Gas provider, faulty meter, not used , provider issuing bill.

pochase

markin said:

If they are sending letters to the address then you never set up an account in your name and got your own key, Possibly why it stopped working.

I had the same idea, but if it was a problem with the key they would have not swapped the meter, Or they took the opportunity to install a smart meter.

MWT

victor2 said:

Welcome to the forum.

Have you tried Citizens Advice for help, or do you have an advisor or support person who can look into it on your behalf?

Arm yourself with whatever documentation you have and see if you can get any advice.

This is still the best advice, this isn't one we are likely to be able to sort out on the forum.

victor2

@sugerplum2 you do really need someone who can look at the details and listen to your recorded calls. You can tell your supplier this person can manage your account on your behalf, so they can talk to the supplier specifically about your account.

It needs someone who can step back from the stress you've obviously had, and find out what is really going on, then explain it all to you in terms you can understand.

It might be worth waiting for Citizens Advice to be able to see you, or see if someone else you trust can help you.

sugerplum2

markin said:

If they are sending letters to the address then you never set up an account in your name and got your own key, Possibly why it stopped working.

What do you mean? I don't understand ? They are refusing to take this new meter out and I do not want anything to do with them. They have said I have used gas to which I have not used any with them. This is a criminal offences that they are accusing me of as well as lying and purgery. Whilst that meter is in my house I am vulnerable to further false aligations from them .So feel I have no choice but to move out of my home . I am thinking of going to the police and handing my self in for the crimes they are accusing me of as then the police will have to investigate matters and think it may be my only chance if a fair investigation. As I know 100% that I have never used even a unit of gas of EDF energies. I was hoping to go to court,but feel this may be a better option,especially given how unlawful they are choosing to practice .

sugerplum2

victor2 said:

@sugerplum2 you do really need someone who can look at the details and listen to your recorded calls. You can tell your supplier this person can manage your account on your behalf, so they can talk to the supplier specifically about your account.

It needs someone who can step back from the stress you've obviously had, and find out what is really going on, then explain it all to you in terms you can understand.

It might be worth waiting for Citizens Advice to be able to see you, or see if someone else you trust can help you.

Yeah I know but can't do any of that till Monday and I am on a time count as to when they installed the meter to get it removed. They are falsely accusing me of things that are criminal offences. I'm not happy about this, obviously as know it to be 100% not true. My dealings with them have proven to me that they are very underhanded. Prime example is, they have sort fit to put in writing my views on something, stating them as my views, when the first I've had sight of what the comment was about was whilst I was reading , their write up of my views on it ....they are that shocking. They are refusing to remove the meeter I do not use or want and have falsely accused me of lying and purgery in regards to the last meter and are accusing me of using it without paying. That is a crime. It is unsafe for me to be anywhere near that meter as it just leads me to be vulnerable of further aligations. I have no choice but to move out . They are accusing me of criminal offenses I know 100% I not done. I think hand my self into the police ,explained what I am being accused of for them to investigate as at least that way I will have a fair investigation and hearing ..as their just unbelievable

Ectophile

You need to get an independent advocate to help you.

The supply of gas is all regulated under the Gas Act. That sets out the rules for metering and billing.

In particular, there is legal precedent that if you have never used any of their gas, then you are not a customer of theirs, and they have no right to bill you anything.

SAC2334

I used to work for EDF and many other suppliers as a meter reader and one of my main jobs with EDF  was what we call "safety checks " going round to check meters for both faults and tampers especially addresses which have not been accessed in 2 or 3 years  .These were known as "must reads " and were deemed as a priority needing  a visit outside of normal hours up to 8 pm at night . 

. Have you had any visits from meter readers in the all these 7 years and have you ever refused access to one of their meter readers ?

I say this because EDF would be elevating a "must read " to a warrant if they were refused access consistently  on a "must read " after they checked the historical usage payments .They have to do this because a tampered meter is a dangerous meter .I think if the occupier refused access several times on a must read then they would have no option but to elevate to a warrant . 
If they are rebilling you on standing charges it was approx £85 a year when I was on the job a few years ago , so approx £600 plus warrant and locksmith charge of a further approx £250 would be added. 
So when someone knocked on your door claiming they had a warrant of access ( and you would have had notifications of this beforehand ) did you refuse access ? Refusing access on a warrant would mean the extra expense of using a locksmith with possible Police back up 
I might add that the Police do not consider utilty problems as part of their remit and they deem it a civil matter 

sugerplum2

pochase said:

markin said:

If they are sending letters to the address then you never set up an account in your name and got your own key, Possibly why it stopped working.

I had the same idea, but if it was a problem with the key they would have not swapped the meter, Or they took the opportunity to install a smart meter.

I questioned why they took the meter as I knew there was a fault, but it was my card beeping n stuff ..so googled in and it inclined me to believe my card was just put in the wrong way around and the fix was simply the engineer s card. So when he took the meet I asked why , and they said to investigate...then later I got on the phone to customer adviser and she said they remove it to see if a pipe has been connected to the back.all she keep on about was these pipes and gas theft. It infuriated me , as the reason they had took this action was because I had not used the meter ,so they though I was stealing gas . Sorry but I do not think a complete non use of gas, by a single mum ,where only a min and child are believed to live, in a run down how ...warrens immediate high on the list profile to be accused of gas theft . Especially under a guilty until proven innocent hard set approach. I even asked for their statistics on such a profile of that and where it ranked...it awful ..

sugerplum2

SAC2334 said:

I used to work for EDF and many other suppliers as a meter reader and one of my main jobs with EDF  was what we call "safety checks " going round to check meters for both faults and tampers especially addresses which have not been accessed in 2 or 3 years  .These were known as "must reads " and were deemed as a priority needing  a visit outside of normal hours up to 8 pm at night . 

. Have you had any visits from meter readers in the all these 7 years and have you ever refused access to one of their meter readers ?

I say this because EDF would be elevating a "must read " to a warrant if they were refused access consistently  on a "must read " after they checked the historical usage payments .They have to do this because a tampered meter is a dangerous meter .I think if the occupier refused access several times on a must read then they would have no option but to elevate to a warrant . 
If they are rebilling you on standing charges it was approx £85 a year when I was on the job a few years ago , so approx £600 plus warrant and locksmith charge of a further approx £250 would be added. 
So when someone knocked on your door claiming they had a warrant of access ( and you would have had notifications of this beforehand ) did you refuse access ? Refusing access on a warrant would mean the extra expense of using a locksmith with possible Police back up 
I might add that the Police do not consider utilty problems as part of their remit and they deem it a civil matter 

I am taking that EDF energy are the worst. No I have never refused them, I just do not be well. They have little care for the danger, the only concern is this stealing of gas. It can quite clearly be seen that can .the meter has never been used with them , not even a single unit . I 100% know this, the card would not register. They know no top up as ever been made to the card. So know I could not of used any of their gas. They originally said the meter was" non illegal and faulty ". The reasured me if all I was saying was right then everything would be fine, but now it's not. I've even told them that I am quiet sure that I even sent a letter in to cancel. I have now asked for them to look for it. In any case I could not use the meter so what are they supposing they were supplying me , as I couldn't and haven't got any gas. They have now come up with that in investigation the meter was found to had gas, so they are now wanting to charge me for the use of gas for the whole length of time along with the gas used. And saying I'm lying , despite all the other evidence. They are saying they can not say when the meter was faulty from ..it's all given the evidence they have absolutely intent to intentionally, charge me for something I not used any way they can ,it's under handed ...if the top up was never topped up and they have proof of this and know that ,the meter is faulty they have confirmed that ....the meeter was found non illegal which I was told means no tampering ( apparently something I was supposed to be pleased about , despite already knowing this) ...how is it that you suppose I was able to use all this gas that they are saying was shown used in the meter of theirs ???? There are 3 arguments against there and only one for , yet they have gone with the one ..that was my meter that was in my house and not theirs it never was theirs, I never had a new meter installed just swamped suppler .They have a full history of all of this, yet they are choosing to ignore all the blatent evidence Infront of them and just choose to persue this wishes of the situation. Its awful .I've explained I an vulnerable in several accounts,having been to my home they have seen it first hand too they have no doubt,yet they still choosing to try to ignore the truth. With the meter will it say the date of last use in there somewhere? I have aked them . I know and can see quite clearly that they can not be trusted at all , it's made me very ill . Thanks for coming forward to help as maybe you can clarify things they are refusing. As they not come forward with anything I have asked for yet. I not even seen the Warrent . I have asked for the Warrent notice as I was never served one and was suppose to have 7 days prior.

sugerplum2

Ectophile said:

You need to get an independent advocate to help you.

The supply of gas is all regulated under the Gas Act. That sets out the rules for metering and billing.

In particular, there is legal precedent that if you have never used any of their gas, then you are not a customer of theirs, and they have no right to bill you anything.

Thank you, this is exactly my point . I shall have a look at that Act . They know this and are just trying to squirm their underhand way out . Like obviously I feel they should be making more efforts to make it better known that if you are not using a supply you need to get your gas capped off ...as how else you going to know ...as I never realized if you don't use your gas you have all this ....it's awful. But it's not just that it's their attitude and manner to to which they have delt with it . For example when they refused me the right to phone the company and the bailft insisted to still drill my look ...that's intimidation ! It was unwarranted as I was engaging in a manner to try to solve things and better understand ...but he denied me ...he was not suppose to even come in ,if I was on my own..he should of asked do I need to call for a 3rd party for support ...ok my child was her,but that's not the same ...he was told I was vulnerable ...I refused to deal with the matter under those policies tho ...it was all recorded...I even asked him at the door was his name tag a camera as I wanted it recorded as just knew he was bound to be doing wrong ...I am not somebody who cries but he had me balling over the way he chooses to deal with the matters and there was no need for it ..I was 100% explaining and telling the full truth. Later when I phone the customer adviser to complained about it all..her service was shocking too ...I explained about the drilling of the lock while I was trying to phone ...her comments where, how did he stop you phoning, did he take your phone off you ,tell you not to use it ....I said drilling the locks .. she twisted it to word it as ,so he was just carrying out his duty,his job....it's like come on mun...how unfair can you get