Certification of electricity meters

jeandez

We have recently found out that our the certification of our meter expired in. August 2019 well before when it began to give excessive readings, (the 10000 unit digit flipped several times)  in. Early April 2021, despite the property being empty at the time. The energy ombudsman ruled in our favour but has poor enforcement powers and, apart from the meter failing completel, and despite a lot of correspondence and delay,  essentially nothing has happened since. We now rely on a check meter finally fitted in June 2021 as the dead meter is still in place. We are now living in the property. 

 What are the consequences for the energy company of leaving an out of date meter in place and flouting the law?.  We were not believed and told repeatedly for months that we were liable to pay for the recorded usage .....about £6000 plus Vat, without a mention of the possibility error.

We are trying to break the stalemate and get some kind of satisfaction for over a year of trouble. We are pensioners, early and late 70, and are not well;  we should not have  to put up with this.

[Deleted User]

Rather than give you detailed ‘do this, do that’ advice I suggest that make an appointment to see a Citizens Advice Energy Adviser. The CA Extra Help team has direct access to CEOs’ offices.

Your supplier is required to provide you with a serviceable meter. However, in cases where a meter is deemed to be end-of-life it can fit a smart meter without your permission.

Chrysalis

I was going to say legal action, but I think Dolor's advice is the way to go before thats considered as they might potentially resolve for you.

Sad to hear you have a similar story to me where the supplier seems extremely reluctant to fit a test meter and then to rebate false meter readings, dont accept the liability and I hope you manage to push through this.

[Deleted User]

OP - you might to check with EOS that the supplier's failure to comply with an EOS Decision has been referred onto Ofgem:  

"It seems suppliers have carte blanche to drag their heels and pretend they are attempting to sort out an issue, while customers are abandoned by the ombudsman after its review process is complete. FV, Yoxford, Suffolk

The ombudsman does indeed lack powers to regulate energy suppliers – that’s Ofgem’s job – but the service can and should enforce its own decisions. Nor is it a “private company” as you seem to have been advised, rather a public body set up by parliament to resolve disputes.

If a supplier ignores its decisions it has the power to refer it to Ofgem. The trouble is, an overload of cases means that customers may have to wait months and it may only happen if enough similar complaints flag up “systemic issues”.

Although, on paper, companies are supposed to comply with the ombudsman’s decisions within 28 days, that’s in an ideal world. “There’s no ‘set’ period to dictate when we will formally report the failure of a remedy implementation to Ofgem,” says an ombudsman spokesperson.

“Whilst it is disappointing when a remedy is not implemented within the set timescales, it is important that complainants know that we never close a case until the remedy is enforced, and we will always continue to work with the company involved, and the consumer, to enforce the agreed resolution.”

As it happens, Scottish Power’s tardy response had already been referred to Ofgem which ordered it to clear any backlog before Christmas. The ombudsman has promised to keep in touch and let you know of any update.

Meanwhile, I contact Scottish Power which, after months of prevarication, suddenly finds itself in a position to confirm that, as a “gesture of goodwill”, it will refund your energy and service charges from February 2014 until it gets round to implementing the ombudsman’s recommendations. In addition it will pay you that £75. “We are working hard to resolve the complaint,” says a spokesperson, “and we are sorry that we have been unable to fully implement all of the requirements in the ombudsman’s resolution.” The reason for this elongated delay? “A system error” which, Scottish Power claims, it is “working to resolve as quickly as possible”.'

Source: The Guardian