When your smart meter will be outside and needs a case

sourpuss2021

The old gas meter where I live is under a lip of concrete at lower ground level.  

I remember enquiring once about a smart meter and they said it couldn’t be exposed like the old one and would need to be put in a case.

I understand that will be for the property owner to pay for.

But do the installers have cases with them that they can fit and then add the cost to your utility bill?

Or should you measure the old meter and buy a case that’s the same size, or anyway the size of the spot, or perhaps some standard smart gas meter size.  And then the installer will be able to use the one you’ve provided on the day?

Also there are actually three gas meters for the property which are next to each other in a row, as it’s conversion flats.  So three smart cases would need to fit in that space.  Or perhaps one long case which fits three meters!

But then arranging for all three to be replaced at the same time might be difficult? The flats are with two 
different utility companies.  Though I suspect it’s not the utility company that fits smart meters, they just arrange it? 

[Deleted User]

But do the installers have cases with them that they can fit and then add the cost to your utility bill?

No is the short answer. Your supplier is responsible for your meters. Some suppliers have dedicated installation teams and some use third-party installation companies. I suggest that you have a conversation with either your independent gas transporter or Cadent. There is no precedent for adding the cost for this type of work to an energy bill.

Ectophile

Meter boxes come in standard sizes.  They don't come made-to-measure to fit your meter.

Robin9

Standard meter boxes come from your local builders merchant.

When the meter does come to the end of its life I wonder what the supplier will do ?

FreeBear

Robin9 said:

Standard meter boxes come from your local builders merchant.

When the meter does come to the end of its life I wonder what the supplier will do ?

Tell the customer that their box needs replacing before the meter can be swapped. This work will have to be organised and paid for by the customer... As an extra incentive, the supplier could disconnect the supply (subject to regulatory approval) until the new box is fitted.

[Deleted User]

FreeBear said:

Robin9 said:

Standard meter boxes come from your local builders merchant.

When the meter does come to the end of its life I wonder what the supplier will do ?

Tell the customer that their box needs replacing before the meter can be swapped. This work will have to be organised and paid for by the customer... As an extra incentive, the supplier could disconnect the supply (subject to regulatory approval) until the new box is fitted.

No different I would have thought to a meter that is no longer accessible because the owner boxed it in when new kitchen units were installed.

SAC2334

Robin9 said:

Standard meter boxes come from your local builders merchant.

When the meter does come to the end of its life I wonder what the supplier will do ?

I know of a thriving company in South Wales doing well out of buying the old or fairly new  gas meters, refurbing them and selling them on. 
.My neighbours daughter works for them and says they doing very well getting nearly new gas  smart meters with just flat batteries worn out in a year or two because they were not fitted with a smart electric meter and its hub so the gas meter flattens its battery trying to connect .

They ve never had it so good since digital gas meters with a battery, ends up getting exchanged after less than its 10 year battery  span because operators are not allowed to change the battery in situ .Very odd because I changed many batteries on older prepayment gas meters with little problems.

Smart metering meters  seems to be a financial failure compared to the old analogue gas meters , imperial or metric, where they cause virtually zero operating problems over a 25 year period . Similar to the electric  analogue meters

wild666

My gas meter is outside in a box as I live in a ground floor flat but the flats above me have both there meters inside the property. I have smart meters, SMETS 1, installed by British Gas in 2015, I'm now an Octopus customer and the electric meter is read remotely but the gas meter isn;'t read as I have to give monthly reading to the supplier.

Spoonie_Turtle

SAC2334 said:

Robin9 said:

Standard meter boxes come from your local builders merchant.

When the meter does come to the end of its life I wonder what the supplier will do ?

 operators are not allowed to change the battery in situ …

Smart metering meters  seems to be a financial failure compared to the old analogue gas meters , imperial or metric, where they cause virtually zero operating problems over a 25 year period . Similar to the electric  analogue meters

I'd have thought it's the policy to replace meters rather than change the battery that's a failure, rather than inherent to the meters.

CSI_Yorkshire

Spoonie_Turtle said:

SAC2334 said:

Robin9 said:

Standard meter boxes come from your local builders merchant.

When the meter does come to the end of its life I wonder what the supplier will do ?

 operators are not allowed to change the battery in situ …

Smart metering meters  seems to be a financial failure compared to the old analogue gas meters , imperial or metric, where they cause virtually zero operating problems over a 25 year period . Similar to the electric  analogue meters

I'd have thought it's the policy to replace meters rather than change the battery that's a failure, rather than inherent to the meters.

The batteries often being soldered in place could be part of that.

Spoonie_Turtle

CSI_Yorkshire said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

SAC2334 said:

Robin9 said:

Standard meter boxes come from your local builders merchant.

When the meter does come to the end of its life I wonder what the supplier will do ?

 operators are not allowed to change the battery in situ …

Smart metering meters  seems to be a financial failure compared to the old analogue gas meters , imperial or metric, where they cause virtually zero operating problems over a 25 year period . Similar to the electric  analogue meters

I'd have thought it's the policy to replace meters rather than change the battery that's a failure, rather than inherent to the meters.

The batteries often being soldered in place could be part of that.

Thank you, that has not been mentioned any time I've read comments about it on here so did not realise.

What a bizarre manufacturing choice to make!