Your meter is approaching its use-by date and needs to be replaced

1socrates1

He looked like he never wanted to do the job and was trying to fob my off on a BS excuse. Anyway I have email Octopus Energy and told hem I have had enough of this, complete waste of my time. 

EssexHebridean

1socrates1 said:

He looked like he never wanted to do the job and was trying to fob my off on a BS excuse. Anyway I have email Octopus Energy and told hem I have had enough of this, complete waste of my time. 

Unlikely - but without you sharing what "outside electrical box" he was referring to, it's unlikely we're going to be able to offer much more input. 

1socrates1

The external electrical box for the block of flats.

Scot_39

gbhxu said:

Don't see why they can't re-certify old meters in the same way you MOT a car.

How old is your say tv or your smart phone.

An old analogue meter would probably just keep going albeit at potentially reduced accuracy.

A digital meter has electronics - the components can simply fail over time - just like any piece of electronics.

Some meters used to have very long certification periods - many now have only 10-15 years.

And as far as Smart - that goes back to a 100% install target set I believe under the previous Labour govt - by / when Ed Milliband climate (or was it energy?) minister.

Gas smart even have batteries - some of which don't seem to have evrn that long a life span in use from some posts here.

MattMattMattUK

1socrates1 said:

The external electrical box for the block of flats.

That really does not narrow it down.

1socrates1

I don't know how else to describe what he was looking at. If it does not narrow it down enough for you, too bad. I have emailed Octopus Energy to tell them of my experience. Let's see how they respond. As I said, it felt like a stich up job because the meters are inside my flat, so I do not know what 'fuse' he did not have access to. It feels like the third party company that are providing this work are cherry picking their jobs and probably still being paid for ones they don't want to do. 

Qyburn

Our meter installer pulled the supply fuse, rather than working live on the meter. Maybe that or the equivalent was what he needed.

Alnat1

Surely he didn't need to turn off the power for the whole block?

EssexHebridean

Alnat1 said:

Surely he didn't need to turn off the power for the whole block?

Very unlikely I would have thought - when my electricity meter was changed a few years ago the installer literally only worked inside my flat - both the meter and the consumer unit are inside so not an issue. The only "electrical box" we have relating to our supply outside the building though is the one for the communal electrical supply which of course wasn't relevant to what he was doing at all. 

OP - people are just trying to help you to work out whether in fact the installer had a genuine issue or whether in fact your suspicions that he never wanted to do the installation could have some credence. Generally speaking we assume when people post here they are looking for help and support, and we try to offer that. If that is of interest then perhaps supplying a photograph of the "box" might help. 

1socrates1

What is the point of providing a photo of a closed box? Anyway I will do nothing now, I have emailed Octopus Energy as to my experience I had today.