British Gas still using intimidatory tactics for smart meter appointments

Somniac

Hi all

I recently got a notification (unsolicited) for a smart meter installation (which I don't want). They had made an appointment for installation with a warning I would be charged £30 if I wasn't in or didnt cancel soon enough. After some struggle,I found the appointment on the gas account not on the electric account. I have now cancelled the appointment. This seems to me to be intimidatory.

MattMattMattUK

Somniac said:

Hi all

I recently got a notification (unsolicited) for a smart meter installation (which I don't want). They had made an appointment for installation with a warning I would be charged £30 if I wasn't in or didnt cancel soon enough. After some struggle,I found the appointment on the gas account not on the electric account. I have now cancelled the appointment. This seems to me to be intimidatory.

Why would it be intimidating? 

MWT

MattMattMattUK said:

Somniac said:

Hi all

I recently got a notification (unsolicited) for a smart meter installation (which I don't want). They had made an appointment for installation with a warning I would be charged £30 if I wasn't in or didnt cancel soon enough. After some struggle,I found the appointment on the gas account not on the electric account. I have now cancelled the appointment. This seems to me to be intimidatory.

Why would it be intimidating? 

I don't usually agree with much of the resistance to smart meter installs, but telling me there is an appointment that I didn't ask for or agree to and threatening a penalty if I'm not in would annoy me as well, and yes, the £30 charge does feel like it is deigned to force customers to accept the appointment under threat of a 'fine' ...

I would be inclined to suggest this warrants a complaint.

Chrysalis

Agree with MWT, the issue here is an appointment made without customer agreement combined with a penalty if the customer isnt in at the time.

Gerry1

Completely out of order, especially as the customer might be on holiday or working sway from home.

TheElectricCow

MWT said:

MattMattMattUK said:

Somniac said:

Hi all

I recently got a notification (unsolicited) for a smart meter installation (which I don't want). They had made an appointment for installation with a warning I would be charged £30 if I wasn't in or didnt cancel soon enough. After some struggle,I found the appointment on the gas account not on the electric account. I have now cancelled the appointment. This seems to me to be intimidatory.

Why would it be intimidating? 

I don't usually agree with much of the resistance to smart meter installs, but telling me there is an appointment that I didn't ask for or agree to and threatening a penalty if I'm not in would annoy me as well, and yes, the £30 charge does feel like it is deigned to force customers to accept the appointment under threat of a 'fine' ...

I would be inclined to suggest this warrants a complaint.

Annoying? Absolutely 
Complaint worthy? Probably 
Intimidating? Not impossible to argue, but that’s pushing it.

[Deleted User]

Somniac said:

Hi all

I recently got a notification (unsolicited) for a smart meter installation (which I don't want). They had made an appointment for installation with a warning I would be charged £30 if I wasn't in or didnt cancel soon enough. After some struggle,I found the appointment on the gas account not on the electric account. I have now cancelled the appointment. This seems to me to be intimidatory.

What did the notification say? If your meter is end-of-life, then the supplier has the legal right to/ and is required to fit a replacement meter. Under Government policy, the supplier can now fit a smart meter in these situations.

Somniac

Thanks for your replies. I felt this to be underhanded attempt to foist the meter on me. If I was not used to dealing with BG on the website, I would be stuck with the phone line. I can imagine what that would entail. The notice gives The strong impression of no choice.   

Somniac

Dolor said:

Somniac said:

Hi all

I recently got a notification (unsolicited) for a smart meter installation (which I don't want). They had made an appointment for installation with a warning I would be charged £30 if I wasn't in or didnt cancel soon enough. After some struggle,I found the appointment on the gas account not on the electric account. I have now cancelled the appointment. This seems to me to be intimidatory.

What did the notification say? If your meter is end-of-life, then the supplier has the legal right to/ and is required to fit a replacement meter. Under Government policy, the supplier can now fit a smart meter in these situations.

My meter is fairly new. The notice referred to the gas meter (about 3 years old) but I assume they would fit a smart meter to the electric meter also. (about 5 years old). Both meters are outside my flat and accessible without my knowledge or cooperation.

Somniac

I then got this. Note the last sentence. Quite sinister I thought. I have cancelled the appt well in advance but they are telling me to avoid it in the future. Their PR dept needs some attention.

mmmmikey

This looks like a standard notification that goes out when a smart meter appointment has been made. I can see it would be annoying if you either didn't or don't remember making an appointment but I think it's a stretch to describe it as intimadating.

Is it possible that at some stage you signed up to a tarriff where the terms said they could install a smart meter and the time for them to do that has finally come? Or maybe at some time you got one of those "if you do think that you don't want (whatever) then don't tick the box that says yes" questions and you mistakenly agreed to having one?

Even if it isn't one of these things it could be as simple as a human error somewhere and cancelling the appointment if you don't want it is all that is needed.