Meter check or smart meter?

MWT

Anita85 said:

What happens if for one reason or another you have a bad or no mobile signal? Do they estimate your bill? Or do they get you to read the meter?

If for whatever reason your smart meter cannot provide a reading you will have the opportunity to read it manually, much as you do now, so do not worry on that score.

Tallerdave

As others have said, if smart meters are fitted the faulty meter will be gone forever, along with any chance of getting "fake" consumption refunded.

Biggus_Dickus

Just curious, but how would the OP go about claiming the overspend caused by the faulty  leccy meter? (if indeed it proves to be faulty.)

Who would the claim be against and who would actually re-pay the overspend,...the OP’s energy company?... or the company who are responsible for the  maintenance and safe working of the meter?...or perhaps the Electricity supply/distribution company themselves?

Is there a recommended procedure to follow in such cases?...and if such, how much approximately is the OP likely to be due given her particular set of circumstances?

On the face of it one would think it’s probably??  a convoluted and drawn out process,...but perhaps not.

I’ve read numerous accounts of suspected ‘faulty’ meters but I don’t remember ever reading an account of someone in the OP’s situation successfully being recompensed. I'm sure such cases exist though,...I haven’t searched.

It’s an interesting thread,...albeit somewhat unsettling for the OP.

 

 

Gerry1

Biggus_Dickus said:

I’ve read numerous accounts of suspected ‘faulty’ meters but I don’t remember ever reading an account of someone in the OP’s situation successfully being recompensed. I'm sure such cases exist though,...I haven’t searched.

@Matthaus73 achieved it.

YellowCarBlueCar

The supplier and the company responsible for the meter are one and the same.  So presumably the claim is against the supplier. 

Tallerdave

The OP's contract is with their supplier, so the supplier will be the one to refund.

If it weren't the energy industry, common sense would be the best approach:
Meter deemed faulty.
OP has history of H kWh annual consumption, prior to leap in consumption.
Refund based on difference between amount paid and amount that would have been paid if consumption had remained at H.

There's probably also an approach that involves waiting for a couple of months with a new meter to see if H is still realistic. However,  seasonal variations could make that approach a bit random. 

The cynic in me suspects the reality would be a derisory few quid compensation offer and months of Ombudsman aggro later a realistic calculation would be carried out.

Biggus_Dickus

Gerry1 said:

Biggus_Dickus said:

I’ve read numerous accounts of suspected ‘faulty’ meters but I don’t remember ever reading an account of someone in the OP’s situation successfully being recompensed. I'm sure such cases exist though,...I haven’t searched.

@Matthaus73 achieved it.

OMG,...what a tale of woe. He apparently did achieve it,...eventually!

Biggus_Dickus

Tallerdave said:

The OP's contract is with their supplier, so the supplier will be the one to refund.

If it weren't the energy industry, common sense would be the best approach:
Meter deemed faulty.
OP has history of H kWh annual consumption, prior to leap in consumption.
Refund based on difference between amount paid and amount that would have been paid if consumption had remained at H.

There's probably also an approach that involves waiting for a couple of months with a new meter to see if H is still realistic. However,  seasonal variations could make that approach a bit random. 

The cynic in me suspects the reality would be a derisory few quid compensation offer and months of Ombudsman aggro later a realistic calculation would be carried out.

I suspect you’re cynicism is probably well founded.

@Anita85   Hope you don’t mind the question but which company supplies your leccy?...if you don’t want to be specific, is it one of the ‘BIG’ suppliers or is it a ‘minnow’ ?

Anita85

My energy supplier (dual fuel) is Shell Energy 

Biggus_Dickus

Anita85 said:

My energy supplier (dual fuel) is Shell Energy 

That’s good. Not one of the ‘BIG’ suppliers as such, but big enough,... and they’ve been trading successfully in one guise or another for a good few years. Some of the ‘minnows’ appear to be playing hide & seek with their customers, atm;...but perhaps that’s been caused by the current situation though.