British Gas Smart Meters - Scotland

robert1981_2

Hi,

We had smart meters fitted on 25th January this year. The electricity worked straight away sending data to the screen. The gas didn't. The engineer said that someone would come out to tweak the gas meter to make it work. No one got in touch. I contacted British Gas who told me it was a software problem and they were getting reading.

As billing time approached in Feb I noticed no bill, I got in touch and BG said it had been delayed and would be with me in 48 hours. This didn't happen, I got in touch again, and this time it would be 24 hours. Again, no bill. Last Wednesday (1st March) I got in touch to be told that there was a problem switching my billing over gas - they had no readings since the day the Smart meter was fitted. I manually gave them a reading but this hasn't been made into a bill.

When asked about when I can expect the Smart Meter to work and my billing to be working again I'm told that there is a team of people working on it and they will inform once it is fixed. They don't offer a time period.

My plan is to report to OFGEM when 8 weeks from 25th January is up, but I thought I'd share in case anyone else is having a similar problem or in case anyone else has some advice.

Thanks,

Robert

[Deleted User]

Write to BG and advise that you believe that it is in breach of the Smart Meter Installation Code of Practice (SMICoP) which states the following in respect of faults:

5. FAULT RESOLUTION 5.1.Procedures for Handling Faults

It is each Member’s responsibility to ensure that;

5.1.1.If a fault is identified with the Smart Metering System during the Installation Visit, the Customer is made aware of the problem, what the resolution is likely to be, who will be resolving the fault, and the approximate timescales of the resolution;

5.1.2.The Customer is provided with contact details for additional information related to the Smart Metering System fault, for example should they wish to check progress;

5.1.3.It is made clear to the Customer that they will not be charged for rectifying the Smart Metering System fault;

5.1.4.Information is provided as to who the Customer is to contact if they identify a fault with the Smart Metering System;

5.1.5.If the IHD, if provided, is found to be faulty within 12 months of Installation, the IHD is either repaired or replaced; and

5.1.6.The Customer is informed about their rights in relation to components of the Smart Metering System that are identified to be faulty.

Going to Energy Ombudsman Services (not Ofgem) will achieve nothing. You can report BG to Ofgem for breaching SMICoP but they will not respond directly to any complaint.

You can check whether your smart meters are connected to the DCC network by signing up to the free App BRIGHT.

robert1981_2

That's really helpful, thanks.

When you say write to BG is there an address or e-mail you would suggest.

Thanks again,

Robert