An off peak rate meter mix up

Lemon483

So this is a bit of an update and more guidance needed in what to expect.

Long story short moved into a flat where everything is electric, have a 2 rate 5 way meter which is connected to 2 consumer units with isolation switches by the meter which are labelled domestic and off peak and each of them supposed to be connected to corresponding fuse box in the flat the fuse box inside the flat has 2 switches the domestic one and the off peak one which turns off underfloor heating, storage heaters and immersion boiler (the one that heats overnight so you can use hot water during the day). Have noticed a high (20kwh+) consumption at night when we moved with everything at our fuse box turned off. Meter is in the communal cupboard which we have no access to as property management has the key.

A landlord and electrician came today to check it, found out that our off peak supply fuse box is connected to the consumer box unit of let's say flat 1, when we are flat 4, however we have no idea who is connected to our off peak consumer unit but it is not flat 1. Upon further investigation it seems the meters were not installed correctly as the spots that are labeled as flats 1, 2, 3, 4 have meters in them for flats 4, 3, 2, 1 respectively and the meter mix up can be for the entire building. Landlord will let the property management know on Monday what's going on as we also found a pulled fuse at "our" off peak consumer meter box. I have contacted my energy supplier who said it is unlikely someone will come and check them due to how messy the entire thing is and since other flats have different suppliers, them not wanting to leave exposed wires on or investigate.

So I am wondering what to expect next and what should be my next steps as I don't want to be paying for other people usage. Currently the landlord has turned "our" off peak consumer unit off so we shouldn't be charged for other people's usage, but obviously it is not ideal and I am not sure how to approach the energy company about recalculating the usage and the bills.

Any advice is welcome.

[Deleted User]

Crossed meters are an all too common problem - particularly, on new builds. Builders use plot numbers not postal addresses.

Each property is allocated a Meter Point Administration Number and the electricity meter serial number is linked to the MPAN. In theory, all that needs to happen is that you identify the correct meter. You send the supplier a photo of the correct meter showing the meter serial number. The supplier then checks which MPAN is linked to that meter serial number and it then changes the address linked to the MPAN to your property. All old bills are then cancelled, and you are billed against the correct meter. What the supplier MUST NOT do is break the link between the MPAN and the meter serial number as this will leave a neighbour with a MPAN and no linked meter. 

Your situation is more complicated. Any wiring changes downstream of the meter are your Landlord's responsibility UNLESS the meter has been installed incorrectly. Your Landlord will need to employ an electrician to investigate what changes need to be made to the wiring. Your supplier is correct: no installer is going to come out until the totality of the problem is known and understood. Moreover, an installer from, say, Octopus is not allowed to work on a meter which is now the responsibility of another supplier.

Lemon483

[Deleted User] said:

Crossed meters are an all too common problem - particularly, on new builds. Builders use plot numbers not postal addresses.

Each property is allocated a Meter Point Administration Number and the electricity meter serial number is linked to the MPAN. In theory, all that needs to happen is that you identify the correct meter. You send the supplier a photo of the correct meter showing the meter serial number. The supplier then checks which MPAN is linked to that meter serial number and it then changes the address linked to the MPAN to your property. All old bills are then cancelled, and you are billed against the correct meter. What the supplier MUST NOT do is break the link between the MPAN and the meter serial number as this will leave a neighbour with a MPAN and no linked meter. 

Your situation is more complicated. Any wiring changes downstream of the meter are your Landlord's responsibility UNLESS the meter has been installed incorrectly. Your Landlord will need to employ an electrician to investigate what changes need to be made to the wiring. Your supplier is correct: no installer is going to come out until the totality of the problem is known and understood. Moreover, an installer from, say, Octopus is not allowed to work on a meter which is now the responsibility of another supplier.

Yeah that's where it gets complicated as Landlord came with electrician and electrician has mentioned the entire place has to be checked, however because the landlord only owns one flat and it is a block of flats, he is not allowed to make any changes, so the property management has to do it.

jbuchanangb

It is in everyone's interest to get it sorted out, but it will not be easy. Maybe you should take the lead by dropping a note into each of your neighbours' letter boxes explaining what has been discovered, and offering to work with them and the property management to get it straightened out. Then a co-ordinated approach to each of the neighbours' energy suppliers, perhaps including a table showing flat numbers, MPAN numbers and meter numbers, requesting each supplier re-allocate their customer's address to the right MPAN. You will have to do the "meter sanity" tests for each combination of flats and meters!

[Deleted User]

jbuchanangb said:

It is in everyone's interest to get it sorted out, but it will not be easy. Maybe you should take the lead by dropping a note into each of your neighbours' letter boxes explaining what has been discovered, and offering to work with them and the property management to get it straightened out. Then a co-ordinated approach to each of the neighbours' energy suppliers, perhaps including a table showing flat numbers, MPAN numbers and meter numbers, requesting each supplier re-allocate their customer's address to the right MPAN. You will have to do the "meter sanity" tests for each combination of flats and meters!

I agree. On my small development of 14 homes most of the properties were mis-registered: plot numbers were used but the word plot was left off. Plot 6 became No 6 when the actual postal address was No14.

To resolve the situation, two of us went round every property and noted down the property address and the correct meter serial numbers. We then drafted an email outlining the problem and the solution which all 14 homeowners then sent to their suppliers.

Octopus took 10 days to resolve my problem. Another supplier took 6 months!