Meter Registration Service ???!!!

michelle-c-

Hi, I forgot to say that one guy told me that when you register with the directories, thats how they got my number.

Bella_kelly

Before you read my post let me just start by saying DO NOT give any information relating to your utility accounts to anyone who calls you via the telephone UNLESS they are the company YOU decided to sign up with initially.

My personal story:

I own a building from which I have worked from for many years and decided to use the bottom area as a shop. Therefore, I registered the shop name and created a new telephone number for the shop.

Within days I started to be inundated with calls from ‘so called’ Meter Registration Services etc asking for my account details, whether I’d signed a new contract, indicating that I was on emergency tariff, telling me that I had to provide details and that they would not stop calling.

In a nutshell, because I had registered a new name and these details had been given to Thomson Local I was subjected to unsolicited calls. Even though I had the same gas and electricity account these companies assumed I was a new company and therefore were desperate to obtain my details and contract.

Some of the calls were very convincing and deceptive, some were very aggressive and after receiving almost 30+ calls in under 2 hours I felt drained.

I actually think that this practice is completely disgusting and should be stopped but I imagine that trying to monitor these companies is virtually impossible.

My advice:

If you set up your account with British Gas, Eon etc ONLY speak to them if they call. Check this by asking them to tell YOU what your tariff is and when you set it up.
NEVER give information about your account, start date etc.
DO NOT feel intimidated, it’s their job to scam you. Politely say, I will call my provider direct. From this they will probably ask “who is your provider?’ DO NOT tell them.
Visit the Telephone Preference Service: www. tpsonline. org. uk This is a free, legitimate service that allows you to register your telephone number so that you don’t receive unsolicited calls. You can also register complaints if a company has been particularly offensive and intimidating. They can be fined.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give information to ANYONE unless you are completely convinced that they are who they say they are. If it is BT or Eon etc they will be able to confirm your account number etc. If they don’t it is more than likely that they are a third party company trying to extract information from you.

The companies I received calls from were:

Meter Registration Department - The name sounds official but they were by far the most intimidating and deceitful.
Business Energy Company
Active Energy Direct
New Business Connections

Finally, after you’ve registered with TPS it will up to 28 days to become effective so stay strong! Either ignore the phone or if that’s not possible just hang up when they say who they are.

Hope this helps

pete21445

:rotfl:I have been bombarded over the last few weeks with calls from this bunch of idiots,take your time have some fun with them,let them think they are winning,let them run up a nice big phone bill,get your kids to answer,ask all sorts of questions,then ask them the pertinant one, which is as you are the meter registration company can you tell me what my meter identication number is,you have now beat them and they will put the phone down on you.

gentlebloke

installer69 wrote: »

Here is the bit that's been bugging me and perhaps one of you ex employees can help. How the hell did they get my number? The thing is I started getting the calls within a couple of days of opening the shop, on my mobile. Except it wasn't my mobile (due to signal probs) but my wife's!

This led me to believe that the only people who could have given me up were the letting agents - to whom I gave no permission to pass any of my details onto.

No advertising etc. and certainly not with my wife's mobile as a contact!

If it was them then they have been responsible for 2 other businesses in our street signing up for really bad electricity deals (I was lucky enough to have internet going and popped in the details as they talked to find horror stories aplenty)

Not sure, but could well have been the letting agent. Some unscrupulous suppliers (Spark in the domestic sector are notorious) offer commission to agents to sign up leaseholders.

Could have been from the directories also.

No cooling off period in business contracts and very difficult to escape. However, ALWAYS ask for a copy of the call - an edited version will usually get a court on your side, and you may need to go that route...

GettinBetter

Just had these jokers on telephone to me. :shocked: I've never been one to entertain ANYONE that asks me for my details over the phone, no matter what. So when he was starting asking questions at top speed I got irritated, and told him agressively that "I get a bill, and I pay it, so what's the problem", I then asked who he was again, and told him I was just 'Googling' him, at which point the phone he rang off. :T

The things to remember ARE:-
1./ You NEVER have to speak to ANYONE just because they ring YOUR number.
2./ It doesn't matter WHO they say they are, NEVER divulge ANY information about your household.
3./ If it's important, you can always ring their office yourself.

Its ok, these strangers ringing you up saying they are from your bank, then going on to say they will just get you to confirm a few security questions, but how do YOU know who the hell THEY are. For all you know they may have no details about you untill they ask the question, and you answer them with it. After a few calls like that they'll have enough info about you to convince you they really are genuine.

tryngtorunasmallbusiness

We have just moved business premises and have been plagued with calls since going in the Thomson local directory. It is building up each day - we have had 12 today already. I wish I'd had that many calls from potential customers who've seen us in the directory!

Lots of different company names - New Business Connections, AED (Active Energy Direct) Meter Registrations, Commercial Gas & Power, Gas Registrations. All seem to be in the Manchester area. I've asked for their phone numbers and surprise, surprise they are all unobtainable (they must issue these false numbers out to their staff to give out).

I've asked to be removed from their mailing list but still the calls keep coming. I've rung Trading Standards who have told me they are doing nothing illegal and they can't do anything. Any other ideas? Apart from being really irritating, I'm concerned that genuine customers aren't able to get through while I'm talking to these companies.

mw67

Thank you for this information - I started my business on the 1st of this month and have been harassed by these people ever since - British Gas has told me it is a scam and not to give them any information, but that does not stop the phone calls - literally every 3-5 mins EVERY day !!!! I now leave the answer machine on and screen calls as they come in - not ideal for a new business, but I cannot deal with their bullying tactics that they subscribe to.
I told them yesterday that they are harassing me and they told me the calls will continue until I register with them - which I will not!! So it seems it is a case of who has the most staying power and who will give up first - not me.....
Thank you again for confirming that my 'gut instinct' is correct :j

MrsM71

Thank heavens I did a quick internet search & came across this thread!

I have recently taken over the administration of an existing business. We received a call yesterday from a lady claiming to be from Accuread (the company who reads meters on behalf of utility suppliers we assumed) who advised that we were out of contract with our existing electricity supplier. As a favour she was just letting us know that we were paying way over the odds & that she would be passing our details on to a colleague who would contact me direct to sort matters out for us. She gave us a reference number & cautioned us to only speak with someone who could give us the same reference number.

This morning I received a call from a company calling themselves Utility Registrations. They gave me the reference number quoted & told me I'd needed to register with one of 3 suppliers in our area through them. She quoted me rates for Eon, British Gas & Opus.

When I told her I was not the decision maker & would have to come back to her she gave me her number with a request that I call her back asap to avoid any increase in the rates quoted. A couple of minutes later she rang me back with a revised (& much lower) Eon rate than originally advised.

Eon is our current supplier. Luckily I found some notes from a month or so a go on our file which contained wildly different rates from those she had quoted & alarm bells began to ring. I rang Eon who confirmed that they are likely a broker. I promptly agreed a new 2 year deal direct with Eon at a much lower standing charge than that quoted by Utility Registrations for a 3 year deal albeit with a slightly higher unit rate.

I am not daft but the implication that they are some official body who acts in the best interest of the consumer was clear. They managed to obtain a lot of information about our meter & supply from us initially. I am crossing my fingers that I have got to Eon with a new instruction in time to stop any skullduggery with our electricity account!

ollie2008uk

I just had these clowns on the phone. They called a total of 18 times yesterday.

To say I was a little pi**ed off would be an understatement. I find that taking the p out of them helps alot. Ask them if their happy with life etc!

MrsM71

MrsM71 wrote: »

We received a call yesterday from a lady claiming to be from Accuread (the company who reads meters on behalf of utility suppliers we assumed) who advised that we were out of contract with our existing electricity supplier. As a favour she was just letting us know that we were paying way over the odds & that she would be passing our details on to a colleague who would contact me direct to sort matters out for us. She gave us a reference number & cautioned us to only speak with someone who could give us the same reference number.

Just following on from the above. I received another call (to the phone number I had given to Utility Registrations) from a lady claiming to be from Accuread. When I told her I was not interested in her services & hung up she had the cheek to ring me back & tell me that I did require her services as they are the biggest meter reading company in the UK & had I recently set up a new business. I said no & she hung up!

I rang G4S who took over Accuread some time ago who confirmed that Accuread no longer exist as a separate entity & that they would never make calls requesting information (meter numbers, readings etc) as they hold this information on their file. She checked my business & address & confirmed that they have no record of any issues.

So please exercise caution when receiving calls from anyone claiming to be from Accuread.