Getting gas bills for upstairs flat

kkkklinky

A few years ago after moving into new flat I contacted Boost for a new electricity account and prepayment card(I only have electricity in my flat). I was also given an account for gas and assumed it was a mistake since I've never been asked to pay any actual money for gas even though I receive bills. I received a letter from oVo suggesting I was tampering with my gas meter(because it was never being topped up) so I contacted them to realise  that the meter from the upstairs flat(which has been empty for 5 years) is the same meter that oVo are sending me bills for. I have contacted them to tell them this but they are asking me to send a photo of the meter which I cannot do because I don't have access.
Any advice because they are threatening to break into my home whilst I'm at work to check this so called dodgy meter?

Brie

How do you know the bill is for the meter upstairs?  Can you contact the flat owner or freeholder to get access to get a picture of the meter??

kkkklinky

The only gas meter in the entire building is from the upstairs flat, the flat I live in has never had a gas supply or meter yet OVo are insisting there is a meter, so it must be from upstairs which does have a gas supply and meter(I also found an old gas bill from 6 years ago addressed to the upstairs flat and the meter number matches the one on my account). I can only assume this is an error due to the building being converted into 3 flats and that it is assumed to be one property by oVo.
I have no idea who owns the upstairs flat since it has a separate owner to mine.

badmemory

Have you tried asking them for the physical location of the meter.  They usually know.  I have never in over 50 years known a meter reader that has had to ask me where the meter was.

teaselMay

You could arrange for them to come and see rather than need to break in, if you've no meter they can physically confirm that and the problem becomes that of whoever owns the upstairs flat

SAC2334

badmemory said:

Have you tried asking them for the physical location of the meter.  They usually know.  I have never in over 50 years known a meter reader that has had to ask me where the meter was.

As a long term meter reader I can assure you it was common to ask the occupier where the meter is positioned .We get info on our data collector info  but it can be vague .I usually know but not always .it could have been moved , especially with conversions .

SAC2334

kkkklinky said:

A few years ago after moving into new flat I contacted Boost for a new electricity account and prepayment card(I only have electricity in my flat). I was also given an account for gas and assumed it was a mistake since I've never been asked to pay any actual money for gas even though I receive bills. I received a letter from oVo suggesting I was tampering with my gas meter(because it was never being topped up) so I contacted them to realise  that the meter from the upstairs flat(which has been empty for 5 years) is the same meter that oVo are sending me bills for. I have contacted them to tell them this but they are asking me to send a photo of the meter which I cannot do because I don't have access.
Any advice because they are threatening to break into my home whilst I'm at work to check this so called dodgy meter?

Reply with what you say on here and let them pay out for a warrant of access to look at the meter themselves  ..They never actually " break " into properties but ask the landlord to provide entry .if no reply a locksmith will get in easily and install a new lock to check the meter. It won't matter if you are not present 

EssexHebridean

It will almost certainly matter to the OP if someone accesses their home while they aren’t present! Far better that the situation can be sorted out without needing to go that far, IMO.