Old electric meter mistakenly discarded. What could be the cost charge??

gefnew

If they do try to charge you then send them an invoice for storage  for the same amount.

Zandoni

I really don’t understand this post, whoever came out to fit the smart meter should have taken the old ones away. If they didn’t it’s certainly not the consumers problem, I’d suggest you tell them politely to get stuffed.

Gerry1

Zandoni said:

I’d suggest you tell them politely to get stuffed.

Or refer them to the reply given in Arkell v. Pressdram...

leoguy555

Zandoni said:

I really don’t understand this post, whoever came out to fit the smart meter should have taken the old ones away. If they didn’t it’s certainly not the consumers problem, I’d suggest you tell them politely to get stuffed.

There were 2 old black mechanical meters. He disconnected both of them at the same time that day. A single smart meter was the replacement. He took only one of the meters away, and left the other one behind. The one he left behind was left for months and months, which it ended up being mistakenly thrown out along with other rubbish that got accumulated in the bin bay. He came back many months later to take the one he left behind, unfortunately to find for it to have been discarded.

 You say it's not the consumer's problem, but it was an employee of the consumer that mistakenly threw out the old meter he left behind. Who's fault is that? The consumer, or the technician for not taking it away immediately but leaving it on the premises for a very long time?

 I'm worried that even though the meter is supposedly solely the responsibility of technician, it's worrying me what the consequences for the consumer might be that the power company might try to bring upon the consumer, especially if they try to blame the consumer for the lost meter.

 So this is the question I'm really asking that I've not really gotten an answer to yet.. If they blame the consumer for the lost meter, could the consumer be fined, or made to pay for the meter, or what could happen?

Mstty

You do seem to be very worried about this?

But from all the advice the meter should have been taken during the smart meter install work it should not have been left.

Did you mention BG did the smart meter upgrade? If so contact them for information and get them to confirm the process that they take the old meters away that day. Get it in writing or via a chat window/Twitter etc and present that to your boss as evidence they should have taken the old meters away during the install visit.

I think you are going to have to be proactive yourself to stop yourself worrying. 

Swipe

Not sure why you are worried anyway. It's only a loss to the company if they charge, not you personally. The boss isn't going to dock your pay packet.

Zandoni

leoguy555 said:

Zandoni said:

I really don’t understand this post, whoever came out to fit the smart meter should have taken the old ones away. If they didn’t it’s certainly not the consumers problem, I’d suggest you tell them politely to get stuffed.

There were 2 old black mechanical meters. He disconnected both of them at the same time that day. A single smart meter was the replacement. He took only one of the meters away, and left the other one behind. The one he left behind was left for months and months, which it ended up being mistakenly thrown out along with other rubbish that got accumulated in the bin bay. He came back many months later to take the one he left behind, unfortunately to find for it to have been discarded.

 You say it's not the consumer's problem, but it was an employee of the consumer that mistakenly threw out the old meter he left behind. Who's fault is that? The consumer, or the technician for not taking it away immediately but leaving it on the premises for a very long time?

 I'm worried that even though the meter is supposedly solely the responsibility of technician, it's worrying me what the consequences for the consumer might be that the power company might try to bring upon the consumer, especially if they try to blame the consumer for the lost meter.

 So this is the question I'm really asking that I've not really gotten an answer to yet.. If they blame the consumer for the lost meter, could the consumer be fined, or made to pay for the meter, or what could happen?

The bottom line is they should have taken it, they should do also do this to protect the readings. You and your boss need to tell them to jog on.

leoguy555

Swipe said:

Not sure why you are worried anyway. It's only a loss to the company if they charge, not you personally. The boss isn't going to dock your pay packet.

It's just I feel awfully guilty and stupid for chucking it out, even though I genuinely believed it was for the scrap. (He didn't take it away there and then, showed no sign of coming back, lying in bin bay for months etc etc). I had even said to my boss that if they do charge something for it, that I'd pay for it because I didn't want the company to pay for what I feel is my mistake for chucking the damned thing out. I just feel bad about causing my boss a problem, and the uncertainty of what the power company is going to, if anything.  I mean, what could the power company can really do anyway, apart from possibly charge some arbitary amount of money for piece of nearly-worthless and obsolete lost property. If he'd taken it away there and then, it wouldn't have ever had a chance of being lost or thrown out

Phones4Chris

@leoguy555 As has been said so many times here, it was the installer's responsibility to take the meters away, the fact that he failed to do so with one of them is their problem NOT yours. Also

Phones4Chris said:

Raise a formal complaint with BG for not taking the old meter away at the time and leaving it for months before doing anything about it. The chap that installed the smart meter should have put a label on the smart meter with the old meters' readings, have a look and take a photo if there is one there and submit that as part of the complaint.

You never responded to this. Is there label(s) on the new smart meter with the old meter readings? Take a photo anyway, so if there isn't a label, another thing the installer did not do correctly.
Whether or not there is, you (or your boss that is) can tell BG the installer took the readings, it's his fault he left one of the meters behind and after months' it was believed it was scrap, it's your problem BG! Here is photographic evidence of the meter readings (all the ones that you have) and the new smart meter. And if there is no label on the smart meter with the old readings point that out as well. It's all BG's problem not yours. Has your boss raised a formal complaint?

leoguy555

Phones4Chris said:

@leoguy555 As has been said so many times here, it was the installer's responsibility to take the meters away, the fact that he failed to do so with one of them is their problem NOT yours. Also

Phones4Chris said:

Raise a formal complaint with BG for not taking the old meter away at the time and leaving it for months before doing anything about it. The chap that installed the smart meter should have put a label on the smart meter with the old meters' readings, have a look and take a photo if there is one there and submit that as part of the complaint.

You never responded to this. Is there label(s) on the new smart meter with the old meter readings? Take a photo anyway, so if there isn't a label, another thing the installer did not do correctly.
Whether or not there is, you (or your boss that is) can tell BG the installer took the readings, it's his fault he left one of the meters behind and after months' it was believed it was scrap, it's your problem BG! Here is photographic evidence of the meter readings (all the ones that you have) and the new smart meter. And if there is no label on the smart meter with the old readings point that out as well. It's all BG's problem not yours. Has your boss raised a formal complaint?

Oh, sorry. Erm, there is a label that's been put next to the new smart meter where one of the old meters was, but I'll have to wait to Monday when I'm next in to read all the details on it to see what It says. And I think there's a label that's been stuck onto the smart meter as well, but again, I'll have to wait till tomorrow to see what it is. I think the one on the smart meter is only a date when it was installed. I'll get back to you once I've had a better look.

No. I don't think my boss has raised any complaint with them. I think the boss thinks it's all my fault that I chucked the old meter away and that the power company haven't done anything wrong. I have explained I genuinely thought it was scrap and how I'd cleared the bin bay out of all the accumulated rubbish and the meter went out with it.