Energy suppliers saying I have smart meters

Tescocomplaint
Tescocomplaint Posts: 10 Forumite
First Post
I'm looking to change energy suppliers and have been looking closely at my bills.

Both my gas and electricity suppliers have put "smart meter reading" on my bills.

I asked for my annual consumption and was given it. However I didn't remember these Smart meters being put in.

I checked on the CABx website and I don't have Smart meters. 

Both gas/electric suppliers have been charging me for estimates. Therefore my bills aren't accurate. 

My meters aren't in my property and I have a disability and cannot take readings. I've already informed them of this and assumed they were taking readings.

I was paying by DD so wasn't checking my bills.

What do I do?

Comments

  • Scot_39
    Scot_39 Posts: 3,115 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Are you on your suppliers PSR (Priority Service Register) and have you informed them you are disabled / unable to read meters - if not do so - as that should at least get you annual as minimum actual meter readings - or more likely prompt an upgrade to smart to allow them to do so remotely.

    Its unlikely your meters have been changed without you being warned in advance - or them wanting access to maybe isolate before - re check your supplies / gas kit operational afterwards.

    Are the meters outside your property but just too awkward for you ?

    Or if in a flat - maybe in some communal meter cabinet you could not access even if open. Although often those are locked - you often find one or more in a block will have access if safe.

    Is there anyone who you can ask to help - friend, relative, neighbor, carer to have a look at your meters for you.
  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 16,453 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 24 April at 8:25PM
    On one hand you say:
    Both my gas and electricity suppliers have put "smart meter reading" on my bills.
    And on the other:
    Both gas/electric suppliers have been charging me for estimates. Therefore my bills aren't accurate.
    Which are they - smart readings (which are readings) or estimates?
    I didn't remember these Smart meters being put in.
    I was paying by DD so wasn't checking my bills.
    What do I do?
    Start by getting hold of your bills and checking them. See when these smart readings started to appear. If your meters were replaced, there will be a sudden change on readings from your old meters -which could well have a high reading on them - back to zero in the new meters.
    Also, the bills should include the serial numbers of your meters. If the meters were replaced, these numbers will have changed.
    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Intelligent Go elec & Tracker gas / Vodafone BB / iD mobile. Ripple Kirk Hill member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 33MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
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  • Robin9
    Robin9 Posts: 12,646 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    ..................................... 

    Both gas/electric suppliers have been charging me for estimates. ....................
    How do you know this?   Perhaps the door to the meters was left open/ another tenant gave access ?

    Did either supplier contact you to ask for a reading ?   

    Have you printed copies of the bills or have access online?   Look back at them -  look for the letter following the meter read - is it a E ?   Is there a bill which  shows a meter change -  any new Smart would start 0000.0
    Never pay on an estimated bill. Always read and understand your bill
  • mmmmikey
    mmmmikey Posts: 2,165 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Homepage Hero Name Dropper
    Have you called your supplier and discussed this with them? My mum had issues reading here gas meter because she lives in a flat and it wasn't conveniently located and when she called her supplier (British Gas in her case) they put her on the priority service register and sent someone round to check the meter. I can't remember the full story but it all got sorted after that. You do read horror stories about energy suppliers which can put a lot of people off from contacting them, but the reality is that the people who work in customer services and read meters are just regular folk and much more likely to be helpful than not.
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