Right to access electricity meter

refryer

I have just moved into a rented flat where the electricity meters for all of the flats in the building (which the landlord owns entirely) are in a locked cupboard which the letting agent has the key to. This is apparently because the landlord had issues with tenants tampering with the meters in the past. Although the letting agents unlock the cupboard for us when we need access, I still worry about how we can access the cupboard when they are closed - do we have the right to free access to the meter?

[Deleted User]

Hi,

some of those locked cupboards will be easy to get into, depending on type of lock, an old wardrobe key or a skeleton key might work.

MWT

As a far as I am aware, the requirement for electricity meters is to provide access so they can "reasonably read their meter".

That would not require 24/7 unfettered access, merely supervised access upon reasonable notice.

One of the provisions for installing a pre-payment meter was that the location be suitable and accessible for top-ups, which would suggest that not all meter locations are suitable due to access limitations.

It is different for gas meters.

Norman_Castle

refryer said:

 the letting agents unlock the cupboard for us when we need access,

Ridiculous arrangement. What about people with pre payment meters?

MWT

Norman_Castle said:

refryer said:

 the letting agents unlock the cupboard for us when we need access,

Ridiculous arrangement. What about people with pre payment meters?

I doubt there are any, as per my comment above, a locked location would not, or should not have been considered suitable for such a meter, but of course there are now smart pre-payment meters that do not require physical access to top-up...