How do you know if a 'meter reader' isn't a criminal pretending to be one?

imeach

Set up a password with supplier is the easy one.
The meter reader should have this but not always, I have been asked for a password and when I said it wasn't there, they told me the password!!!!

Ringing your supplier doesn't always work. The people you speak to in whichever department or part of the world, don't always know everything. Many is the time , we are stopped by Police as the suppliers have said they have nobody working that area, we wouldn't just turn up to read a meter if not asked as we wouldn't be getting paid.

We still have to see smart meters so that won't solve the issue.

Being mugged by the customer, possible but attacks are rare, I've only had two customers want to fight me on the doorstep!!

eastcorkram

imeach said:

Set up a password with supplier is the easy one.
The meter reader should have this but not always, I have been asked for a password and when I said it wasn't there, they told me the password!!!!

Ringing your supplier doesn't always work. The people you speak to in whichever department or part of the world, don't always know everything. Many is the time , we are stopped by Police as the suppliers have said they have nobody working that area, we wouldn't just turn up to read a meter if not asked as we wouldn't be getting paid.

We still have to see smart meters so that won't solve the issue.

Being mugged by the customer, possible but attacks are rare, I've only had two customers want to fight me on the doorstep!!

Are  you a reader? Can you explain why some people on here are saying they never have meter readings done? Just curious. I thought they had to be done once a year or two, even if smart. 

[Deleted User]

eastcorkram said:

imeach said:

Set up a password with supplier is the easy one.
The meter reader should have this but not always, I have been asked for a password and when I said it wasn't there, they told me the password!!!!

Ringing your supplier doesn't always work. The people you speak to in whichever department or part of the world, don't always know everything. Many is the time , we are stopped by Police as the suppliers have said they have nobody working that area, we wouldn't just turn up to read a meter if not asked as we wouldn't be getting paid.

We still have to see smart meters so that won't solve the issue.

Being mugged by the customer, possible but attacks are rare, I've only had two customers want to fight me on the doorstep!!

Are  you a reader? Can you explain why some people on here are saying they never have meter readings done? Just curious. I thought they had to be done once a year or two, even if smart. 

Suppliers have to try and get an accurate meter reading once a year.  If they get smart readings, or you give them a reading, that can count.  Some still want to get one anyway.

Meters used to need inspecting once a year for safety reasons.  That got taken out of the rules a few years ago, and now it's up to the supplier to decide if they want to inspect them or not as a risk-management decision.  Some check more than others.

Apparently a meter reader came to my house on 31 Dec for the electricity meter (smart) and then a week later for the gas meter (smart but not sending).  I didn't see them either time.

[Deleted User]

eastcorkram said:

imeach said:

Set up a password with supplier is the easy one.
The meter reader should have this but not always, I have been asked for a password and when I said it wasn't there, they told me the password!!!!

Ringing your supplier doesn't always work. The people you speak to in whichever department or part of the world, don't always know everything. Many is the time , we are stopped by Police as the suppliers have said they have nobody working that area, we wouldn't just turn up to read a meter if not asked as we wouldn't be getting paid.

We still have to see smart meters so that won't solve the issue.

Being mugged by the customer, possible but attacks are rare, I've only had two customers want to fight me on the doorstep!!

Are  you a reader? Can you explain why some people on here are saying they never have meter readings done? Just curious. I thought they had to be done once a year or two, even if smart. 

Not a meter reader!

The requirement for the supplier to read meters was removed from the Supply Licence Conditions a few years ago:

21B.4 The licensee must take all reasonable steps to obtain a meter reading (including any meter reading transmitted electronically from a meter to the licensee or provided by the Customer and accepted by the licensee) for each of its Customers at least once every year.

Suppliers are still required to carry out meter safety checks: the frequency of these checks is determined by suppliers. The previous policy was a meter reading once every 2 years; however, BG had a derogation which allowed it to default to a meter reading once every five years. An assumed saving of £3 per meter per year is already included in the smart meter business case.

We have only seen a meter reader once in the past 3 1/2 years. As it turned out, he was at the wrong property.

ariarnia

does it also make a difference if the person changes supplier? we've had two in 10 years i think. none in the last 3 since we had a smart meter for the electric. but we also normally changed suppliers every 1 or 2 years depending on our fix so i could see we might get lost int eh shuffle? also we're kinda in the middle of nowhere. when they came to fit the smart meter the guy was in an electric van and had to cancel on us because he was running out of charge from his morning and couldnt find anywhere locally online he could top up so didnt want to get stranded

Spoonie_Turtle

We used to get cards through the letterbox from Eon every so often (always missed the meter reader), although I don't recall any since having our meter changed to single rate in 2019.  Then moved to Octopus and they encourage monthly readings for non-smart meters; I can't imagine they are keen send anybody out for readings (even subcontracted) unless they really have to.

imeach

eastcorkram said:

imeach said:

Set up a password with supplier is the easy one.
The meter reader should have this but not always, I have been asked for a password and when I said it wasn't there, they told me the password!!!!

Ringing your supplier doesn't always work. The people you speak to in whichever department or part of the world, don't always know everything. Many is the time , we are stopped by Police as the suppliers have said they have nobody working that area, we wouldn't just turn up to read a meter if not asked as we wouldn't be getting paid.

We still have to see smart meters so that won't solve the issue.

Being mugged by the customer, possible but attacks are rare, I've only had two customers want to fight me on the doorstep!!

Are  you a reader? Can you explain why some people on here are saying they never have meter readings done? Just curious. I thought they had to be done once a year or two, even if smart. 

I am, but it's basically what SparkyGrad and Dolor said

We work for a lot of suppliers, they tell us what they want (attempted) read and when.

imeach

Spoonie_Turtle said:

We used to get cards through the letterbox from Eon every so often (always missed the meter reader), although I don't recall any since having our meter changed to single rate in 2019.  Then moved to Octopus and they encourage monthly readings for non-smart meters; I can't imagine they are keen send anybody out for readings (even subcontracted) unless they really have to.

I believe Octopus use TMA and Lowri Beck for readings.
I'm with Octopus, in 5 or so years I saw a guy read my outside gas meter once, but he didn't even knock to try for the electric which hasn't been read by anyone else in over 12 years through different suppliers.

diystarter7

Ask them to leave a card and fill it in and send it back or phone or email the reading or get a smart meter.

NB: Anyone that enters your home on the basis of any meter reading and or claim to be from gas board re leaks reported in the area etc - don't let them in if you are not comfortable and they wont mind if they are genuine.

EssexHebridean

theoldmiser said:

Alnat1 said:

What's to stop a customer mugging a meter reader? They have to enter stranger's houses all day and hope they are safe. There's lots of strange people out there 😉

Hilarious.

This now feels like there is more going on here than the original context of the post. OP - do you have some sort of issue with meter readers that you aren’t explaining fully to us perhaps? Or can you explain why - allowing for the fact that actual meter reader had already, prior to you making that comment told us that they have twice had customers wanting to fight them on the doorstep  - you find the idea of contractors whose job involves entering people’s property being attacked “hilarious”? Perhaps I’m unusual in this*, but generally speaking I find the idea of anyone being attacked pretty distasteful - so I am genuinely struggling to see the “hilarity” here. 🤔 

On the subject of asking a question again - flagging others to the original question and its responses can signpost further information to other users in the future who may find it useful. Also, perhaps you might have forgotten you had asked the question previously? As for the point that resurrecting old threads isn’t usually the done thing, particularly in the case of technical boards like this one, that can be problematic as information and rules change and so “necroposting” as it is known can lead to people being confused about the current situation. Hopefully that helps fill in the gaps in your understanding about why these points have been made. 

* I would suggest that in fact it is not MY viewpoint that is the unusual one here.