Take a photo and ask for ID if you have any doubt - a genuine meter reader will be quite happy, but a chancer is likely to leg it.

Their website states "If you do not have a health concern you can still decide to provide your own reading or re-arrange the visit for another occasion, but we would prefer to complete the visit and take our own readings and complete our safety checks."

You can submit your reading at https://myreading.net/

[Deleted User]

There is a clue in the words ‘safety checks’. Suppliers no longer have to read meters but they are still required to carry out meter safety checks. They will usually take a meter reading at the same time in case the homeowner has not been reading the meter properly etc.

Gerry1

Dolor said:

There is a clue in the words ‘safety checks’.

Also a euphemism for 'checking that you're not at risk of electrocution, fire or blowing the house up because you've by-passed the meter'.

mrsmsebastian

I rang Lowri Beck and asked them to come back if it is for meter safety check and meter readings. They said they don't do meter checks and they just want a meter read so I told them if it's only for the meter reads then don't bother as I do that every month anyway. Thanks for confirming that the company is affiliated with Avro.
Have a good day All.

phillw

Dolor said:

There is a clue in the words ‘safety checks’. Suppliers no longer have to read meters but they are still required to carry out meter safety checks. They will usually take a meter reading at the same time in case the homeowner has not been reading the meter properly etc.

They don't perform any safety checks. They check you aren't lying and that you haven't visibly bypassed or altered the meter, so they are really fraud checks. The guy who turned up the other week refused to come in to my house due to covid, and got me to read it and tell him the readings.

They call them safety checks for political reasons.

I'm also with Avro, so it was probably lowri beck.

Verdigris

Gerry1 said:

Dolor said:

There is a clue in the words ‘safety checks’.

Also a euphemism for 'checking that you're not at risk of electrocution, fire or blowing the house up because you've by-passed the meter'.

People who are fiddling the meter rarely let you in. If that pattern persists then eyebrows are raised and stronger action is taken.

keithgawler

Unless things have changed, I thought all utility companies have the right to take a meter reading periodically just to check there is nothing untoward with customer readings.

Verdigris

They've got no right of entry, ordinarily. However, if they have cause to think there is a safety issue they get granted a warrant to enter pretty much automatically. They can then smash the door down, if necessary.

imeach

Verdigris said:

They've got no right of entry, ordinarily. However, if they have cause to think there is a safety issue they get granted a warrant to enter pretty much automatically. They can then smash the door down, if necessary.

Lol, normally a locksmith to be fair